When Tupac Shakur is mentioned it is not hard to conjure up thoughts of a thug or a gangster, but in all actuality Tupac was a man who wanted to help and inspire others like himself. Tupac was a pioneer in rap and quickly rose to the top after just a couple of years of making music and would eventually sign to a infamous recording studio called Death Row Records with other west coast rappers such as Dr. Dre and snoop dogg. Tupac was seen sort of as the head of the west coast rappers in the east vs west battle between the two coast, much like Biggie Smalls was seen as the head of the east. As someone who came from nothing Tupac encouraged his fans who had been dealt a bad hand in life to follow his example and make something of themselves through hard work because nobody is just going to hand them anything. Unfortunately Tupac would go on to be gunned down in a controversial hit and run that is still disputed to this day, he died at the age of 25 just a couple of years after making it big in music but enough time to leave his mark on countless people.
One of Tupac’s most powerful works of art actually comes in the form of a poem and not the genre he was most well known for, rap. The poem titled “The Rose That Grew From Concrete” uses a rose that grew from the crack in some concert as a metaphor for a human that has been more or less put off by society much like Tupac had been as a child. The poem stresses that the rose grows despite nature’s laws holding it back, and that it holds onto it’s dreams allowing it to push through the concrete and get fresh air. The finial line, and perhaps the most powerful of all, says “Long live that rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared” goes back to his message to his audience that they will have to work for what they get in life, and that nobody is going to just hand them what they want.
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Very interesting you mention Tupac’s poetry, as you say it seems many people don’t know about it. He seemed like a very talented artist in many different genres.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you explained the background of Tupac and what drove him to write music. It was also unique how you mentioned his poetry and how good Tupac was at using his words to symbolize bigger events.
ReplyDeleteDespite the negative images always surrounding Tupac and his lifestyle, he has always been a rap icon, since he was one of the first. He influenced many people by his music and what he did.
ReplyDeleteI did not know about his poem that you mentioned. That is very interesting and shows how great of an artist he is.
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