AALIYAH and Lisa (Left Eye) Lopes. Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix. Otis Redding and Bessie Smith. Jam Master Jay, Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.
Stars who die young or tragically never really die; they are celebrated and catapulted to the immortal status of icons, whose "last" works of art are constantly being re-mixed, re-packaged and re-released so that their voices can be heard, as Tupac put it, "until the end of time."
Some of the lost ones, like Bob Marley and Lisa (Left Eye) Lopes, were at the prime of their game when they passed. Others, like Aaliyah and Jimi Hendrix, were on the cusp of superstardom. Still others, like Otis Redding, Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., would only achieve their most significant fame and commercial success posthumously. Some of these artists have left behind a cache of unfinished and unreleased works to ensure that the final curtain will never fall on their music.
There is nothing new about this. In 1937, 7,000 people gathered in Philadelphia to attend the funeral of Bessie Smith. In 1972, over 40,000 fans and dignitaries celebrated the life of Mahalia Jackson in Chicago. In 1981, hundreds of thousands of fans (including the prime minister), attended Bob Marley's funeral in Jamaica.
What is new, however, is the technological advances that allow mourners to instantaneously grieve with one another across geographical boundaries. The electronic age, consisting of the Internet, 24-hour news channels and the like, has transformed the once unorganized group of mass mourners into an active, organized cluster of celebrity worshippers, feeding on instant news updates, rumors concerning the celebrities' demise, and in the case of Tupac Shakur especially, gossip about his "real" whereabouts.
As a result, sociologists explain that the untimely death of a celebrity is generally followed by a modern-day communal mourning ritual.
First, the fans' makeshift memorials (complete with teddy bears and flowers), suddenly appear at the celebrity's birthplace, the final resting place, or at the scene of the celebrity's death. Next, the radio stations clutter the airwaves with the hit songs, the new songs, and the forgotten songs.
And finally, the close family members and friends of the fallen usually offer some closure in the form of final homecomings that are indeed fit for a king or queen--millions of television viewers watched the royalty of rap, R&B, and hip-hop pack the house at Aaliyah's funeral service in Manhattan, and openly threw their support behind Aaliyah's mother, Dana Haughton, as she released 22 white doves in honor of her daughter. And the Notorious B.I.G.'s funeral was equally spectacular.
At least one expert likens this fascination with departed celebrities to a modern-day religious movement.
"I would call celebrity worship a new form of religious culture that is very popular in the 20th century," explains Gary Laderman, professor of religion at Emory University, and author of Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in 20th Century America. "We live in a society that venerates a celebrity, and people may have very complicated relationships with them. They may not even know the fallen celebrity, yet they draw quite a bit of meaning from them, which is what religion does. It helps to construct meaning in their lives. Fans are able to draw meaning from this image appearing in the media, and they try to work in some way to maintain those connections."
There was not a public funeral service for Tupac Shakur--adding to the growing conspiracy theory of many fans that he is indeed still alive--but his legion of fans all around the globe still found deep and meaningful ways to show their love.
In the rundown neighborhoods of Israel, and in some parts of Africa and America, there have been reports of graffiti blasted on walls that screamed, "Tupac Lives!"
Poet Nikki Giovanni decided to keep Tupac alive by getting his "Thug Life" motto tattooed on her arm.
"I wanted to be able to show the world that my generation also mourned the death of Tupac Shakur," Giovanni tells EBONY. "I wanted his mother Afeni to know that people care. He was a great man, a great artist, and six years after he died, we are still talking about him. His importance is self-evident. He meant a lot to his generation because he was sensitive and brilliant."
Today, the spirit of the fallen music icons continues to live on via annual festivals, museum exhibits, clothing, Web sites and even babies' names--surely you've noticed the scores of kindergarteners named Aaliyah and Tupac?--and the vitality of this widespread movement is evident in the dramatic rise in record sales.
According to experts at Nielsen Research Sound Scan, which tallies record sales, it's quite common for an artist's illness or sudden demise to translate into mega record sales. For instance, in the week leading up to Aaliyah's death, sales for her final recording, Aaliyah, hovered around 62,000; but immediately following the fatal accident, the sales surged to 306,000 and dominated record charts.
In the week following the Notorious B.I.G.'s death, his posthumous CD release, Life After Death, exploded on the charts and debuted at No. 1; additionally, sales for his previous album, Ready to Die, also tripled.
And although many critics speculated that TLC's last release with Lisa (Left Eye) Lopes, 3D, wouldn't do well because it was released months after Lopes' death was no longer front-page news, 3D raced up the Billboard Top 200 chart, debuting at No. 6.
Forbes magazine lists Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and Tupac Shakur on its list of the top-earning deceased celebrities, and it notes that with a $40 million estate and a vault of over 200 still unreleased recordings, Shakur's estate is destined to continue to swell.
The phenomenal posthumous staying power of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. continues to spark national debate about their significance in the world. "Biggie only put out two albums, but in 10 years he will still be remembered because he molded a foundation for a whole new generation for hip-hop," says Jake Brown, author of King of New York: The Life and Times of the Notorious B.L G.
Fresh from a Harvard lecture series about the importance of Tupac Shakur, Michael Eric Dyson, author of Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur, argues that Tupac is a martyr who should never be forgotten.
"Tupac is by virtue of his unparalleled problems, the perfect embodiment of his generation's genius and grief," Dr. Dyson explains. "He is the perfect symbol of the moral aspirations of what may be termed the hip-hop generation and the contradictions that it faces as well. He lives on in our memories and in our hearts."
The mothers of Tupac and Biggie are also doing their part to make sure that their sons will never be forgotten.
In 1999, Voletta Wallace, the mother of Notorious B.I.G., organized the new Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation (based in New York), and this past March she honored the mothers of others in the music industry who have lost their children through violent or unexpected circumstances to join her for a B.I.G. (Books Instead of Guns) Night Out.
In Atlanta, Tupac's mom, Afeni Shakur, created the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation to provide opportunities for youths to pursue careers in the fine arts.
Poet Giovanni says she never met Tupac, but recognizes his importance. "Tupac is right there with Malcolm X and Emmett Till; he is an image of possibility who was cut down," Giovanni says. "I will do more for him."
Such strong convictions, coupled with the marvels of modern technology that literally allow deceased artists to continue to pump out hit recordings and stellar performances, will work to further cement the stars' immortality for generations. Because of this, Tupac really does live.
They all do.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
by Zondra Hughes
Zondra Hughes "Tupac lives! Why fans are fascinated by stars who die tragically". Ebony. August 2003. FindArticles.com. 06 Dec. 2006.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Tupac Shakur
Rapper, film actor, and poet Tupac "Amaru" Shakur, also known as "2Pac," was one of the most influential and greatest rappers of the 1990s, who launched his rap career when he appeared in the Digital Underground's "Same Song" video in 1991. After the video aired, rap fans across America were asking who the young man was in the African outfit with beads beaming down his chest like an "African King." Critic Armond White has noted that it was after his appearance in the Digital Underground video that Tupac Shakur "first realized the thrill of putting a rhyme on tape and getting it to the public." As a solo artist, Tupac Shakur burst on the rap scene with 2Pacalypse Now (1991), a 13-rap-song album that was destined to change the face of rap music in America and the world over. Through this album, Tupac Shakur vowed to use his poetic power to tell those stories from the streets and the ghetto that the mainstream media refused to talk about, including the plight of black males and other African Americans in America, police brutality, and poverty. In the rap song "Rebel of the Underground," Shakur foreshadowed the conflict between him and the police/media by arguing that they cannot stand the reign of a man like him "who goes against the grain." Furthermore, not only did he characterize himself as "cold as the devil" and "straight out of the underground," but he called himself "the lyrical lunatic, the maniac MC," and asserted that "the most dangerous weapon" is "an educated black man."
Themes of police brutality, black-on-black crimes, the American Dream deferred, black males in America, and the African-American struggle and survival permeate songs like "Trapped," "Soulja's Story," "I Don't Give a Fuck," and "Words of Wisdom." While in "I Don't Give a Fuck" and "Soulja's Story" Shakur rapped that he does not give "a fuck" about the police and other American officials and institutions who oppress African Americans, in "Words of Wisdom" he charged America with the "crime of rape, murder, and assault" for "suppressing and punishing" his people. Additionally, he accused America of falsifying black history and of falsely imprisoning black males by keeping them "trapped in the projects." He concluded the song by warning America that it reaps what it sows and that he is "2Pacalypse, America's nightmare." The rough side and revolutionary stance of 2Pacalypse Now are what later misled music and popular culture critics to label Tupac Shakur a "Gangsta Rapper" and his music "Gangsta Rap," thus blaming the messenger for the message.
Critics who labeled Tupac Shakur a "gangsta rapper" and called him controversial and confused failed to see that his music always contained two sides: a tough side bristling with the realities of the ghetto life and a didactic side endowed with positive messages. Such was the case with "Brenda's Got a Baby" from 2Pacalypse Now, one of Shakur's best known rap songs. The song described the carelessness of a cousin who impregnates Brenda, the ignorance of Brenda who tries to throw the baby in the garbage can, and the callousness of the community that fails to realize that Brenda's plight affects the whole community. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993), Tupac Shakur's second album, contained a song called "Keep Ya Head Up" in which he both debunks some black men for their misogyny, sexism, and irresponsibility, and advises black women to keep their heads up no matter what the situation is. Furthermore, Tupac Shakur showed his softer side yet again on Me Against the World (1995), with "Dear Mama," a tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. Autobiographical in nature, "Dear Mama" chronicles the Black Panther days of Afeni Shakur and how she struggled to keep her family together. Also, Shakur reminisced about the stress he caused a mother trying to raise him while struggling with drugs, and how, in the absence of a father, he turned to the streets in search of love and fame.
In 1996, the music scene changed when Tupac Shakur became the first rapper to release a double album, All Eyez On Me; it reached number one on rhythm and blues and Pop charts and was certified seven times platinum within ten months. In the late 1990s, All Eyez On Me remained the best selling rap album of all time. The most notable and famous song on the album was "California Love," Shakur's single, a song which, according to Armond White, "certifies a level of achievement, of rap triumph, and American commercial bliss." Both Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur create "a sense of belonging that neglects rap protest, preferring an affirmation that is vaguely patriotic." Other work of Tupac's include two posthumous albums, Makaveli the Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996) and the double album R U Still Down? [Remember Me] (1997).
Shakur influenced the Hollywood film industry by starring in six films in five years: Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above the Rim (1994), Bullet (1997), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997). Except for Poetic Justice, a film in which he starred beside Janet Jackson and which shows his romantic and soft side, all the other films look like they were written out of Tupac Shakur's tough lyrics; they exploited and contributed to his "gansta" and "thug-life" image. Though his life was cut short on September 13, 1996, Tupac Shakur has become a legend--some people still think he never died--and his legacy will live forever through his released, and still to be released, records and poems.
by Pierre-Damien Mvuyekure
Pierre-Damien Mvuyekure " Tupac Shakur".
St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. 20020129.
Themes of police brutality, black-on-black crimes, the American Dream deferred, black males in America, and the African-American struggle and survival permeate songs like "Trapped," "Soulja's Story," "I Don't Give a Fuck," and "Words of Wisdom." While in "I Don't Give a Fuck" and "Soulja's Story" Shakur rapped that he does not give "a fuck" about the police and other American officials and institutions who oppress African Americans, in "Words of Wisdom" he charged America with the "crime of rape, murder, and assault" for "suppressing and punishing" his people. Additionally, he accused America of falsifying black history and of falsely imprisoning black males by keeping them "trapped in the projects." He concluded the song by warning America that it reaps what it sows and that he is "2Pacalypse, America's nightmare." The rough side and revolutionary stance of 2Pacalypse Now are what later misled music and popular culture critics to label Tupac Shakur a "Gangsta Rapper" and his music "Gangsta Rap," thus blaming the messenger for the message.
Critics who labeled Tupac Shakur a "gangsta rapper" and called him controversial and confused failed to see that his music always contained two sides: a tough side bristling with the realities of the ghetto life and a didactic side endowed with positive messages. Such was the case with "Brenda's Got a Baby" from 2Pacalypse Now, one of Shakur's best known rap songs. The song described the carelessness of a cousin who impregnates Brenda, the ignorance of Brenda who tries to throw the baby in the garbage can, and the callousness of the community that fails to realize that Brenda's plight affects the whole community. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993), Tupac Shakur's second album, contained a song called "Keep Ya Head Up" in which he both debunks some black men for their misogyny, sexism, and irresponsibility, and advises black women to keep their heads up no matter what the situation is. Furthermore, Tupac Shakur showed his softer side yet again on Me Against the World (1995), with "Dear Mama," a tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. Autobiographical in nature, "Dear Mama" chronicles the Black Panther days of Afeni Shakur and how she struggled to keep her family together. Also, Shakur reminisced about the stress he caused a mother trying to raise him while struggling with drugs, and how, in the absence of a father, he turned to the streets in search of love and fame.
In 1996, the music scene changed when Tupac Shakur became the first rapper to release a double album, All Eyez On Me; it reached number one on rhythm and blues and Pop charts and was certified seven times platinum within ten months. In the late 1990s, All Eyez On Me remained the best selling rap album of all time. The most notable and famous song on the album was "California Love," Shakur's single, a song which, according to Armond White, "certifies a level of achievement, of rap triumph, and American commercial bliss." Both Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur create "a sense of belonging that neglects rap protest, preferring an affirmation that is vaguely patriotic." Other work of Tupac's include two posthumous albums, Makaveli the Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996) and the double album R U Still Down? [Remember Me] (1997).
Shakur influenced the Hollywood film industry by starring in six films in five years: Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above the Rim (1994), Bullet (1997), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997). Except for Poetic Justice, a film in which he starred beside Janet Jackson and which shows his romantic and soft side, all the other films look like they were written out of Tupac Shakur's tough lyrics; they exploited and contributed to his "gansta" and "thug-life" image. Though his life was cut short on September 13, 1996, Tupac Shakur has become a legend--some people still think he never died--and his legacy will live forever through his released, and still to be released, records and poems.
by Pierre-Damien Mvuyekure
Pierre-Damien Mvuyekure " Tupac Shakur".
St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. 20020129.
Out for Tupac: out attorney Dina LaPolt safeguards the estate of Tupac Shakur, producing projects like his new CD and bonding with his mother
"The music industry is like the Roach Motel," says lesbian attorney Dina LaPolt. "Once you check in, you don't check out." She's earned the right to make that joke: By the time she was 30, LaPolt had worked in almost every aspect of the music business--guitar teacher, member of a rock band (her current band is called Trophy Girl), manager, concert promoter, booking agent. At that point she was ready for something new, but what?
What else should I be doing in the music industry? she remembers asking herself. Oh, the lawyers--they always get paid, and they never leave the office. And they have health benefits. That idea started LaPolt toward her current job as the day-to-day legal and business affairs executive for Amaru Entertainment and for its founder, Afeni Shakur--mother of the most prominent artist in rap history, the late Tupac Shakur. Amaru handles all of Tupac's matters, artistic and financial.
What's a white lesbian attorney with a rock-and-roll background doing working in a world as homophobic and misogynistic as hip-hop? A lot. There's Tupac's newest spoken word CD, The Rose, Volume 2 (a follow-up to his The Rose That Grew From Concrete), released in September by Koch Entertainment and executive-produced by Afeni Shakur. The CD features such artists as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Outlawz, Memphis Bleek, and Lyfe Jennings, who have augmented various choruses or verses from Tupac's writings with their own lyrics and music. Proceeds will go toward the $3 million needed to complete construction of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Ga.
Aside from being a driving force in creating Tupac's multimillion-dollar empire, LaPolt has also helped Afeni Shakur launch the national "Keep the Youth Alive" campaign. "Afeni started it because of all the violence," says LaPolt. "She wants an alternative means deal with conflict resolution where urban youths sit down and discuss things instead of fighting with guns and knives."
What's more, LaPolt coproduced the documentary feature Tupac: Resurrection, which to her great surprise was nominated for a 2005 Oscar. "The amazing thing is that I didn't even know what a producer did," she says. "I know that Afeni has a vision, and I'm the 'point A to point Z' person."
LaPolt first met Afeni Shakur in 1998 at the law firm where LaPolt was employed. Hearing Shakur referencing key 12-step phrases like "One day at a time," LaPolt stood up amid dozens of lawyers and blurted excitedly, "I'm 92 days sober!" The two immediately bonded, not just because they were both in recovery--Shakur has been in recovery for 14 years--but because each of them burns with the drive to right wrongs. Shakur, a former member of the Black Panther party, now devotes her life to carrying on her son's messages of peace and hope.
LaPolt, meanwhile, has evolved into a veritable music-industry Erin Brockovich. "I'm an artist-lawyer, so I'm an advocate for artists' rights," she says. "I'm part of the Recording Artists' Coalition started by Sheryl Crow and Don Henley; I helped reform health benefits for AFTRA [the union for vocalists with major labels. I think having an actual artist representing other artists makes all the difference in the world to everyone concerned."
Sadly, LaPolt never got to meet Tupac. But she knows that her sexual identity wouldn't have been an issue with him. As proof, she brings out a letter addressed to Afeni from David LaChapelle. The prominent fashion photographer writes how Tupac and his posse of friends showed up three hours early for a noon photo shoot. Tupac walked into the hotel suite's bedroom where LaChapelle was in bed with his boyfriend, sat down next to the bed, and, totally unfazed by what he saw, proceeded to discuss the day's plans. LaChapelle goes on to write, "The experience of working with your son was so unique, I have always used it as a barometer to which I measure other people. I have been on photo shoots where the stars and their posses made gay jokes right in front of me. Experiences like that make me think about ... how different he really was."
Tupac's family and close friends insist that the rapper would have loved her. "They all said that Tupac was looking for me his whole life," marvels LaPolt. "I'm part of their family. They're so trusting of me, and their biggest drama had always been that I was single. They always said, 'You need to have a nice girl.'" Now she does: LaPolt's been happily partnered for nearly eight months.
Asked if she was drawn to the Tupac phenomenon before entering the world of law, LaPott passionately responds, "No--it's Afeni. I'm in the business of Afeni Shakur. I'm in love with Afeni Shakur! Tupac was nonjudgmental, passionate, always lived life to his fullest, and Afeni is persistent, tenacious, a true warrior. She's someone who, when people tell her she can't do something, that's all she needs to hear." LaPolt smiles. "That's my motivation too. She's forever telling me, 'Dina, you can do anything if you put your mind to it and yon stay sober. You can do anything.'"
by Carol Rosenthal
Rosenthal, a commercial casting director, wrote and performed on In Living Color.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Liberation Publications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
What else should I be doing in the music industry? she remembers asking herself. Oh, the lawyers--they always get paid, and they never leave the office. And they have health benefits. That idea started LaPolt toward her current job as the day-to-day legal and business affairs executive for Amaru Entertainment and for its founder, Afeni Shakur--mother of the most prominent artist in rap history, the late Tupac Shakur. Amaru handles all of Tupac's matters, artistic and financial.
What's a white lesbian attorney with a rock-and-roll background doing working in a world as homophobic and misogynistic as hip-hop? A lot. There's Tupac's newest spoken word CD, The Rose, Volume 2 (a follow-up to his The Rose That Grew From Concrete), released in September by Koch Entertainment and executive-produced by Afeni Shakur. The CD features such artists as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Outlawz, Memphis Bleek, and Lyfe Jennings, who have augmented various choruses or verses from Tupac's writings with their own lyrics and music. Proceeds will go toward the $3 million needed to complete construction of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Ga.
Aside from being a driving force in creating Tupac's multimillion-dollar empire, LaPolt has also helped Afeni Shakur launch the national "Keep the Youth Alive" campaign. "Afeni started it because of all the violence," says LaPolt. "She wants an alternative means deal with conflict resolution where urban youths sit down and discuss things instead of fighting with guns and knives."
What's more, LaPolt coproduced the documentary feature Tupac: Resurrection, which to her great surprise was nominated for a 2005 Oscar. "The amazing thing is that I didn't even know what a producer did," she says. "I know that Afeni has a vision, and I'm the 'point A to point Z' person."
LaPolt first met Afeni Shakur in 1998 at the law firm where LaPolt was employed. Hearing Shakur referencing key 12-step phrases like "One day at a time," LaPolt stood up amid dozens of lawyers and blurted excitedly, "I'm 92 days sober!" The two immediately bonded, not just because they were both in recovery--Shakur has been in recovery for 14 years--but because each of them burns with the drive to right wrongs. Shakur, a former member of the Black Panther party, now devotes her life to carrying on her son's messages of peace and hope.
LaPolt, meanwhile, has evolved into a veritable music-industry Erin Brockovich. "I'm an artist-lawyer, so I'm an advocate for artists' rights," she says. "I'm part of the Recording Artists' Coalition started by Sheryl Crow and Don Henley; I helped reform health benefits for AFTRA [the union for vocalists with major labels. I think having an actual artist representing other artists makes all the difference in the world to everyone concerned."
Sadly, LaPolt never got to meet Tupac. But she knows that her sexual identity wouldn't have been an issue with him. As proof, she brings out a letter addressed to Afeni from David LaChapelle. The prominent fashion photographer writes how Tupac and his posse of friends showed up three hours early for a noon photo shoot. Tupac walked into the hotel suite's bedroom where LaChapelle was in bed with his boyfriend, sat down next to the bed, and, totally unfazed by what he saw, proceeded to discuss the day's plans. LaChapelle goes on to write, "The experience of working with your son was so unique, I have always used it as a barometer to which I measure other people. I have been on photo shoots where the stars and their posses made gay jokes right in front of me. Experiences like that make me think about ... how different he really was."
Tupac's family and close friends insist that the rapper would have loved her. "They all said that Tupac was looking for me his whole life," marvels LaPolt. "I'm part of their family. They're so trusting of me, and their biggest drama had always been that I was single. They always said, 'You need to have a nice girl.'" Now she does: LaPolt's been happily partnered for nearly eight months.
Asked if she was drawn to the Tupac phenomenon before entering the world of law, LaPott passionately responds, "No--it's Afeni. I'm in the business of Afeni Shakur. I'm in love with Afeni Shakur! Tupac was nonjudgmental, passionate, always lived life to his fullest, and Afeni is persistent, tenacious, a true warrior. She's someone who, when people tell her she can't do something, that's all she needs to hear." LaPolt smiles. "That's my motivation too. She's forever telling me, 'Dina, you can do anything if you put your mind to it and yon stay sober. You can do anything.'"
by Carol Rosenthal
Rosenthal, a commercial casting director, wrote and performed on In Living Color.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Liberation Publications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
Congressional legislation introduced by Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney called for a probe of the 1996 murder of legendary rap star Tupac Shakur
Congressional legislation introduced by Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney called for a probe of the 1996 murder of legendary rap star Tupac Shakur. At a Black Caucus brain-trust session last fall, Afeni Shakur, the star's mother, supported the proposal that includes a review of any government files on the crime.
by Simeon Booker
Simeon Booker, Washington Bureau Chief
COPYRIGHT 2005 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
by Simeon Booker
Simeon Booker, Washington Bureau Chief
COPYRIGHT 2005 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
Tupac: Resurrection - movies to see - Movie Review
Made in collaboration with Tupac Shakur's mother and former Black Panther : Afeni Shakur, this documentary is an intimate portrait of Tupac Shakur that celebrates his life and is entirely told in his own words.
The film carefully mines video archives to expose the storytelling that Shakur did during interviews and in personal conversations throughout the happiness and the sadness of his childhood, the ups and downs of his professional career; his romances and his life-altering mistakes, and finally through the lessons he learned. It takes a look at the artist's gifts, passions and conflicts. It also takes a look at those who influenced him early on.
This inspirational life story features never-before-seen concert footage, private home movies and excerpts from Tupac's poetry and journals, all of which serve to create a very personal portrayal of Tupac Shakur. This film features a soundtrack of Shakur's best-selling music, as well as all new music by Biggie Smalls, Eminem and 50 Cent.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
by Sylvia P. Flanagan
The film carefully mines video archives to expose the storytelling that Shakur did during interviews and in personal conversations throughout the happiness and the sadness of his childhood, the ups and downs of his professional career; his romances and his life-altering mistakes, and finally through the lessons he learned. It takes a look at the artist's gifts, passions and conflicts. It also takes a look at those who influenced him early on.
This inspirational life story features never-before-seen concert footage, private home movies and excerpts from Tupac's poetry and journals, all of which serve to create a very personal portrayal of Tupac Shakur. This film features a soundtrack of Shakur's best-selling music, as well as all new music by Biggie Smalls, Eminem and 50 Cent.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
by Sylvia P. Flanagan
A thug-life coda: Tupac tells his own story through posthumous personal scrapbook - rhythm & books - Brief Article - Book Review
Tupac: Resurrection, 1971-1996
Edited by Jacob Haye and Karolyn Ali Atria Books, October 2003 $29.95, ISBN 0-743-47434-1
Tupac Shakur is the hip-hop icon most frequently canonized in contemporary literature. There are at least a dozen books dedicated to his life or intellectual discussions about his work. Since his death in 1996, at age 25, all kinds of pundits have offered up views on his contributions to rap and pop culture.
What makes the book Tupac: Resurrection different, however is that it allows the deceased artist to tell his own story through his own words, thus removing the opportunity for the middle-media interpreter to color Tupac's story with personal bias. As a companion to the MTV documentary film by the same name, Tupac: Resurrection illuminates the young artist's idealistic vision with what is essentially a narrated scrapbook, replete with photographs and handwritten notes.
Gorgeously bound, the hardcover book is a beautiful, emotional and haunting portrait of the artist as a young prodigy who died too soon. Sensation and feeling pour throughout; the first-person quotes that accompany the images chronicle not just his life story, but the passion, the fury, the ambition and the noble sentiment that fueled his actions--many of which we remember as inexplicably macabre. Combined with Tupac's handwritten poems, ideas for screenplays and tirades against injustice, the book allows Tupac to exalt himself to legend, though it merely flirts with his own self--destruction. Still, his account of his own life, shown in images from beginning to end, rings with understated brilliance, fleeting joy and profound sadness, ensuring that Tupac: Resurrection will certainly remain the best book about him by any author.
by Malcolm Venable
Malcolm Venable is a writer in New York
COPYRIGHT 2004 Cox, Matthews & Associates
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
Edited by Jacob Haye and Karolyn Ali Atria Books, October 2003 $29.95, ISBN 0-743-47434-1
Tupac Shakur is the hip-hop icon most frequently canonized in contemporary literature. There are at least a dozen books dedicated to his life or intellectual discussions about his work. Since his death in 1996, at age 25, all kinds of pundits have offered up views on his contributions to rap and pop culture.
What makes the book Tupac: Resurrection different, however is that it allows the deceased artist to tell his own story through his own words, thus removing the opportunity for the middle-media interpreter to color Tupac's story with personal bias. As a companion to the MTV documentary film by the same name, Tupac: Resurrection illuminates the young artist's idealistic vision with what is essentially a narrated scrapbook, replete with photographs and handwritten notes.
Gorgeously bound, the hardcover book is a beautiful, emotional and haunting portrait of the artist as a young prodigy who died too soon. Sensation and feeling pour throughout; the first-person quotes that accompany the images chronicle not just his life story, but the passion, the fury, the ambition and the noble sentiment that fueled his actions--many of which we remember as inexplicably macabre. Combined with Tupac's handwritten poems, ideas for screenplays and tirades against injustice, the book allows Tupac to exalt himself to legend, though it merely flirts with his own self--destruction. Still, his account of his own life, shown in images from beginning to end, rings with understated brilliance, fleeting joy and profound sadness, ensuring that Tupac: Resurrection will certainly remain the best book about him by any author.
by Malcolm Venable
Malcolm Venable is a writer in New York
COPYRIGHT 2004 Cox, Matthews & Associates
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
Greatest Rap Artists of All Time
This list is based on lyrical ability, album sales, and longevity. Producers are not counted in this list. While we must give honourable mention to groups like RUN DMC who were breakthrough artists, and P.Diddy who is arguably the most powerful rap mogul (with Suge Knight perhaps the most dangerous), we are focusing on individuals who have each brought a unique style and message to the rap world. You may also noticed that the list is testosterone driven, but let's face it, other than an argument for Queen Latifah, there simply are no great female rappers.
10. Talib Kweli
For someone who has never "made it", no one is more respected in the rap industry for his lyrical ability than Talib Kweli. If he has not made it into the mainstream, it's because he has more to talk about than just guns, bitches and money.
9. Ludacris
Luda is one of the hottest rappers out there today, but then so are a bunch of other young rappers like Nelly. Why we put Chris miles ahead of the pack for the simple reason that Luda is just plain FEARLESS! He spends his time not just trying to perfect the right rhyme, but the pitch and rhythmic tones for his speech patterns as well. He is also not afraid to take on movies with actual significant speaking parts and was part of the best movie of 2005 in Crash. Look for Ludacris to overtake LL by end of 2006.
8. LL Cool J
His rap career is basically over. He is reduced to Will Smith like rap status with his one hit per album these days, as he concentrates on his TV and movie career. That being said, LL was the first rapper to break into TV and kept the ball rolling after 2 Pac's death for rappers to be considered seriously in movies. And for a guy who everyone complains about his lack of lyrical ability, nobody has squashed more beef than LL as well.
7. Chuck D
Fear of a Black Planet. Nuff said? Maybe. If I need to say more, than I will simply say that Chuck is to the underground what Emimem is to mainstream.
6. Busta Rhymes
From his Leaders of the New School origins, to his recently re-invented shaved head self, Busta Rhymes' ugly mug can be seen blasting at you in videos everywhere. Fortunately for him, talent is not based on looks. Busta's in your face style, and crazy videos make him the Rick James of the Rap World.
5. Notorious B.I.G
Ok, ok, before you click on the refresh button to make sure that you are reading this right, let me just say that had the Notorious One not been killed during his prime, he may well be in the top 3, and I would even argue best ever. I will also concede that he was the best of his time, but compared to the overall careers of those we put ahead of him, his limited time in the rap game has him falling short.
4. Nas
God's Son is next, since you can't beat B.I.G on album sales alone. Nas has got the talent to be one of the best ever, and consistently shows his range on every album. While there is some controversy over some favourable comments he made about Hitler, we choose to give him the benefit of the doubt until it is proven otherwise. Nas' ability is such that even if the beat is whack, you will listen to the song just to hear what he has to say.
3. Emimem (Marshall Mathers)
Speaking of squashing beef, can only one do it better than Slim Shady? We don't think so. From Moby, to Benzino, to his own mother, Marshall has absolutely destroyed all those that sought to take him down. This man even simulated killing his own wife on wax, and had you feeling like she deserved it! What we love about Em is that he writes about what he knows. As his life changes, so do his songs. You may say that he gets away with all his crap and makes so many sales because of his skin color, but I defy you to find anyone that is even willing to take him on now lyrically. If Curtain Call truly does become his last album, then he will undoubtedly fall from this list, but at this time, there is only 1 person alive that can be considered better than him.
2. Jay Z
From his debut in 1996 until his "final" solo album in 2003, no live rapper has sold more hit platinum albums than Hov. Jay Z also went from co-founding Roc-A-Fella records to becoming the president of Dej Jam, and is responsible for launching the careers of many other now platinum artists. Jay Z has done everything a rapper can do in the business industry without getting shot or going to jail.
1. Tupac (2 Pac) Shakur
Whether you believe in the Man or the Muth, Tupac's status has gone beyond iconic to legendary. More albums have been released and gone platinum after his death, than when he was alive. Through his words, you can hear his spirit and his passion for both his people and the direction they were headed. People of all colors respond to his music becomes he teaches hope. He is the only rapper to say that he will rap about guns and violence in order to reach his audience. Once they are listening, only then can he capture their hearts by his more peaceful message of peaceful co-existence by ending struggle through action.
by : Gary Whittaker
Gary Whittaker is the editor of www.tenwebzine.com, the blog with balls! You can comment on them at the website, or send him a message at editor@tenwebzine.com
10. Talib Kweli
For someone who has never "made it", no one is more respected in the rap industry for his lyrical ability than Talib Kweli. If he has not made it into the mainstream, it's because he has more to talk about than just guns, bitches and money.
9. Ludacris
Luda is one of the hottest rappers out there today, but then so are a bunch of other young rappers like Nelly. Why we put Chris miles ahead of the pack for the simple reason that Luda is just plain FEARLESS! He spends his time not just trying to perfect the right rhyme, but the pitch and rhythmic tones for his speech patterns as well. He is also not afraid to take on movies with actual significant speaking parts and was part of the best movie of 2005 in Crash. Look for Ludacris to overtake LL by end of 2006.
8. LL Cool J
His rap career is basically over. He is reduced to Will Smith like rap status with his one hit per album these days, as he concentrates on his TV and movie career. That being said, LL was the first rapper to break into TV and kept the ball rolling after 2 Pac's death for rappers to be considered seriously in movies. And for a guy who everyone complains about his lack of lyrical ability, nobody has squashed more beef than LL as well.
7. Chuck D
Fear of a Black Planet. Nuff said? Maybe. If I need to say more, than I will simply say that Chuck is to the underground what Emimem is to mainstream.
6. Busta Rhymes
From his Leaders of the New School origins, to his recently re-invented shaved head self, Busta Rhymes' ugly mug can be seen blasting at you in videos everywhere. Fortunately for him, talent is not based on looks. Busta's in your face style, and crazy videos make him the Rick James of the Rap World.
5. Notorious B.I.G
Ok, ok, before you click on the refresh button to make sure that you are reading this right, let me just say that had the Notorious One not been killed during his prime, he may well be in the top 3, and I would even argue best ever. I will also concede that he was the best of his time, but compared to the overall careers of those we put ahead of him, his limited time in the rap game has him falling short.
4. Nas
God's Son is next, since you can't beat B.I.G on album sales alone. Nas has got the talent to be one of the best ever, and consistently shows his range on every album. While there is some controversy over some favourable comments he made about Hitler, we choose to give him the benefit of the doubt until it is proven otherwise. Nas' ability is such that even if the beat is whack, you will listen to the song just to hear what he has to say.
3. Emimem (Marshall Mathers)
Speaking of squashing beef, can only one do it better than Slim Shady? We don't think so. From Moby, to Benzino, to his own mother, Marshall has absolutely destroyed all those that sought to take him down. This man even simulated killing his own wife on wax, and had you feeling like she deserved it! What we love about Em is that he writes about what he knows. As his life changes, so do his songs. You may say that he gets away with all his crap and makes so many sales because of his skin color, but I defy you to find anyone that is even willing to take him on now lyrically. If Curtain Call truly does become his last album, then he will undoubtedly fall from this list, but at this time, there is only 1 person alive that can be considered better than him.
2. Jay Z
From his debut in 1996 until his "final" solo album in 2003, no live rapper has sold more hit platinum albums than Hov. Jay Z also went from co-founding Roc-A-Fella records to becoming the president of Dej Jam, and is responsible for launching the careers of many other now platinum artists. Jay Z has done everything a rapper can do in the business industry without getting shot or going to jail.
1. Tupac (2 Pac) Shakur
Whether you believe in the Man or the Muth, Tupac's status has gone beyond iconic to legendary. More albums have been released and gone platinum after his death, than when he was alive. Through his words, you can hear his spirit and his passion for both his people and the direction they were headed. People of all colors respond to his music becomes he teaches hope. He is the only rapper to say that he will rap about guns and violence in order to reach his audience. Once they are listening, only then can he capture their hearts by his more peaceful message of peaceful co-existence by ending struggle through action.
by : Gary Whittaker
Gary Whittaker is the editor of www.tenwebzine.com, the blog with balls! You can comment on them at the website, or send him a message at editor@tenwebzine.com
A Shining Beacon in Hip Hop
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born Lesane Crooks on June 19th, 1971. The man so affectionately known as the godfather of West Coast gangster rap was raised by his mother, Afeni Shakur. Afeni was a dedicated black panther and gave birth to Tupac while behind bars. Tupac's life wouldn't get any easier.
He grew up poor and with a mother that had a crack addiction. Tupac, however, was a survivor. He enjoyed reading, poetry and literature. His love for the arts soon landed him a scholarship to the Baltimore School of Arts in which he stared in his first play as the lead for the play "Raisin in the Sun."
After going through school, Tupac landed a job as a back up dancer for the up and coming rap group Digital Underground. He got the honor of touring the country with the group and soon discovered his own skills on the microphone when Digital Underground allowed him to rap on one of their singles entitled "Same Song." This was Tupac's big break.
Tupac was later signed to Death Row Records, which was owned by the notorious thug Suge Knight. Tupac prospered on the label with his debut 1991 record "2pacalypse Now." The album was certified gold and went on to sell millions of copies.
Tupac's short career and life was ended on September 7, 1996. He was shot after attending a fight in Las Vegas. On the Vegas Strip, a car pulled up to his black Mercedes at a red light and opened fire. Tupac was killed and Suge Knight escaped with minor wounds. To this day, the killer has not been found and there are no suspects.
Throughout all the legal trouble, controversial lyrics and his gangster lifestyle, Tupac was a role model. He demonstrated love for his people and for all people by funding inner-city programs for youth and for adults. Tupac was known to be very kind to his fans of all ages and races. He proved to be a "Rose That Grew from Concrete" in making something of his rough life. He is inspiration to all.
This is a short synopsis of a man whose passion, drive, emotion, positive contributions and life can barely be described in a novel. Follow your dreams.
by : Sandra Stammberger
Do you make Hip Hop Music? Get Unlimited Access to 100,000 Hip Hop Beats. Visit Free Hip Hop Beat now.
He grew up poor and with a mother that had a crack addiction. Tupac, however, was a survivor. He enjoyed reading, poetry and literature. His love for the arts soon landed him a scholarship to the Baltimore School of Arts in which he stared in his first play as the lead for the play "Raisin in the Sun."
After going through school, Tupac landed a job as a back up dancer for the up and coming rap group Digital Underground. He got the honor of touring the country with the group and soon discovered his own skills on the microphone when Digital Underground allowed him to rap on one of their singles entitled "Same Song." This was Tupac's big break.
Tupac was later signed to Death Row Records, which was owned by the notorious thug Suge Knight. Tupac prospered on the label with his debut 1991 record "2pacalypse Now." The album was certified gold and went on to sell millions of copies.
Tupac's short career and life was ended on September 7, 1996. He was shot after attending a fight in Las Vegas. On the Vegas Strip, a car pulled up to his black Mercedes at a red light and opened fire. Tupac was killed and Suge Knight escaped with minor wounds. To this day, the killer has not been found and there are no suspects.
Throughout all the legal trouble, controversial lyrics and his gangster lifestyle, Tupac was a role model. He demonstrated love for his people and for all people by funding inner-city programs for youth and for adults. Tupac was known to be very kind to his fans of all ages and races. He proved to be a "Rose That Grew from Concrete" in making something of his rough life. He is inspiration to all.
This is a short synopsis of a man whose passion, drive, emotion, positive contributions and life can barely be described in a novel. Follow your dreams.
by : Sandra Stammberger
Do you make Hip Hop Music? Get Unlimited Access to 100,000 Hip Hop Beats. Visit Free Hip Hop Beat now.
Hip Hop History
Rap music originated as a cross-cultural product. Most of its important early practitioners-including Kool Herc, D.J. Hollywood, and Afrika Bambaataa-were either first- or second-generation Americans of Caribbean ancestry. Herc and Hollywood are both credited with introducing the Jamaican style of cutting and mixing into the musical culture of the South Bronx. By most accounts Herc was the first DJ to buy two copies of the same record for just a 15-second break (rhythmic instrumental segment) in the middle. By mixing back and forth between the two copies he was able to double, triple, or indefinitely extend the break. In so doing, Herc effectively deconstructed and reconstructed so-called found sound, using the turntable as a musical instrument.
While he was cutting with two turntables, Herc would also perform with the microphone in Jamaican toasting style-joking, boasting, and using myriad in-group references. Herc's musical parties eventually gained notoriety and were often documented on cassette tapes that were recorded with the relatively new boombox, or blaster, technology. Taped duplicates of these parties rapidly made their way through the Bronx, Brooklyn, and uptown Manhattan, spawning a number of similar DJ acts. Among the new breed of DJs was Afrika Bambaataa, the first important Black Muslim in rap. (The Muslim presence would become very influential in the late 1980s.) Bambaataa often engaged in sound-system battles with Herc, similar to the so-called cutting contests in jazz a generation earlier. The sound system competitions were held at city parks, where hot-wired street lamps supplied electricity, or at local clubs. Bambaataa sometimes mixed sounds from rock-music recordings and television shows into the standard funk and disco fare that Herc and most of his followers relied upon. By using rock records, Bambaataa extended rap beyond the immediate reference points of contemporary black youth culture. By the 1990s any sound source was considered fair game and rap artists borrowed sounds from such disparate sources as Israeli folk music, bebop jazz records, and television news broadcasts.
In 1976 Grandmaster Flash introduced the technique In 1979 the first two rap records appeared: "King Tim III (Personality Jock)," recorded by the Fatback Band, and "Rapper's Delight," by Sugarhill Gang. A series of verses recited by the three members of Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight" became a national hit, reaching number 36 on the Billboard magazine popular music charts. The spoken content, mostly braggadocio spiced with fantasy, was derived largely from a pool of material used by most of the earlier rappers. The backing track for "Rapper's Delight" was supplied by hired studio musicians, who replicated the basic groove of the hit song "Good Times" (1979) by the American disco group Chic. Perceived as novel by many white Americans, "Rapper's Delight" quickly inspired "Rapture" (1980) by the new-wave band Blondie, as well as a number of other popular records. In 1982 Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" became the first rap record to use synthesizers and an electronic drum machine. With this recording, rap artists began to create their own backing tracks rather than simply offering the work of others in a new context. A year later Bambaataa introduced the sampling capabilities of synthesizers on "Looking for the Perfect Beat" (1983).of quick mixing, in which sound bites as short as one or two seconds are combined for a collage effect. Quick mixing paralleled the rapid-editing style of television advertising used at the time. Shortly after Flash introduced quick mixing, his partner Grandmaster Melle Mel composed the first extended stories in rhymed rap. Up to this point, most of the words heard over the work of disc jockeys such as Herc, Bambaataa, and Flash had been improvised phrases and expressions. In 1978 DJ Grand Wizard Theodore introduced the technique of scratching to produce rhythmic patterns.
Sampling brought into question the ownership of sound. Some artists claimed that by sampling recordings of a prominent black artist, such as funk musician James Brown, they were challenging white corporate America and the recording industry's right to own black cultural expression. More problematic was the fact that rap artists were also challenging Brown's and other musicians' right to own, control, and be compensated for the use of their intellectual creations. By the early 1990s a system had come about whereby most artists requested permission and negotiated some form of compensation for the use of samples. Some commonly sampled performers, such as funk musician George Clinton, released compact discs (CDs) containing dozens of sound bites specifically to facilitate sampling. One effect of sampling was a newfound sense of musical history among black youth. Earlier artists such as Brown and Clinton were celebrated as cultural heroes and their older recordings were reissued and repopularized.
During the mid-1980s, rap moved from the fringes of hip-hop culture to the mainstream of the American music industry as white musicians began to embrace the new style. In 1986 rap reached the top ten on the Billboard pop charts with "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" by the Beastie Boys and "Walk This Way" by Run-DMC and Aerosmith. Known for incorporating rock music into its raps, Run-DMC became one of the first rap groups to be featured regularly on MTV (Music Television). Also during the mid-1980s, the first female rap group of consequence, Salt-N-Pepa, released the singles "The Show Stoppa" (1985) and "Push It" (1987); "Push It" reached the top 20 on Billboard's pop charts. In the late 1980s a large segment of rap became highly politicized, resulting in the most overt social agenda in popular music since the urban folk movement of the 1960s. The groups Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions epitomized this political style of rap. Public Enemy came to prominence with their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), and the theme song "Fight the Power" from the motion picture Do the Right Thing (1989),by American filmmaker Spike Lee. Proclaiming the importance of rap in black American culture, Public Enemy's lead singer, Chuck D., referred to it as the African American CNN (Cable News Network).
Alongside the rise of political rap came the introduction of gangsta rap, which attempts to depict an outlaw lifestyle of sex, drugs, and violence in inner-city America. In 1988 the first major album of gangsta rap was released: Straight Outta Compton by the rap group NWA (Niggaz With Attitude). Songs from the album generated an extraordinary amount of controversy for their violent attitudes and inspired protests from a number of organizations, including the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). However, attempts to censor gangsta rap only served to publicize the music and make it more attractive to both black and white youths. NWA became a platform for launching the solo careers of some of the most influential rappers and rap producers in the gangsta style, including Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E.
In the 1990s rap became increasingly eclectic, demonstrating a seemingly limitless capacity to draw samples from any and all musical forms. A number of rap artists have borrowed from jazz, using samples as well as live music. Some of the most influential jazz-rap recordings include Jazzamatazz CD (1993), an album by Boston rapper Guru, and "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" (1993), a single by the British group US3. In the United Kingdom, jazz-rap evolved into a genre known as trip-hop, the most prominent artists and groups being Tricky and Massive Attack. As rap became increasingly part of the American mainstream in the 1990s, political rap became less prominent while gangsta rap, as epitomized by the Geto Boys, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Tupac Shakur, grew in popularity.
Since the mid-1980s rap music has greatly influenced both black and white culture in North America. Much of the slang of hip-hop culture, including such terms as dis, fly, def, chill, and wack, have become standard parts of the vocabulary of a significant number of young people of various ethnic origins. Many rap enthusiasts assert that rap functions as a voice for a community without access to the mainstream media. According to advocates, rap serves to engender self-pride, self-help, and self-improvement, communicating a positive and fulfilling sense of black history that is largely absent from other American institutions. Political rap artists have spurred interest in the Black Muslim movement as articulated by minister Louis Farrakhan, generating much criticism from those who view Farrakhan as a racist. Gangsta rap has also been severely criticised for lyrics that many people interpret as glorifying the most violent and misogynistic (woman-hating) imagery in the history of popular music. The style's popularity with middle-class whites has been attacked as vicarious thrill-seeking of the most insidious sort. Defenders of gangsta rap argue that no matter who is listening to the music, the raps are justified because they accurately portray life in inner-city America.
HipHopCapital.com is the #1 Hip Hop Jewelry retailer on the net. We have all the Bling Bling that you are looking for.
By Marc Hines
While he was cutting with two turntables, Herc would also perform with the microphone in Jamaican toasting style-joking, boasting, and using myriad in-group references. Herc's musical parties eventually gained notoriety and were often documented on cassette tapes that were recorded with the relatively new boombox, or blaster, technology. Taped duplicates of these parties rapidly made their way through the Bronx, Brooklyn, and uptown Manhattan, spawning a number of similar DJ acts. Among the new breed of DJs was Afrika Bambaataa, the first important Black Muslim in rap. (The Muslim presence would become very influential in the late 1980s.) Bambaataa often engaged in sound-system battles with Herc, similar to the so-called cutting contests in jazz a generation earlier. The sound system competitions were held at city parks, where hot-wired street lamps supplied electricity, or at local clubs. Bambaataa sometimes mixed sounds from rock-music recordings and television shows into the standard funk and disco fare that Herc and most of his followers relied upon. By using rock records, Bambaataa extended rap beyond the immediate reference points of contemporary black youth culture. By the 1990s any sound source was considered fair game and rap artists borrowed sounds from such disparate sources as Israeli folk music, bebop jazz records, and television news broadcasts.
In 1976 Grandmaster Flash introduced the technique In 1979 the first two rap records appeared: "King Tim III (Personality Jock)," recorded by the Fatback Band, and "Rapper's Delight," by Sugarhill Gang. A series of verses recited by the three members of Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight" became a national hit, reaching number 36 on the Billboard magazine popular music charts. The spoken content, mostly braggadocio spiced with fantasy, was derived largely from a pool of material used by most of the earlier rappers. The backing track for "Rapper's Delight" was supplied by hired studio musicians, who replicated the basic groove of the hit song "Good Times" (1979) by the American disco group Chic. Perceived as novel by many white Americans, "Rapper's Delight" quickly inspired "Rapture" (1980) by the new-wave band Blondie, as well as a number of other popular records. In 1982 Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" became the first rap record to use synthesizers and an electronic drum machine. With this recording, rap artists began to create their own backing tracks rather than simply offering the work of others in a new context. A year later Bambaataa introduced the sampling capabilities of synthesizers on "Looking for the Perfect Beat" (1983).of quick mixing, in which sound bites as short as one or two seconds are combined for a collage effect. Quick mixing paralleled the rapid-editing style of television advertising used at the time. Shortly after Flash introduced quick mixing, his partner Grandmaster Melle Mel composed the first extended stories in rhymed rap. Up to this point, most of the words heard over the work of disc jockeys such as Herc, Bambaataa, and Flash had been improvised phrases and expressions. In 1978 DJ Grand Wizard Theodore introduced the technique of scratching to produce rhythmic patterns.
Sampling brought into question the ownership of sound. Some artists claimed that by sampling recordings of a prominent black artist, such as funk musician James Brown, they were challenging white corporate America and the recording industry's right to own black cultural expression. More problematic was the fact that rap artists were also challenging Brown's and other musicians' right to own, control, and be compensated for the use of their intellectual creations. By the early 1990s a system had come about whereby most artists requested permission and negotiated some form of compensation for the use of samples. Some commonly sampled performers, such as funk musician George Clinton, released compact discs (CDs) containing dozens of sound bites specifically to facilitate sampling. One effect of sampling was a newfound sense of musical history among black youth. Earlier artists such as Brown and Clinton were celebrated as cultural heroes and their older recordings were reissued and repopularized.
During the mid-1980s, rap moved from the fringes of hip-hop culture to the mainstream of the American music industry as white musicians began to embrace the new style. In 1986 rap reached the top ten on the Billboard pop charts with "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" by the Beastie Boys and "Walk This Way" by Run-DMC and Aerosmith. Known for incorporating rock music into its raps, Run-DMC became one of the first rap groups to be featured regularly on MTV (Music Television). Also during the mid-1980s, the first female rap group of consequence, Salt-N-Pepa, released the singles "The Show Stoppa" (1985) and "Push It" (1987); "Push It" reached the top 20 on Billboard's pop charts. In the late 1980s a large segment of rap became highly politicized, resulting in the most overt social agenda in popular music since the urban folk movement of the 1960s. The groups Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions epitomized this political style of rap. Public Enemy came to prominence with their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), and the theme song "Fight the Power" from the motion picture Do the Right Thing (1989),by American filmmaker Spike Lee. Proclaiming the importance of rap in black American culture, Public Enemy's lead singer, Chuck D., referred to it as the African American CNN (Cable News Network).
Alongside the rise of political rap came the introduction of gangsta rap, which attempts to depict an outlaw lifestyle of sex, drugs, and violence in inner-city America. In 1988 the first major album of gangsta rap was released: Straight Outta Compton by the rap group NWA (Niggaz With Attitude). Songs from the album generated an extraordinary amount of controversy for their violent attitudes and inspired protests from a number of organizations, including the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). However, attempts to censor gangsta rap only served to publicize the music and make it more attractive to both black and white youths. NWA became a platform for launching the solo careers of some of the most influential rappers and rap producers in the gangsta style, including Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E.
In the 1990s rap became increasingly eclectic, demonstrating a seemingly limitless capacity to draw samples from any and all musical forms. A number of rap artists have borrowed from jazz, using samples as well as live music. Some of the most influential jazz-rap recordings include Jazzamatazz CD (1993), an album by Boston rapper Guru, and "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" (1993), a single by the British group US3. In the United Kingdom, jazz-rap evolved into a genre known as trip-hop, the most prominent artists and groups being Tricky and Massive Attack. As rap became increasingly part of the American mainstream in the 1990s, political rap became less prominent while gangsta rap, as epitomized by the Geto Boys, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Tupac Shakur, grew in popularity.
Since the mid-1980s rap music has greatly influenced both black and white culture in North America. Much of the slang of hip-hop culture, including such terms as dis, fly, def, chill, and wack, have become standard parts of the vocabulary of a significant number of young people of various ethnic origins. Many rap enthusiasts assert that rap functions as a voice for a community without access to the mainstream media. According to advocates, rap serves to engender self-pride, self-help, and self-improvement, communicating a positive and fulfilling sense of black history that is largely absent from other American institutions. Political rap artists have spurred interest in the Black Muslim movement as articulated by minister Louis Farrakhan, generating much criticism from those who view Farrakhan as a racist. Gangsta rap has also been severely criticised for lyrics that many people interpret as glorifying the most violent and misogynistic (woman-hating) imagery in the history of popular music. The style's popularity with middle-class whites has been attacked as vicarious thrill-seeking of the most insidious sort. Defenders of gangsta rap argue that no matter who is listening to the music, the raps are justified because they accurately portray life in inner-city America.
HipHopCapital.com is the #1 Hip Hop Jewelry retailer on the net. We have all the Bling Bling that you are looking for.
By Marc Hines
African American Entertainer
Tupac Shakur was a very influential person in 20th century USA. He was born on June 16, 1971 in Brooklyn New York, and died on September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas Nevada (unknown author, no title, no page, letter code C). But his family moved around a lot while he was a kid (Bastin, J.D.). He eventually ended up in the Bay Area California alone and spent his first two years there homeless (unknown author, no title, n.p., letter code D). He grew up with only his mom and loved her very much. He even wrote a song called Dear Mama to his mom and thanked her for how she tried her best at raising him.
His public career started when he joined the seminal Bay Area rap ensemble (u.a., “original area,” n.p.). He started as a tour dancer but then started rapping live (u.a., “original area,” n.p.). From there he released a couple albums and then was offered to be in some movies. He became friends with a couple of popular rap artists like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre (Placid n.p.). He made some songs and music videos with them that made it big on the Billboard charts. This really helped his popularity. He released a double CD with the songs on it and a lot of his own songs and sold millions of copies (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) More people were influenced to buy his CD. People listened to the music and did what he said he did. So Tupac was influencing all of these people.
Tupac was rich and famous now. He was showing off his own style now and didn’t need his popular friends. This is the time that many people saw the real Tupac and loved him. He was now very influential to fans. They wanted to be just like him. He starred in more movies and could be who he really was. He did a lot of interviews that showed his beliefs. He said self esteem and self respect was very important and said “I feel as though I am a shining prince just like Malcolm and feel that all of us are shining princes, and if we live like shining princes, then whatever we want can be ours. Anything.” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.) And when he says all of us, he means all men. He also said he doesn’t care if someone is white or black. And no one can be judged by their skin. “So just because it’s Black don’t mean it’s cool, and just because it’s White don’t mean it’s evil.”(Patrick, Tony n.p.) If he judged a man, he judged them by what they do to or how they treat others. Tupac wasn’t racis! t against any body. And he showed that. I’ve seen him treat everyone equal that I see him with on TV or even on movies. This is an influence because since people want to be like him, they will follow his beliefs. And if Tupac believes in non-racism, then the people will believe in that too.
This is a big difference from him and other rap artists. A lot of others are racist to different people, and the different people then don’t like him, don’t listen to his music, don’t see his movies, and aren’t influenced by him. Almost all races listen to Tupac’s music. I’ve known Mexican, White, Black, Asian, Indian, and even Pakistani people who listened to his music and are influenced and are moved by him. I’ve even saw a show in Singapore about music here and a Singaporean kid said he listens to Tupac.
Tupac has a lot of self-values that he follows. He even said it’s hard sometimes, but he keeps it up. He said “To me it’s really troubling because I look over what’s successful - Marky Mark, Hammer, Vanilla Ice, New Kids on the Block selling twenty-two million copies, and I want that so badly, but I can’t do that. I would be wrong to do that, knowing what I know and having the brain that I have, for me to even go and write some simple shit would be wrong even though I would get paid and I would get more people's money.” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.) This means that Tupac has a strong will and values. He resisted the temptation to write some easy rhyming words and get peoples money. He instead followed his values and worked up to his potential.
He says he also believes in Karma (Bastin, J.D., n.p.). That what comes around goes around. And he said he believes in reincarnation too. He wants to be a good man in this life, because he said he knew he was going to die soon (Bastin, J.D., n.p.) and wanted to be ready for the next life. The reason Tupac gives for the reason he makes his music is not only for the money, but so people would know what it was like for him growing up. He also wanted to be remembered. He said “I would rather leave something so that when people pick up 2Pacalypse Now or any of my other albums in 1999, they'll go, 'Damn! Brothers had it hard back in the day, but brothers were working it out.” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.)
He said his music is spiritual: a little like gospels, but with a different idea in mind. And that his music was not meant to be danced to, but just to be listened to. His music was for the strong willed (Patrick, Tony, n.p.). He shows his hard life through his music “Which celebrates violent defiance of a society viewed as largely racist and lethal” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.).
I think Tupac influenced most of the people that listen to his music. People start to dress like him and talk like him if they see him on music videos singing his newest song. They could also listen to the things that Tupac says he does, and then do those things themselves. I hope his values and beliefs in a non-racial world also influence people. He does say some bad things, but he did spend eleven and a half months in a maximum-security jail for something he claims he never did and says that he was framed for (Placid, Sylvester n.p.). He also spent two years of his life homeless (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) and grew up having it hard to fit in(u.a., n.t, n.p., letter code B). Tupac was not a normal man, but he was still trying to send a good message to the youth’s that listened and still do listen to his music.
He also influenced many future and present rap artists. Biggie Smallz for example sounded just like Tupac, and used the same voice tones as Tupac. I’ve also heard about five other songs that steal the backgrounds to Tupac’s songs. And if there are that many imitators now, there will definitely be a lot in the future.
One of the reasons he was so influential is because he showed his real self to the world through interviews, music videos, movies, his music, and his poetry. He showed his views on the world unlike most other rap artists. Another reason is because people liked his views and liked his non-racial ways. People liked the way he sung about real subjects. Not like the others who sing about nothing much, and then get all the money they can. Also his unique style of mixing new sounds for a new beat really separated his music from others. He didn’t use traditional beats that people get tired of. He added a twist to rap and hip-hop music all together. And brought a lot of people to like that.
“Tupac was one of raps most controversial and influential performers” (“tupac” n.p.). “Tupac Amaur Shakur left a distinct impact on American culture that is still being shown today” (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) He was one of the most influential persons in the 20th century America. And I believe he will be remembered and loved by a lot for years to come. He has served and will serve as a role model for younger kids growing up today.
By : Michael Cooper
His public career started when he joined the seminal Bay Area rap ensemble (u.a., “original area,” n.p.). He started as a tour dancer but then started rapping live (u.a., “original area,” n.p.). From there he released a couple albums and then was offered to be in some movies. He became friends with a couple of popular rap artists like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre (Placid n.p.). He made some songs and music videos with them that made it big on the Billboard charts. This really helped his popularity. He released a double CD with the songs on it and a lot of his own songs and sold millions of copies (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) More people were influenced to buy his CD. People listened to the music and did what he said he did. So Tupac was influencing all of these people.
Tupac was rich and famous now. He was showing off his own style now and didn’t need his popular friends. This is the time that many people saw the real Tupac and loved him. He was now very influential to fans. They wanted to be just like him. He starred in more movies and could be who he really was. He did a lot of interviews that showed his beliefs. He said self esteem and self respect was very important and said “I feel as though I am a shining prince just like Malcolm and feel that all of us are shining princes, and if we live like shining princes, then whatever we want can be ours. Anything.” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.) And when he says all of us, he means all men. He also said he doesn’t care if someone is white or black. And no one can be judged by their skin. “So just because it’s Black don’t mean it’s cool, and just because it’s White don’t mean it’s evil.”(Patrick, Tony n.p.) If he judged a man, he judged them by what they do to or how they treat others. Tupac wasn’t racis! t against any body. And he showed that. I’ve seen him treat everyone equal that I see him with on TV or even on movies. This is an influence because since people want to be like him, they will follow his beliefs. And if Tupac believes in non-racism, then the people will believe in that too.
This is a big difference from him and other rap artists. A lot of others are racist to different people, and the different people then don’t like him, don’t listen to his music, don’t see his movies, and aren’t influenced by him. Almost all races listen to Tupac’s music. I’ve known Mexican, White, Black, Asian, Indian, and even Pakistani people who listened to his music and are influenced and are moved by him. I’ve even saw a show in Singapore about music here and a Singaporean kid said he listens to Tupac.
Tupac has a lot of self-values that he follows. He even said it’s hard sometimes, but he keeps it up. He said “To me it’s really troubling because I look over what’s successful - Marky Mark, Hammer, Vanilla Ice, New Kids on the Block selling twenty-two million copies, and I want that so badly, but I can’t do that. I would be wrong to do that, knowing what I know and having the brain that I have, for me to even go and write some simple shit would be wrong even though I would get paid and I would get more people's money.” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.) This means that Tupac has a strong will and values. He resisted the temptation to write some easy rhyming words and get peoples money. He instead followed his values and worked up to his potential.
He says he also believes in Karma (Bastin, J.D., n.p.). That what comes around goes around. And he said he believes in reincarnation too. He wants to be a good man in this life, because he said he knew he was going to die soon (Bastin, J.D., n.p.) and wanted to be ready for the next life. The reason Tupac gives for the reason he makes his music is not only for the money, but so people would know what it was like for him growing up. He also wanted to be remembered. He said “I would rather leave something so that when people pick up 2Pacalypse Now or any of my other albums in 1999, they'll go, 'Damn! Brothers had it hard back in the day, but brothers were working it out.” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.)
He said his music is spiritual: a little like gospels, but with a different idea in mind. And that his music was not meant to be danced to, but just to be listened to. His music was for the strong willed (Patrick, Tony, n.p.). He shows his hard life through his music “Which celebrates violent defiance of a society viewed as largely racist and lethal” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.).
I think Tupac influenced most of the people that listen to his music. People start to dress like him and talk like him if they see him on music videos singing his newest song. They could also listen to the things that Tupac says he does, and then do those things themselves. I hope his values and beliefs in a non-racial world also influence people. He does say some bad things, but he did spend eleven and a half months in a maximum-security jail for something he claims he never did and says that he was framed for (Placid, Sylvester n.p.). He also spent two years of his life homeless (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) and grew up having it hard to fit in(u.a., n.t, n.p., letter code B). Tupac was not a normal man, but he was still trying to send a good message to the youth’s that listened and still do listen to his music.
He also influenced many future and present rap artists. Biggie Smallz for example sounded just like Tupac, and used the same voice tones as Tupac. I’ve also heard about five other songs that steal the backgrounds to Tupac’s songs. And if there are that many imitators now, there will definitely be a lot in the future.
One of the reasons he was so influential is because he showed his real self to the world through interviews, music videos, movies, his music, and his poetry. He showed his views on the world unlike most other rap artists. Another reason is because people liked his views and liked his non-racial ways. People liked the way he sung about real subjects. Not like the others who sing about nothing much, and then get all the money they can. Also his unique style of mixing new sounds for a new beat really separated his music from others. He didn’t use traditional beats that people get tired of. He added a twist to rap and hip-hop music all together. And brought a lot of people to like that.
“Tupac was one of raps most controversial and influential performers” (“tupac” n.p.). “Tupac Amaur Shakur left a distinct impact on American culture that is still being shown today” (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) He was one of the most influential persons in the 20th century America. And I believe he will be remembered and loved by a lot for years to come. He has served and will serve as a role model for younger kids growing up today.
By : Michael Cooper
The Miseducation of Hip Hop
Just what is the definition of Hip Hop? Well according to youngster of this generation it is a music genre, a trend, a lifestyle, anything that comes to mind on today’s youth. When you ask old-school enthusiast they'll agree on one term, it's a "Culture" for them. For today's young men and women hip hop has a deep impact on their lives, back then when Hip Hop was still a growing phenomenon, when all you hear on the radio station was rock and roll, pop, country and dancehall music, hip hop made noise by starting their own with the emergence of rap music.
It was cool when old-school hip hop beats such as, Kool G Rap's, KRS One's, Big Daddy Kane's and all of them Old School flavor was hitting the scene, you see people of all races dance to it, but not much whites, as Vanilla Ice did a controversy that made them vulnerable to the culture. It was a Culture before which was strong and all about having fun, but in the midst of it all, the infamous "Gangsta' Rap" emerge as Hip Hop's hard core side, Hip Hop was incorporated with gangs, and lyrics which rappers like Chuck D, whom infamously runs Public Enemy, N.W.A. the west side’s hard knocks and several other gangsta' rappers build hip hop's different foundation, Rappers talks about their run-ins with the Police, best delivered by N.W.A.'s "F*ck the Police", and tension with other gangs.
All Of that builds something heavy to the succesor of Hip Hop Culture, In The Mid-90's Gagsta' Rap evolve and creates the Eastcoast/Westcoast beef, headed by California's Tupac and New York's Notorious B.I.G., then followed by their record labels like Pac's Deathrow Records and Biggie's Bad Boy Records, it was widely known, and in '96 Hardcore Gansta' Rapper/Poet Tupac was assassinated, after him Biggie was also killed. Because of that youth in that generation was cautious, wild and curious, just to be "in" the "game", you have to be Gangsta', the whole Hip Hop as a culture definition has evolve rapidly that it has became a lifestyle and on recent events it was Life for most.
Hip Hop has been misunderstood as of late, you see gangs going it all out, you hear rap music talking about sex, drugs and all that jazz, and Hip Hop's main meaning has been misinterpreted, it's not enough to explain how it goes down, but for a real Hip Hop enthusiast one must observe that, before all that beefing and conflict began Hip Hop was a wholesome act, even Tupac has Poetic lyrics that tackle's life in general, not just the stereotypical hip hop we knew now.
All in all the total misconception on hip hop have to be the misunderstanding that all of the conflict and history of the culture brought, if only every people who listen or gets involve with hip hop has a wider conceptual analysis in their minds they would understand, but that would be impossible. So the misconception of it will continue, people have different views, analysis, and conception on things so it will be real hard to unite one brain to another. This essay is not to criticize the culture rather to open eyes to some who seeks a little opinion from a little fan
By : Jron Magcale
Jron "The Black Mamba" Magcale
http://www.hqpress.com/
It was cool when old-school hip hop beats such as, Kool G Rap's, KRS One's, Big Daddy Kane's and all of them Old School flavor was hitting the scene, you see people of all races dance to it, but not much whites, as Vanilla Ice did a controversy that made them vulnerable to the culture. It was a Culture before which was strong and all about having fun, but in the midst of it all, the infamous "Gangsta' Rap" emerge as Hip Hop's hard core side, Hip Hop was incorporated with gangs, and lyrics which rappers like Chuck D, whom infamously runs Public Enemy, N.W.A. the west side’s hard knocks and several other gangsta' rappers build hip hop's different foundation, Rappers talks about their run-ins with the Police, best delivered by N.W.A.'s "F*ck the Police", and tension with other gangs.
All Of that builds something heavy to the succesor of Hip Hop Culture, In The Mid-90's Gagsta' Rap evolve and creates the Eastcoast/Westcoast beef, headed by California's Tupac and New York's Notorious B.I.G., then followed by their record labels like Pac's Deathrow Records and Biggie's Bad Boy Records, it was widely known, and in '96 Hardcore Gansta' Rapper/Poet Tupac was assassinated, after him Biggie was also killed. Because of that youth in that generation was cautious, wild and curious, just to be "in" the "game", you have to be Gangsta', the whole Hip Hop as a culture definition has evolve rapidly that it has became a lifestyle and on recent events it was Life for most.
Hip Hop has been misunderstood as of late, you see gangs going it all out, you hear rap music talking about sex, drugs and all that jazz, and Hip Hop's main meaning has been misinterpreted, it's not enough to explain how it goes down, but for a real Hip Hop enthusiast one must observe that, before all that beefing and conflict began Hip Hop was a wholesome act, even Tupac has Poetic lyrics that tackle's life in general, not just the stereotypical hip hop we knew now.
All in all the total misconception on hip hop have to be the misunderstanding that all of the conflict and history of the culture brought, if only every people who listen or gets involve with hip hop has a wider conceptual analysis in their minds they would understand, but that would be impossible. So the misconception of it will continue, people have different views, analysis, and conception on things so it will be real hard to unite one brain to another. This essay is not to criticize the culture rather to open eyes to some who seeks a little opinion from a little fan
By : Jron Magcale
Jron "The Black Mamba" Magcale
http://www.hqpress.com/
Is Tupac Shakur Dead or Alive?
This is ultimately the question I am most frequently confronted with - is Tupac dead, or alive? Personally, I believe It all comes down to how you see death, and what YOU believe.
To cut things short, in my honest opinion, I believe Tupac is dead. A lot of people breeze over that though, and that’s what the problem is. By saying he is dead, we are suggesting he is no longer alive - he no longer physically exists. But just because he doesn’t exist as a physical form, a solid being, doesn’t mean he’s not here, right? Through Tupac’s touching lyrics and music, he reached out to us, and communicated with us. That’s what he was best at. As long as we still listen to his music, his words, he will still ‘touching us’ and communicating with us. So even after Tupac passed away, his music still remains - his essence still burns in our hearts. Remember, this is just what I believe. Death is a concept, depending on how you interpret it and what you believe, you may think differently. It will be great to hear your thoughts and opinions on this.
“So why the Seven Day Theory?” One thing Tupac was known for, was his intelligence. No, I don’t mean he had outstanding grades at school. A lot of people mis-interpret the word intelligence. Knowledge is what is what one knows. Intelligence is ones ability to know. Tupac’s ability to understand was immense. Just by listening to his lyrics, you can tell he was a deep thinker. He was a sensitive young male, who tried so hard to understand why things happened. But unfortunately, when trying to understand death all one is faced with is pain, and anxiety. Tupac wasn’t necessarily scared of dying, but of being forgotten.
A lot of people are worried about death, but really I think they are worried about being forgotten. So many memories just erased in an instant. The only possible remedy would be to ‘engrave’ those memories and stories into his songs, and then create a mystery which baffles the world for years to come. It makes sense doesn’t it? Tupac was so intelligent, he would have had the ability to predict this. He would have known by leaving so many clues and hints in his lyrics, and by creating the Seven Day Theory, the world even to this day will be listening to his words in hope.
If this idea was true, it would explain just about everything - apart from the actual shooting itself. Now assuming Tupac died on September 13th 1996, we are left with two possibilities: Tupac was murdered, or he planned his death. Once again, your thoughts are welcome on this. But my personal opinion, is that Tupac planned his death. For someone living in such pain and suffering (according to his lyrics), it wouldn’t be hard to give in to death, if it meant he would be perceived as a legend for decades to come. Tupac once said in an interview that he should’ve blown his brains out a long time ago. It is clear that he wasn’t afraid to die, and so maybe he was willing to exchange his life for a piece of history.
Remember, this is just what I believe. Everyone has their own thoughts and views regarding Tupac’s death. Maybe he is chilling on an island somewhere smoking a blunt. Or perhaps he really was murdered straight.
By Luke Kirk
This article was written by Luke Kirk. To learn more about Tupac Shakur, visit Luke's website: Tupac Shrin
To cut things short, in my honest opinion, I believe Tupac is dead. A lot of people breeze over that though, and that’s what the problem is. By saying he is dead, we are suggesting he is no longer alive - he no longer physically exists. But just because he doesn’t exist as a physical form, a solid being, doesn’t mean he’s not here, right? Through Tupac’s touching lyrics and music, he reached out to us, and communicated with us. That’s what he was best at. As long as we still listen to his music, his words, he will still ‘touching us’ and communicating with us. So even after Tupac passed away, his music still remains - his essence still burns in our hearts. Remember, this is just what I believe. Death is a concept, depending on how you interpret it and what you believe, you may think differently. It will be great to hear your thoughts and opinions on this.
“So why the Seven Day Theory?” One thing Tupac was known for, was his intelligence. No, I don’t mean he had outstanding grades at school. A lot of people mis-interpret the word intelligence. Knowledge is what is what one knows. Intelligence is ones ability to know. Tupac’s ability to understand was immense. Just by listening to his lyrics, you can tell he was a deep thinker. He was a sensitive young male, who tried so hard to understand why things happened. But unfortunately, when trying to understand death all one is faced with is pain, and anxiety. Tupac wasn’t necessarily scared of dying, but of being forgotten.
A lot of people are worried about death, but really I think they are worried about being forgotten. So many memories just erased in an instant. The only possible remedy would be to ‘engrave’ those memories and stories into his songs, and then create a mystery which baffles the world for years to come. It makes sense doesn’t it? Tupac was so intelligent, he would have had the ability to predict this. He would have known by leaving so many clues and hints in his lyrics, and by creating the Seven Day Theory, the world even to this day will be listening to his words in hope.
If this idea was true, it would explain just about everything - apart from the actual shooting itself. Now assuming Tupac died on September 13th 1996, we are left with two possibilities: Tupac was murdered, or he planned his death. Once again, your thoughts are welcome on this. But my personal opinion, is that Tupac planned his death. For someone living in such pain and suffering (according to his lyrics), it wouldn’t be hard to give in to death, if it meant he would be perceived as a legend for decades to come. Tupac once said in an interview that he should’ve blown his brains out a long time ago. It is clear that he wasn’t afraid to die, and so maybe he was willing to exchange his life for a piece of history.
Remember, this is just what I believe. Everyone has their own thoughts and views regarding Tupac’s death. Maybe he is chilling on an island somewhere smoking a blunt. Or perhaps he really was murdered straight.
By Luke Kirk
This article was written by Luke Kirk. To learn more about Tupac Shakur, visit Luke's website: Tupac Shrin
The Biography of Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born June 16, 1971, in Brooklyn, New York. His birth name was originally Lesane Parish Crooks, but was changed when he was still a small child. The name Tupac Amaru comes from an Inca Indian tribe and means "shining serpent" and his last name, Shakur, means "thankful to God." Tupac's mother is Afeni Shakur, AKA Alice Fayne Walker, and his father was William "Billy" Garland. He has a half sister named Sekyiwa Shakur, and a half brother named Maurice Harding. Maurice is the Mopreme of Thug Life. Though Tupac's real father was never around, his step-father Jeral Wayne Williams AKA Mutulu Shakur was.
Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, and step-father were a part of a New York chapter of the Black Panther Party. Afeni and twenty comrades were arrested in 1970 for conspiring to set off a race war. Pregnant with Tupac at the time, she made bail and told Lumumba Abdul Shakur, her then husband, that this wasn't his child. Afeni had been carrying on with a guy named Legs (a small-time associate of the Harlem drug baron, Nicky Barnes) and William "Billy" Garland (a member of the Party). Lumumba then immediately divorced Afeni. She later Afeni's bail revoked and she found herself imprisoned in the Women's House of detention in Greenwich Village. While imprisoned, she would rub her stomach and say: This is my Prince, and he is going to save the black nation." Little did she know, the impact her son would make in his shortly lived life. By the time Tupac was born, Afeni was acquitted on 156 counts and found steady work as a paralegal. Her goal was to raise her son to respect the value of an education. Since he was a child, Tupac was referred to by people as the "Black Prince." When he would misbehave he would have to read a whole edition of The New York Times. When Tupac was two years old, his sister Sekyiwa was born. A few months before her birth Mutulu, her father, was sentenced to 60 years for a fatal armored car robbery. With Mutulu away in prison, the family went through some rough times. No matter where they went Tupac was distressed, and as time passed by, the issue about his father tormented him. As the loneliness began to wear on him, he started writing poetry and love songs. Tupac decided that he wanted to be an actor. He was good at it, and anxious to leave his scrubby family behind. Afeni enrolled Tupac in the 127th street Ensemble where he got his first role as Travis in "A Raisin in the Sun."
As a young adolescence, his mother moved the family to Baltimore, Maryland. It was there, at the age of fifteen, where he fell into the world of rap music. He started writing rap lyrics and walking with a "limp" and using his background in New York for everything it was worth. He called himself "MC New York" and made himself seem tough. Tupac enrolled himself in the Baltimore School for the Performing Arts, where he studied acting and ballet. Tupac made an eternal impression on his teachers and they all believed he had great promise in the arts.
By the age of twenty, Tupac had been arrested eight times and been convicted once for sexual abuse and served eight months in prison. Tupac was the subject of two wrongful death cases. One including a six year old boy, who was killed when caught up in gang crossfire between Shakur's gang and a rival group. In the late 80's, Tupac hooked up with Humpty-Hump (Eddie Humphrey, Gregory “Shock-G" Jacobs) and some other Oakland rappers to come up with Digital Underground. In 1990, they released their debut album "Sex Packets", featuring the classic songs “Humpty Dance" and "Doowutchyalike." In 1991, Digital Underground released "Sons of the P" and in 1992 released "The Body-Hat Syndrome."
Tupac left Digital Underground and made his first solo album debut "2Pacalypse Now." The very same year he starred in the low-budget film "Juice." In 1993, he released his album "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z." The album had Tupac climbing the pop charts. The same year, Tupac starred as opposite Janet Jackson in the movie "Poetic Justice", where he played a single father and Jackson's love interest. In November of 1994, Tupac was shot five times while being robbed, which the criminals made off with jewelry worth forty thousand dollars. Tupac recovered from his injuries and went off to make his two greatest albums, "Me Against the World" (released in 1995, and sold two million copies) and the two disc album "All Eyez on Me" (released in 1996, and sold nearly three million copies.)
On September 13, 1996, after watching the Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon fight in Las Vegas with Death Row president Marion "Suge" Knight, Tupac was gunned down in his car and died. His death was a travesty, and we have lost a great artist and entertainer. Though, Tupac expected he would die before the age of thirty. After his death, Tupac's label released the album "The Don Killuminati" under the alias "Makaveli." in 1997, they released “R U Still Down? (Remember Me)"; in 1999 "Still I Rise" and "Greatest Hits"; in 2001, "Until the End of Time" and "Better Dayz" in 2002. In 2003, the film "Tupac: Resolution" was released along with a soundtrack. It is said that Death Row has several unreleased recordings in the vaults for future releases.
from : http://www.legendoftupac.com/
Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, and step-father were a part of a New York chapter of the Black Panther Party. Afeni and twenty comrades were arrested in 1970 for conspiring to set off a race war. Pregnant with Tupac at the time, she made bail and told Lumumba Abdul Shakur, her then husband, that this wasn't his child. Afeni had been carrying on with a guy named Legs (a small-time associate of the Harlem drug baron, Nicky Barnes) and William "Billy" Garland (a member of the Party). Lumumba then immediately divorced Afeni. She later Afeni's bail revoked and she found herself imprisoned in the Women's House of detention in Greenwich Village. While imprisoned, she would rub her stomach and say: This is my Prince, and he is going to save the black nation." Little did she know, the impact her son would make in his shortly lived life. By the time Tupac was born, Afeni was acquitted on 156 counts and found steady work as a paralegal. Her goal was to raise her son to respect the value of an education. Since he was a child, Tupac was referred to by people as the "Black Prince." When he would misbehave he would have to read a whole edition of The New York Times. When Tupac was two years old, his sister Sekyiwa was born. A few months before her birth Mutulu, her father, was sentenced to 60 years for a fatal armored car robbery. With Mutulu away in prison, the family went through some rough times. No matter where they went Tupac was distressed, and as time passed by, the issue about his father tormented him. As the loneliness began to wear on him, he started writing poetry and love songs. Tupac decided that he wanted to be an actor. He was good at it, and anxious to leave his scrubby family behind. Afeni enrolled Tupac in the 127th street Ensemble where he got his first role as Travis in "A Raisin in the Sun."
As a young adolescence, his mother moved the family to Baltimore, Maryland. It was there, at the age of fifteen, where he fell into the world of rap music. He started writing rap lyrics and walking with a "limp" and using his background in New York for everything it was worth. He called himself "MC New York" and made himself seem tough. Tupac enrolled himself in the Baltimore School for the Performing Arts, where he studied acting and ballet. Tupac made an eternal impression on his teachers and they all believed he had great promise in the arts.
By the age of twenty, Tupac had been arrested eight times and been convicted once for sexual abuse and served eight months in prison. Tupac was the subject of two wrongful death cases. One including a six year old boy, who was killed when caught up in gang crossfire between Shakur's gang and a rival group. In the late 80's, Tupac hooked up with Humpty-Hump (Eddie Humphrey, Gregory “Shock-G" Jacobs) and some other Oakland rappers to come up with Digital Underground. In 1990, they released their debut album "Sex Packets", featuring the classic songs “Humpty Dance" and "Doowutchyalike." In 1991, Digital Underground released "Sons of the P" and in 1992 released "The Body-Hat Syndrome."
Tupac left Digital Underground and made his first solo album debut "2Pacalypse Now." The very same year he starred in the low-budget film "Juice." In 1993, he released his album "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z." The album had Tupac climbing the pop charts. The same year, Tupac starred as opposite Janet Jackson in the movie "Poetic Justice", where he played a single father and Jackson's love interest. In November of 1994, Tupac was shot five times while being robbed, which the criminals made off with jewelry worth forty thousand dollars. Tupac recovered from his injuries and went off to make his two greatest albums, "Me Against the World" (released in 1995, and sold two million copies) and the two disc album "All Eyez on Me" (released in 1996, and sold nearly three million copies.)
On September 13, 1996, after watching the Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon fight in Las Vegas with Death Row president Marion "Suge" Knight, Tupac was gunned down in his car and died. His death was a travesty, and we have lost a great artist and entertainer. Though, Tupac expected he would die before the age of thirty. After his death, Tupac's label released the album "The Don Killuminati" under the alias "Makaveli." in 1997, they released “R U Still Down? (Remember Me)"; in 1999 "Still I Rise" and "Greatest Hits"; in 2001, "Until the End of Time" and "Better Dayz" in 2002. In 2003, the film "Tupac: Resolution" was released along with a soundtrack. It is said that Death Row has several unreleased recordings in the vaults for future releases.
from : http://www.legendoftupac.com/
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