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
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