Character Analysis
"He's [Tupac] the most important hip-hop icon we've ever had in the 50 years of hip-hop," Kevin Powell, hip-hop historian, said, explaining why Shakur deserves a star (Singh). Tupac Shakur, a highly acclaimed hip-hop artist hailing from the West Coast, attained outstanding success throughout his career, with a staggering 75 million records sold worldwide. In addition to his musical accomplishments, he also made notable appearances in several films, including: "Poetic Justice," "Gang Related," and "Above the Rim." His contributions to the entertainment industry were recognized with a star on the renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame (Singh). Even though Tupac has been deceased for over 25 years, he is still making a big impact on the world.
Tupac was a gifted artist who depicted the experience of African Americans through the lyrics of his rap music. According to Connie Bruck, “The real Tupac was gifted, sympathetic, intent on articulating the pain of young blacks in the inner cities.” (Bruck) Tupac discusses “A Sense of Community”, “Violence and Crime”, “Drug and Alcohol Abuse”, “Dismantled Families”, “Neglected Children”, Advocating for Change”, and, “Depression” in several songs (Stevens).
Cops give a damn about a Negro
Pull the trigger, kill a n****, he’s a hero
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares
One less hungry mouth in the welfare
Shakur discusses institutional racism against African Americans in the 1990s in the lyrics to his song “Changes”. Because it presented black individuals as bad people and criminals, many police officers would receive accolades for killing them. The 1990s crack pandemic was horrible, especially in Black areas (much to the current fentanyl crisis).
Tupac Shakur was often known as a brave man because of the many things that happened to him throughout his life. According to Aaron Smith, an Africology and African American studies professor, “What made Tupac’s music revolutionary, and what makes his life important today, was that he had the courage and a connection to consciousness.” (Bilow) “He understood the issues of the world around him, like racial or gender inequality, and he didn’t hesitate to express how he felt about those issues through his music.” When Tupac was younger, his family moved often, sometimes staying in shelters. When his family finally moved to Baltimore, that’s when he finally found a home at the Baltimore School for the Arts (Biography.com Editors). When Tupac started his rap career, he often talked about the life he lived being poor or other things such as crime. This led to the many discrepancies that he had with other rappers, such as Biggie Smalls and the Bad Boy Records, which Tupac referenced in some of his songs.
Even after Tupac’s death, he is considered one of the most influential rappers to date. "Tupac Shakur was a rapper, actor, activist, poet, and revolutionary. This iconic artist has continued to be part of the zeitgeist for decades after his passing and will continue to be an important cultural figure for many years to come," Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said ahead of the ceremony adding him to the Walk of Fame (Pierre). Tupac used his rap lyrics as a narrative to show the social injustices, immoral acts, and social issues the government and media aimed to shield from sheltered communities (Hip Hop). In one of his songs, “Brenda’s Got A Baby”, Shakur raps about how there is a young teenage girl pregnant. The girl is so young that she doesn’t know a lot of things yet, even about herself. Tupac influenced a lot of people with this song by creating a lasting impact not only on the audience within these suffering communities, but those privileged on the outside. Shakur was able to generate a voice powerful enough to raise social and political awareness.
