Hip-hop is the voice of protest, the voice of mass, and the voice of the street that fears none. Today’s new-age hip-hop praises the swanky representation and bad and boujee energy. However, the legend who offered the real authentic essence of hip-hop and black culture was none but Tupac Shakur who captivated the whole world with his fearless approach to hip-hop. Perhaps, he is one of the most controversial rappers in the industry, But he is also the first-ever rap legend who used rapping as the voice for depicting the harsh truth of reality as well as poverty and struggles of Black lives. June is considered to the Black Music Month which is celebrated all over America and in other countries as well. Let’s remember the legend and his precious contribution to the music industry and society this June.
Tupac’s Influence on Black Entertainment Business
Believe it or not, Tupac Shakur’s death actually helped to shape Black Entertainment Business and help to put it on new heights. Tupac was not just a hip-hop artist but also an activist who has content spoken about the hardships of black lives through countless interviews as well as music projects. Taking a bigger space in the public sphere, he could be found talking about the hatred that his community faced. He was often found blaming his community’s misfortune and the racial hatred that was visible among the white police officers. Putting his wisdom and visions on a scratchy 90s beat helped to offer some of the best and most intriguing bangers of all time. His foresightedness makes his tracks highly relevant even in this era.
A lot of people like to call him a thug who embraced the ‘Thug Life’ culture. However, Tupac was a great “businessman” as he described himself. He has truly done a great job which helped to reshape and rebuild the Black Entertain Business. After recognizing people’s affinity for preachers and gangsters, Tupac understood how people enjoy the contrast of ideas and so, he decided to combine them both in order to provide his fans with something new and unique. He preached a good life that every person from the street deserves and also embraced the gangster life that helped them survive in the tough times. It is safe to say that Tupac soon became the Black Jesus with tattoos and bandanas who actually cared for his people and did not only run after fame, big chains, and big cars. And yes, the 9mm handgun was for his safety, and the rapper had never been convicted or suspected of shooting anyone.
Death of a Gangster
It is unfortunate that he was shot in the chest after spreading so much love, peace, and wisdom to everyone. The tragedy of his sudden death took place in 1996. he died in his twenties and it is remarkable to witness how much progress he made in such a short span of life. Taking a deep dive into his musical creation shows how much power he had in his bars that captivated hip-hop lovers. Perhaps, it is one of the prime reasons why Tupac is the greatest hip-hop inspiration for most rappers these days. His graphic enriched lyrical approach was quite intriguing and captivating for everyone as it depicted the real dark side of racial inequality. Some of his tracks like “Crooked Ass N*gga,”“I Don’t Give a F*ck,” etc are the example of the chaotic energy that he offered through his music but chaos was way more visible in reality, the streets and the places where nobody can imagine.
Tupac’s Vision on Women and Society
However, Tupac is also the creator of tracks like “Hey Mama”, “Keep Ya Head Up” and many others that help to uplift others and talk about women's empowerment. So, the biggest question is, he Tupac was just a gangster and a thug from the streets, how come he was so soft and thought about keeping women safe, while modern rappers objectify them for gaining more views on their videos? Still, it is hard to question Tupac’s authenticity, as he became the role model for many. It is still strange to fathom how a well-mannered teenager became associated with the LA gangster life. Tupac asked to “heal our women” yet became a victim of rival gang wars. While he showed the racial discrimination and black hate among white cops; he somehow only became a part of it. His first song was “Young Black Male,” perhaps an indication of self but also a depiction of the regular life for most young black men. Some of the lines from the song go like this,
“I’m packing a gat ’cause cops wanna jack
And fuck going to jail
’Cause I ain’t a crook, despite how I look
I don’t sell yayo.”
The Real Gangster with Powerful Words
His songs offered a greater introduction to life where he addressed the emotions of everyone from the community, starting from a man thugging for money to a prostitute working in the streets for money. Taking a good look at his album projects shows that there was a major inclination towards “gangster” entertainment including criminal actions and gun violence. Was that one of the reasons why he was shot down? Is it because the Tupac could fearlessly speak about everything? The reason is still unknown.
The controversy of Tupac’s death is still ongoing and even after almost two decades, fans still think the rapper is still alive. While that is perhaps absurd, a lot of people also claim that he faked his own death as there was no official funeral after it. Some critics say that he has chosen to live out of the gangster life as he was feeling stuck being an aggressive gangster in LA who used to get caught in random beef with other gangs. He was also one of the main reasons for the elongated East Coast vs. West Coast drama which sparked after he dissed NYC rapper Nas in front of his crew.
Evidently, Tupac created a lot of trouble for himself, but he also managed to create a new wave in the hip-hop industry that inspired others. He created a legacy which was followed by other rappers as well. Without Tupac’s precious contribution and series of life events; Black Music and Culture would have been incomplete.
