The Man Tupac Amaru Shakur RememberedCategory: Entertainment
Article added by: RB Riddle
Today marks eleven years since the murder of Tupac Amaru Shakur. Whenever the talk turns to Tupac he is always referred to as a hip hop icon or a ‘gangsta rapper’, seldom is he referred to as a strong young black man who thru his writings portrayed the life of young black men in America.
In his short life he had seen so many dis-appointments and fears. His poetry and music expressed that.
He seen the struggles of his mother Afeni Shakur, his father figure Mutulu Shakur, his god mother Assata Shakur, his god father Geronimo Pratt. He had seen his family being ‘targets’ of the government. He lived many struggles and still managed to rise above all and became the ‘Rose that Grew from the Concrete’.
People like to emphasis the ‘Death Row Era’ when they mention Tupac (2Pac); when really that was only nine months of this young mans life. The ‘gangsta’ side of Tupac draws attention and is used to portray him in a negative light. The side of this angry young man, who had had enough and really expressed his unhappiness thru this era in his music.
Even Tupac said during this era of his life, during the trial in N.Y. – ‘Don’t get it twisted. This is not my life. I am just selling records.’ – and that he did and continues to do. The reason he remains a top selling artist is that so many people can relate to his words. Many associate their life struggles with Tupacs’ words. Much of what he spoke and wrote about is still relevant today, eleven years later, because nothing has changed over that time for many of us. Everyone could associate with this young black man. Not because he was black or a hip hop artist but because he was real. He spoke of ‘real’ things that people experienced and felt. He felt the pain of everyday people and we could feel his pain. He spoke truth in his rhymes and writings.
As we think of his death we should also celebrate his life. We should remember the ‘total’ man who was Tupac Amaru Shakur and not just dwell on a small portion of his life. We should mourn his passing but celebrate the accomplishments, knowledge and truth he revealed and left behind.
Most of the articles that will come out today will mention Tupac (2Pac): the gangsta thug life tattooed rap artist or refer to him as a hip hop icon but few will mention the real man Tupac Amaru Shakur. He was much more than a hip hop artist or a rapper, he was our voice, our teacher and our guardian. He watched out for us and we should watch out now for his legacy. We should help insure that Tupac Amaru Shakur is exposed as more than what nine months of his life had shown.
A poet, actor, hip hop MC, activist, and yes to many a role model. If you do not like Tupac then you do not understand the man Tupac Shakur.
Seldom will be mentioned the many good things and the many people Tupac helped in his life. Or any mention of the good things by the TASF, the foundation started in his name by his mother Afeni Shakur. Check out their web site at http://tasf.org and see the wonderful things being done all over the world in Tupac’s name by his mother.
Seldom mentioned are the people from coast to coast and from all around the world who thank Tupac for opening their eyes and giving them some direction. Even the younger generation, who were just babies when Pac ruled the mic, know and appreciate the man Tupac Shakur.
Take out the rap and hip hop part of his life and you can see thru his poetry that here was a strong intelligent black youth who understood what is going on and had the strength to report it.
The loss of Tupac was and is not just a blow to the hip hop community; it is a blow to all societies world wide. He was a spokesman for a generation. He could speak what many were and are thinking and living because he was exposed and experienced many of the same things we all deal with. He seen first hand how things were and are, he lived it. He himself seen judicial injustice, police brutality, poverty, the effects of drug abuse and he lived and grew from all his experiences.
Take out the rap and hip hop part of his life and you can see thru his poetry that here was a strong intelligent black youth who understood what is going on and had the strength to report it. That is why we mourn him. We mourn for ourselves. We know there will never be another Tupac Shakur.
Taken too soon we will never know his full potential. We will never know what course he would have taken or how he could have changed society or what changes he could have helped make. We mourn Tupac because Tupac was us. When he passed a part of us passed. People who understand what the man Tupac Shakur was about understand that.
So as we remember Tupac today, let us not just mourn his passing but also celebrate his life; because he added so much to ours.
Rest in Peace Tupac Amaru Shakur. You are truly missed but we are so glad to have the time you shared with the world.
R.I.P. – Tupac Amaru Shakur 1971 – 1996
“Got nuttin but love for ya”
PLEASE visit and support the only Official Tupac web sites on the net.
Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation web site HERE and
2PacLegacy.com HERE.
Help preserve the Legacy of Tupac Shakur so future generations can know and love him as we do.
*This article was originally on www.ThugLifeArmy.com in
ThugLifeArmy Tupac News.
Posted By: RB Riddle
Web: http://www.thuglifearmy.com
Contact: e-mail
| Another articles posted by RB Riddle: |
|
|
|
