Remember me as an outcast, outlaw
Another album out that's what I'm about, more
Getting raw till the day I see my casket
Buried as a g while the whole world remembers me
Until the end of time
- (From Until The End of Time, 2001)
It's safe to say that Tupac Amaru Shakur
(1971-1996) was unquestionably a one of a kind individual.
There's so much to say about Pac, I mean the fact that I
lived in South Carolina and his sound was just as much prevalent, at least
around my family and friends, as Bad Boy & No Limit was nothing short of
amazing. Granted what was going on at the time with the whole East Coast vs.
West Coast beef, he still remained at the heart of what seemed to be everyone.
Back in the day growing up all we had was the good ol radio, television and
magazines, so reading about what was going on was more so based off the sound
and what the media portrayed. Basically what I learned then was to love my
family, community and not to take shit from anyone who dared stepped up to me to
do me harm.
It wasn't til years later when I heard his words about things
relating to the government and how we live within our communities that impacted
me. I know a lot of people who critique Pac and call him full of shit, but it's
kind one of those things where I hear the words and see the passion and I more
so agree with his views on things. Plus what was interesting to see years later
was how most of the East Coast vs. West Coast beef was more so media and record
companies doing and how most of those guys were close friends and wanted to
change in the closing years of their lives. It was evident in him switching his
stage name to Makaveli and changing what he was rapping about.
I think even Pac knew he was going to die, which is the sad
part about this. I still say that the deaths of Biggie and Pac were orchestrated
to sell records and tried to get the beef to take a full blown swing and keep
the image of rappers being all thugs and gangsters. I really do believe that
Pac's death was not some random gang attack and even now, years later, the more
the evidence leaks out, the more it looks like something was fishy. But
regardless of that, he will forever be immortalized in my mind as a man who
didn't take anything from anyone and took anything and everything he wanted to.
A lot of his interviews that I read about how our communities need to do better
for ourselves and how the government will never help us always keeps me level
headed.
But that's who Tupac is to me, he may mean something
different to you, but in my eyes, he is, and always will be a rapper, actor,
poet, author, a revolutionary.
Discography
1991 |
2Pacalypse Now
1993 |
Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
1995 |
Me Against the World
1996 |
All Eyez On Me
2002 |
Better Dayz
2006 |
Pac's Life
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