Tupac Shakur:
The Meaning Behind the Words
Tupac Amaru Shakur, also know as 2pac, has appeared in various movies and has written many poems, but his legacy will forever remain in his music. Tupac passed away a little over two years ago leaving behind many examples of his lyrical diversity. I intend to show the contrast in Tupac’s lyrics from one album to another.
One of the songs on Tupac’s album Me Against the World is called “Dear Mama”. In this song Tupac talks about how his mother managed to raise him regardless of the struggles they endured. A good Example of the way Tupac Expresses these feelings comes from the middle of the song:
I can see ya coming home after work late
ya in tha kitchen trying ta fix us a hot plate
just working with tha scraps you wuz given
and mama made miracles every Thanksgiving
but now tha road got rough, your alone
trying ta raise two bad kids on your own
and there’s no way I can pay ya back
but my plan is ta show ya that I understand
you are appreciated….. (Dear Mama)
Another song from Me Against the World is named “Fuck the World”. In this song Tupac reflects the way he was treated by critics, media, and other skeptics. I feel it is
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fairly obvious what Tupac’s feelings were at the time he wrote this song. Here is the opening verse of “Fuck the World”:
The Essay on “Changes” by Tupac Shakur
The song that I chose to analyze is “Changes” by Tupac Shakur. The late Tupac Shakur was an African American rapper who was shot dead years ago. His powerful lyrics have impacted the rap industry to this day, because he spoke the truth. His lyrics directly related to his everyday struggles, and how being a successful African American is not an easy task to achieve. Rap usually talks about events ...
Who you callin’ rapist ??
ain’t that a bitch
you devils are so two faced
wanna see me locked in chains
droped in shame
and getten socked by these crooked cops and game
fuckin’ with tha young black male
tryin’ ta stack bail
and stay away from tha packed jails
told tha judge i’m in danger
and that’s why I had that 45 with one in tha chamber
Fuck tha World. (Fuck the World)
In the first line of the song Tupac is reffering to his prior rape convictions to which he, until his death, proclaimed his innocence. The rest of this verse addresses the way the media always tried to find faults in him.
Tupac’s lyrical mood has gone through many changes, and the difference between
Me Against the World and All Eyes on Me is a prime example. The mood in Me Against the World is somewhat reflectionist, while the mood in All Eyes on Me is more upbeat and flashy.
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The song “All Eyes on Me” off of the CD of the same title is an example of this upbeat, flashy mood. The lyrics below will show the way Tupac was living it up during this period of time.
Cuz all I want is cash and thangs,
a five double 0 Benz and flaunting flashy rings Uhh
Bitches pursue me like a dream,
been know to disappear before your eyez, just like a dope fiend, it seems
My main thang was to be major paid
The game sharper than a mutha-fuckin razor blade
Say money bring bitches, bitches bring lies
One niggas getting jealous, and muthafuckas died
Depend on me like the first and fifteenth
They my homies for a second, but these punks won’t get me
We got four niggas, and low riders, and ski masks
screaming Thug Life every time they pass
All Eyez on Me…
Chorus
Live my life as a Thug nigga
Until the day I die
Live my life as a Boss playa
The Term Paper on Global 2000 World Population Life
Executive Summary The Resourceful Earth is a response to Global 2000 Report to the President, which is dead wrong in its frightening environmental and social predictions. They summarize the findings of Global 2000 using two paragraphs from its own summary: If present trends continue, the world in 2000 will be more crowded, more polluted, less stable ecologically, and more vulnerable to disruption ...
cuz we be getting high
All Eyez on me
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Live my life as a Thug nigga
Until the day I die
Live my life as a Boss playa
cuz we be getting high. (All Eyes on Me)
There are many different songs that I could have chosen to show the lyrical diversity of Tupac Shakur, but I feel these three songs are good examples. As a person who listens to a lot of I appreciate when a musician diversifies their music. While there is a large amount of people who do not enjoy rap music, I can guarantee that Tupac will not soon be forgotten, at least not in my mind.
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Works Cited
1. Shakur, Tupac. “Dear Mama”. Me Against the World (1995) Online. Internet.
14 Nov. 1998 Available: hiphopstore.simplenet.com/2pac/lyrics/eyes2.htm
2. Shakur, Tupac. “Fuck the World”. Me Against the World (1995) Online. Internet.
14 Nov. 1998 Available: hiphopstore.simplenet.com/2pac/lyrics/eyes2.htm
3. Shakur, Tupac. “All Eyes on Me”. All Eyes on Me (1996) Online. Internet.
14 Nov. 1998 Available: hiphopstore.simplenet.com/2pac/lyrics/eyes2.htm
