Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur in his prime (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tupac_Amaru_Shakur.jpg)

“We gotta start makin’ changes learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers,” a well known lyrical quote from Tupac’s song Changes. Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 in New York, New York and was the son of Billy and Afeni Garland. He was an African American rap musician and actor. His third solo CD, Me against the world, took his popularity to another level. It sold 500,000 copies on release mainly due to the single, Dear Mama, a heartfelt tribute to his mother Afeni, now off her drug addiction and working for her son’s production company. Known by his stage names 2Pac (or simply Pac) and Makaveli Shakur, he has sold over 75 million albums worldwide. With music in his families past and often compared to the level of Shakespeare by fellow rap artists, Tupac lived a violent yet thriving short life. He used raw realities to sell massive amounts of albums even after his death. Vincent J. Schodoski wrote in the Chicago Tribune, "Shakur was part of the generation of rappers who used the raw realities that surrounded them to create a genre which came to be called gangsta rap." Tupac died September 13, 1996. He sold nearly 10 million discs while alive and in death, he has sold at least 25 million more copies of his albums. In September 7, 1996 he was shot on the Las Vegas strip in a black BMW. A hero must possess fearlessness and determination in that they must not be afraid of failure or thinking outside of the box and they must have a set goal of what they want to achieve and how they plan to do so. They must never give up until they are successful at reaching their goal. Tupac Shakur is an inspirational hero because of his determination and fearlessness.

Tupac was determined to do what he wanted since he was young. He was very confident in himself and believed he could achieve his goals. He said, “Everybody’s gonna know me.” Shakur was determined that he would get big and famous. He had the right mind set to become a success. He practiced music when he was young. “Tupac was raised in the Bronx and attended the High School for the Performing Arts in Baltimore, where he began writing and performing rap music” (Wilkins 1). He started writing and performing when he was in high school because he wanted to be famous. Even though he grew up as an unprivileged kid in the Bronx he was still determined and knew he could succeed. Since Tupac was a child he decided to become a successful rapper.

Cover of one of Tupac's albums. (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_btPpv0uaZYA/RwPBND354OI/AAAAAAAAAdk/aalBGqvRF3Q/s400/TupacShakurAllEyezonMe.jpg)

Tupac did not fear standing out from other rappers because of the material he produced. He was in jail and had not been able to write music for a while. “Upon his release from Clinton Correctional Facility, Shakur immediately went back to recording music. He began a new group called Outlaw Immortalz” (Wikipedia 1). Being in prison did not stop him from song writing and starting the new group. His violent publicity did not stop him from producing new material. Tupac always thought out of the box. “He fearlessly, and poetically, explored dimensions of the male psyche neglected by his rap peers” (Wilkins 1). He produced material other rappers would never think of singing or rapping about. His talents were different from other rappers at his time. Tupac thought of writing music about things that were unusual compared to other rappers.

Tupac Shakur exemplifies a hero in the music industry and in the lives of many because of his determination and fearlessness. Tupac’s perseverance through all of his hardships showed that a person can overcome the most difficult challenges they may face if they are determined and believe in themselves. Tupac’s determination and fearlessness helped him get through all of his obstacles, bad habits, and misfortunes. His life is an example of where one can be and what they can become regardless of their history or background. Tupac’s fearlessness and determination inspires me to persevere through anything I may face in life. I believe that if somebody with Tupac’s background and history can overcome many tough challenges and eventually become one of the greatest rap artists ever, than I can certainly face my fears and challenges in life to be as successful as possible at whatever I decide to do. No matter what the circumstances, rich or poor, there is no excuse for not succeeding at goals. Problems might come up but one must be determined to do what they want to do and not fear anything that comes in their way.

works cited

Piepenburg, Erik. "Tupac Shakur, Immortalized Again.(Arts and Leisure Desk)('Eclipse: The War Between Pac and B.I.G.' and 'Tupac Shakur: The Life and Times of an American Icon')." The New York Times. (April 11, 2010): 4(L). Student Resource Center - Junior. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 29 Apr. 2011

"Shakur, Tupac (1971-1996)." UXL Biographies. Online ed. Detroit: UXL, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 31 Mar. 2011

Wilkins, David. "Shakur, Tupac (1971-1996)." Newsmakers. Ed. Sean R. Pollock. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997. Student Resource Center - Junior. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 31 Mar. 2011

Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 1 Apr 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur