Qualities Of Tupac Shakur

Throughout his career, Tupac Shakur was accused of being many things. He was called a gangster, a thug, a criminal. The list goes on and on. However, those are not the words which describe the real Tupac Shakur. Despite what may be assumed of him, the real Tupac Shakur could be described as a philanthropist. A civil rights leader. A dedicated citizen who cared for his community and future generations more than he cared for himself. Although many don’t believe these descriptions to be accurate, a deeper look into some of his more meaningful songs reveals he should be seen as less of a thug, and more of an activist. Whether it’s in songs like ““Brenda’s Got a Baby” in which Tupac’s raps about a struggling African American teenager who accidentally

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“Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots
I give a holla to my sisters on

His mother, uncle, aunt, and many other members of his family were former Black Panthers. Therefore, it is of no surprise that throughout much of his music, he shows a deep passion for bettering the African American community and creating a more equal America. Throughout countless songs, Tupac points out the difficulties Africans Americans struggle with, and how unjust our society really is, with the hope of creating change. This is no clearer than in the song “Changes”, which was released in 1998 as part of his “Greatest Hits” album. On the track, Tupac speaks about topics like police brutality, racism, and the changes necessary to better society, saying things like “It ain't a secret, don't conceal the fact: / The penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks,” “I see no changes, all I see is racist faces / Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races,” and “But we can never go nowhere unless we share with each other / We gotta start making changes”. At the time, these words resonated with millions of African Americans, and many young people were inspired to make change as a result. Today, countless rappers credit Tupac as their inspiration for becoming artists, including Kendrick Lamar, who’s songs such as "The Blacker the Berry” and "Alright" are being used today by black activist groups as anthems for their movements. Even politicians have acknowledged the importance of Tupac and