Tupac: 10 Years After His Death

Posted by Teddy at 9/13/2006 10:18 PM
Categories: Music

Kalos Thanatos in Modern Greek literally means good death. However, in Homer’s time it was more of a reference to someone who dies young, but yet achieves a form of immortality via people telling tales of their life until the end of time. More then the Notorious Big, Kurt Cobain, or any other celebrity who died in the 90s Tupac achieved a Kalos Thanatos or immortality. The Da Vinci Code is nothing when compared to people the amount of theories that people have concocted listening to Tupac’s Albums, Reading his Poetry, and watching his videos; Some say Pac wanted to die, some say he is still alive, some say he predicted the exact time of his own death. Why does Tupac resonant with so many people?

            As a white kid from the burbs, I can’t relate to all of Pac; however, as a male raised by a single mom, I think I was drawn to Tupac’c contradictions that may have resulted from his similar family dynamic. Tupac, at times could seem like a feminist; Songs like Dear Mama, Brenda’s Got a Baby, and Keep Your Head Up are either tributes or laments for the plight of women particularly single mothers. He ever wrote a beautiful poem in dedication to Marylyn Monroe called The Shining Star Within. Furthermore, his poems such as The Rose That Grew From Concrete, Sometimes I Cry, and Jada are the works of a sensitive hopeless romantic. (Yes the Poem Jada was written about Jada Pinkett Smith who Tupac had a crush on when they both attended the same school for the performing arts in Baltimore). On the other hand,  like any adolescent male especially one raised by a single mom that wrote romantic and sensitive poetry who feared being mocked for these pursuits, Pac continually tried to assert his mainlines by making misogynist statements about women and seeking out conflict, and rapping about his love for his gun on Me and My Girlfriend. (For the record in terms of the aforementioned conflict, Hit Em Up is the most ferocious dis song ever even though it was not as lyrically creative as Takeover or Either.)  His constant contradictions in his life between the Thug Life that he represented which was tattooed on his torso and the sensitive street poet is what made him such an intriguing figure. The fire that fueled all the different sides of Tupac also led him to record, write, and act at a frequency which left a vast body of unreleased work at the time of death. Thus, leading to a massive amount of posthumous material released to further his legacy.

             Finally, what gave Tupac his immortal status was his passionate anger that was a legacy from his mom’s work with the Black Panthers. In this politically correct climate where people are scared to say anything directly about anybody, Tupac attacked everyone from Bob Dole and Dolores Tucker to nearly every East Coast rapper of note with a genuine ferocity that is rarely seen today. Unlike 50 cent who attacks other rappers to promote his album much like wrestlers mock each other leading up to a WWF match ( I know it is called WWE now, but it will always be WWF to me. Maybe Superfly Jimmy Snuka should wrestle a panda to get the WWF name back) or rappers and other musicians who attack the president in order to feel like they are relevant and making important music ( cough cough…Pink and Neil Young of late), when Tupac went at someone his anger was self evident, unfiltered, and personal. But enough of my babbling. See the legend for yourself:

 

Here is a video of a 20 year old Tupac Addressing The Malcom X Grassroots Movement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ4FvfM9Ftk

 

Here is  the video for Hit Em Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRZhf_Z1Auo

 

Here is the video for Keep Your Head Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zReVOB-Ngxk

 

Here is the eerie video for I aint made at cha released right after his death:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beG1CC09vpE

 

Here is the video for Hail Mary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDnrmma8hSE

 

 

 

 

 

 

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