Tupac Shakur: A Positive Influence on Society

Jack Doyle
English 1001
11/6/17
 The American best-selling hip hop artist Tupac Shakur has had influence on many

aspects of popular culture since the early 1990s, including music, film, and poetry. Tupac, also

sometimes known as 2Pac, has had made an impact on fans and supporters lives specifically

through his ideology and messages in his art, focusing on ideas of feminism and pro-black

attitudes. Tupac Shakur is a positive influence on society because he speaks for an audience

that can fully relate to his art focused on the struggle, pain and heartbreak of living in a society

against you. Tupac Shakurs positive influence has survived even decades after his death due to

his empowerment of women, poor people, and essentially any minority going through struggle

in a societal structure.

Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 in New York City. He grew up raised by

his mother with his sister, moving around the east coast, from New York City to Baltimore. By

the age of 17, Tupac and his family had moved and settled to the south side of Los Angeles,

California. Tupacs mother raised him and his sister, trying to provide the best, most educative

life for her children. Tupacs mother, Afeni Shakur, was a very important member of the Black

Panther Party, for she was a part of the Panther 21.

Afeni Shakur was an active member and section leader of The Black Panther Party in the

1960s and 70s, and in April of 1969, Afeni and twenty other suspects (Panther Party members)

were arrested on charges of plotting bombings with other party members in New York. Each

suspect got bail of $100,000 and Afeni and one other member were given bail funds first by the

Black Panther Party. Shakur decided that she was going to represent herself in court, and her

and the other jailed members were acquitted in May of 1971. Tupac Shakur was born less than

a month after Afeni was acquitted. Afeni Shakur participated in the Black Panther Party
especially throughout Tupacs young life, creating the pro-black mentality that he carried

throughout his art and lifetime.

The life of Black Panther Party member Afeni Shakur influenced Tupacs mentality,

attitudes, and knowledge about what it means to be black in America from an early age. As well

as the influence, his mother had on him as a panther, being raised solely by his mother also

influenced Tupacs appreciation and respect for women from the start of his life.

In an interview from when he was only 17, Tupac discusses how being raised only by his

mother created a massive amount of respect for women, which influenced his tolerance level

for disrespect for women. In the interview, the 17-year-old also discusses how because he had

this initially large respect for women from the get-go taught by his mother, he finds it appalling

when men use words like bitch when approaching women. Tupac talks about how he has

seen men treat women with a very, very small amount of respect, which he does not tolerate.

Tupac in the interview says he has called out men for speaking to women with little respect,

only getting an angry response from the man disrespecting women.

Young Tupac clearly is foreshadowing his motives for music by explaining how his plan

is to continue to tell girls not to tolerate verbal or physical abuse from men, not to listen to the

names men call them. He discusses how by continuing to converse about not letting men call

women awful names, women will begin to fully not tolerate any names like bitch when a man

is talking to them. Tupac from this early age interview is telling women to not tolerate any of

the verbal abuse men inflict, because for things to change, they need to stand up for
themselves and other women. Tupac is stating he will continue this kind of dialogue until things

begin to change.

Due to his exposure to the Black Panther Party and being raised by a single mother,

Tupacs music is a direct reflection of this exposure in his life. Because he talks about personal,

deep events and aspects from his life, Tupacs music is something people can really feel is real.

It is his story, and he is using that in his music to help change social issues like feminism.

Tupacs greatest positive influence would be his devotion to speak out for women and

let men know that the way they are treating women everyday is wrong. Through out his

lifetime, he has seen men mistreat women, beat women, and leave women to raise children on

their own. To take a stand, Tupacs music questions this social norm that is becoming too much

of a normal occurrence. Tupac Shakurs song Keep Ya Head Up is a song in which Tupac brings

light to the social issue of the mistreatment of women, especially black women, in society.

In the song, Tupac says, I wonder why we take from our women, why we rape our

women, do we hate our women? In the song, Tupac mentions how men, often he has seen,

leave women when they become pregnant. This cycle of leaving women to raise children on

their own is something Tupac has first hand experience with, being raised by his mother, so he

is sick of this cycle being normalized. Societal perceptions of gender roles are critiqued by the

young artist in this song, discussing that it is not the role of a woman to raise a baby on her

own. He is irritated that the men in the environment around his continue this mistreatment and

cowardly decision.
 Throughout the song, Tupac is telling women to stay strong and keep their head up

through times of struggle. He is speaking to women to show that some men care and are not

okay with the abuse men take over women. He says, I think its time to kill for our women, to

heal our women, be real to our women. And if we dont well have a race of babies that will

hate the ladies, that make the babies. Tupac believes that if women, and men, let other men

treat women poorly, the cycle of sexism will continue within society.

This song has influenced a dialogue about changing the way men treat women through

women empowerment and support. Even today, over twenty years after the song was written,

women and men use the song to represent a platform feminists have been speaking on for

decades. The song brings awareness to the state of men treating women poorly, but the song

specifies towards the black community in America. He is letting black women know that they

need to stay strong for change to occur.

Within the song, Tupac even talks about issues like abortion and womens legal rights.

He says, And since a man cant make one, he has no right to tell a woman when and where to

create one. This line is important within the song because he believes its a womans choice to

have a baby, not a man. To many, this statement would be an understood assumption, but

Tupac bringing light to this issue is important for women to know that it is their choice.

Tupac in the song discusses the struggles his beloved mother made for him and his sister

to be raised right. Her devotion and struggle to help Tupac live a good, educated life is

something that greatly inspires his life, which is shown in the song. He discusses how he owes

her his dream and that he will make her proud and take care of her amidst success.
 Keep Ya Head Up is a song about feminism, womens rights, and the struggle of being

a woman in society, but the song also shows support for poor people. Being from poor,

predominantly black neighborhoods, Tupac is speaking for his community, the people that

know the struggle he also experienced growing up. In an article from wordpress.com, an author

discusses how the song brings attention the governments role in perpetuating poverty in

communities with people of color. The article also discusses how there is this negative

connection made with the youth in communities of color and larger societal forces that fuel a

constant cycle of inequality within society.

A line from the song is You know its funny when it rains, it pours. They got money for

war but cant feed the poor. Tupac is commenting on the poor, unequal treatment of black

people in America. He has lived through this cycle of poverty and is speaking out in opposition

of the government for their mistreatment of the black communities in America.

Throughout his career, Tupac has always shown his disapproval of the government and

their unequal treatment of African Americans. Seeing the governments mistreatment of his

mother and other Black Panther Party members was an original influence on his opinions

towards the government. Throughout his life, living in poverty, he could see the lack of care the

government provided for the communities hes lived in. People listening to Tupacs music can

relate to this mistreatment, feeling angry and tired along with Tupac.

Tupacs politics have always been a huge role in his music, especially in Keep Ya Head

Up. As a young man in Baltimore, he joined a communist league. His support for the

underprivileged is reflected in much of his music. He once said, Everybody needs a little help
on their way to be self-reliant. His revolutionary attitudes to support the poor and colored in

America has been adopted in specific parts of the world, especially in Africa. His music has not

only inspired women, but any person oppressed to speak out and fight the power against them.

In an article by Karu F. Daniels, the author brings up how the song is a dedication to

Latasha Harlins, a fifteen-year-old girl that was killed in the 1992 Los Angeles riots. He talks to

people who are starring in the play which will include Tupacs music, and actress Tonya Pinkins

said Tupac was a feminist. His lyrics in Keep Ya Head Up espouse everything women deserve

and which the patriarchal society undermines and which the government tries to control.

Tupac was the voice, the message that was essential in understanding the state of patriarchal

society of the time.

Tupacs challenge of patriarchal stereotypes of what it means to be a man is a huge

reason he has gained copious amounts of support. He speaks out for women, challenges issues

of race, gender and poverty, and still makes music that can appeal to all types of people. In an

article from gradientlair.com, a writer, a female black woman that comes from a poor

community, discusses how the song Keep Ya Head Up meant everything to her as a kid. She

discusses the song and how black women feel and cry because of intraracial abuse and not just

racism. Essentially, the article brings up that black women deal with racism and discrimination

as well as abuse from men that roots in intraracial sexism. The song by Tupac is a

representation of how she and many black women feel is not right with treatment towards

them.
 Keep Ya Head Up is a song that comes from Tupac Shakurs roots, being raised by his

mother, and seeing her being mistreated not only by men, but also by the government and

society. He is taking a stand against mistreatment of women, specifically black women, because

it is not right. He wants to change the way men treat women of color, and he will continue to

speak out and write music until there is change.

Tupac has written many politically fueled songs criticizing society and the social

construct of America, including White Manz World and Changes, but the song Keep Ya

Head Up has had a considerable influence on peoples lives, today and two decades ago. It is a

timeless song because these political issues are still relevant. He spoke about police brutality,

poverty, and womens rights during a time of political tension in the 1990s. There is still

constant mistreatment, abuse, and inequality within the black community, and Tupacs legacy

can help bring light to these issues for young people to realize they are not alone and it is a

societal issue, not just a black issue. Although Tupac has been criticized for his songs about gang

violence, drugs, and money, he is a figure that can be versatile and still include politically-

focused ideology.

Tupac Shakur, through music, film, and poetry, has brought attention to social issues

that many artists do not care to bring attention to. Because of his dedication to bring

awareness to social issues, Tupac Shakur is a very positive influence for society. Even decades

after his death, his art is still important and will continue to influence people to change the

societal construct around them.

 Outline

I. Tupac Shakur is a positive influence on society because he speaks for an audience

that can fully relate to his art focused on the struggle, pain and heartbreak of living

in a society against you.

II. The life of Black Panther Party member Afeni Shakur influenced Tupacs mentality,

attitudes, and knowledge about what it means to be black in America from an early

age

III. Young Tupac clearly is foreshadowing, from the interview, his motives for music by

explaining how his plan is to continue to tell girls not to tolerate verbal or physical

abuse from men, not to listen to the names men call them.

IV. Tupac Shakurs song Keep Ya Head Up is a song in which Tupac brings light to the

social issue of the mistreatment of women, especially black women, in society.

a. Throughout the song, Tupac is telling women to stay strong and keep their head

up through times of struggle.

b. This song has influenced a dialogue about changing the way men treat women

through women empowerment and support.

c. Tupac in the song discusses the struggles his beloved mother made for him and

his sister to be raised right. Her devotion and struggle to help Tupac live a good,

educated life is something that greatly inspires his life, which is shown in the

song,

V. Keep Ya Head Up is a song about feminism, womens rights, and the struggle of

being a woman in society, but the song also shows support for poor people.
VI. Throughout his career, Tupac has always shown his disapproval of the government

and their unequal treatment of African Americans.

a. People listening to Tupacs music can relate to this mistreatment, feeling angry

and tired along with Tupac.

VII. In an article by Karu F. Daniels, the author brings up how the song is a dedication to

Latasha Harlins, a fifteen-year-old girl that was killed in the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

VIII. Tupacs challenge of patriarchal stereotypes of what it means to be a man is a huge

reason he has gained copious amounts of support. He speaks out for women,

challenges issues of race, gender and poverty, and still makes music that can appeal

to all types of people.

IX. In an article from gradientlair.com, a writer, a female black woman that comes from

a poor community, discusses how the song Keep Ya Head Up meant everything to

her as a kid.

X. Keep Ya Head Up is a song that comes from Tupac Shakurs roots, being raised by

his mother, and seeing her being mistreated not only by men, but also by the

government and society.

XI. It is a timeless song because these political issues are still relevant.

XII. Tupac Shakur, through music, film, and poetry, has brought attention to social issues

that many artists do not care to bring attention to. Because of his dedication to bring

awareness to social issues, Tupac Shakur is a very positive influence for society.
 Works Cited

Tupac Biography http://makaveli.com/?page_id=193

17 Years Old Interview

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Tupac+On+Women+17&&view=detail&mid=2FFBAD3
262520E1265422FFBAD3262520E126542&&FORM=VDRVRV

Keep Ya Head Up Lyrics http://www.metrolyrics.com/keep-ya-head-up-lyrics-2pac.html

Keep Ya Head Up article https://bizgovsoc9.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/tupacs-keep-ya-head-

up/

Karu F. Daniels http://www.playbill.com/article/keep-ya-head-up-tonya-pinkins-saycon-

sengbloh-and-joaquina-kalukango-on-the-feminist-message-of-holler-if-ya-hear-me-com-
322958

Womanists view http://www.gradientlair.com/post/60199288294/tupac-keep-ya-head-up-

womanist-lyrics

Views of Tupac https://hollowverse.com/tupac/

Truth about Tupac http://truthabouttupac.com/video/tupacs-politcal-views

Liberation Theologian https://sojo.net/articles/tupac-shakur-liberation-theologian-our-times

Poetry and Politics http://secretcommunique.blogspot.com/2006/11/tupac-2pac-poetry-his-
politics.html

Early life biography http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000637/bio