Tupac Shakur's 'Screaming Thug Life'
He grew from concrete: The life and death and work of Tupac Shakur.
“Screaming Thug Life ‘till I die” (“Life Goes On”). These words have a powerful meaning that most people ignore. Tupac Shakur coined this phrase. Although most people think that this phrase glorifies the “thug” mentality of gang violence, murder, robbery, and being a menace to society. In better perspective, most people thought this phrase was glorifying the negative stereotypes of black men. From the outside looking in most people thought that Tupac was just another embodiment of negative stereotypes of the black male, but they were wrong. Tupac Shakur was a philanthropist, poet, activist, prophet to some, and a martyr. His phrase “Thug Life” was the battle cry for the underdog. It was the glimmer of hope and guiding light for people who had lost hope for their future. Tupac Shakur was something like a black Jesus for the African- American community. Shakur was not …show more content…
what he seemed and even in death he is a mystery. He left a legacy within his music, poetry, and lifestyle that we can still view today.
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born in Harlem, New York on June 16, 1971 and was assassinated September 13, 1996.
According to the coroner’s report He was originally born Lesane Parish Crooks (Scott). Tupac Shakur came from a long line of political and civil activists. Both of Shakur’s parents were members of the Black Panther party, who worked and fought during the Civil rights movement. His aunt was the infamous Assata Shakur who was accused of slaughtering thirty-seven police officers and escaping prison. From an early age, Tupac was exposed to revolutionary thoughts and taught to stand up and speak out for what he believed in. Tupac’s Mother Afeni knew her was son was going to lead a great movement. Tupac Shakur was named after a famous Incan martyr by the name of Tupac Amaru. Tupac Amaru was slain for leading a revolt against the Spanish trying to save his people (“Tupac Amaru”). Contrary to popular believe Tupac Shakur never really live the life of a thug. Tupac took ballet and studied theatre at the Baltimore school of
Arts.
Tupac Shakur began his career in 1988 as a background dancer. But in 1991 he began his career in hip- hop and his rise to fame. Tupac began to become consumed in this rap lifestyle in 1992 he began to become involved in crime. Tupac also began to star in movies like Juice, Poetic Justice, and Above the Rim. While his rap and acting career soared to the top, the east coast –west coast feud began to erupt and he was smack dab in the middle battling his former friend the rapper Notorious B.I.G. The East Coast- West Coast rivalry started as a rivalry between the east coast record label Bad Boy and the West Coast label Death row Records. Most of fights were at night clubs and there were a lot of public arguments. Tupac received a lot of death threats because of this rivalry and his music began to reflect that. Many of Tupac’s song made death an under-toned theme. For instance at the end of the third verse his song “Changes” he uses onomatopoeia of a gun going off as a foreshadowing of his looming death and how he has accepted his fate.
In the hip-hop industry Tupac was portrayed as a reckless thug who from time to time spoke out against the oppression of the black community. Tupac believed in equality. He had revolutionary ideas to help heal the people. He hated poverty. In a 1992 interview he explains how selfish the world is. He did not understand how the rich were rich and had excess in everything, but there were people who were homeless and starving. He felt that the people who made it out of poverty or even people who had never experienced poverty should give back to the community. He felt that if everyone would only get what they need that poverty would not exist (“Inspirational Tupac Interview”). He believed that people should be able to step outside of the “isms” in America (by “isms” racism and sexism etc.) and help out his or her fellow brother.
Tupac was portrayed in the media as a gang banging thug, who was wild and reckless but he was not that at all. In his music Tupac let his listeners know his philosophies and how he felt about the world in his songs “Keep ya head up”, “Changes” and “I ain’t mad at cha”. He inspired people whether they were black, white Asian, or whatever he inspired them. In these songs Tupac talks about how we treat women, the inequalities in the black community, racism, and internal struggles we face when we are the pursuit of “thug life” and some are left behind. In “Keep ya head up” the song has a nice beat and rhythm. He begins the first lines with.
“Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice, I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots” the first line is a call and response line and it engages the listener. The first verse of this song is dedicated to women’s empowerment. In the quote below Tupac tackles all of the social issues women face like: being a single parenthood, rape, disrespect, and abortion and also uses this verse to tell men that women could not do it alone.
“You know what makes me unhappy
When brothers make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women
I think it 's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don 't we 'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies that make the babies
And since a man can 't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one” ( “Keep Ya Head Up”)
Tupac dedicated this first verse of this song because he was the child of a single mother who at one point in her life battled with drugs. Tupac knew what it was like to watch a woman struggle in poverty. Many of his songs had uplifting messages for women. Tupac did not believe in the misogynistic views that our society had. He strongly believed in women’s empowerment. “Changes” by Tupac is another notable song that had Tupac’s wisdom wrapped in it. In the second Verse of this song he tackles racism, drugs, and black on black crime.
“I see no changes; all I see is racist faces
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under, I wonder what it takes to make this
One better place, let 's erase the wasted
Take the evil out the people, they 'll be acting right
Cause both Black and White are smoking crack tonight
And the only time we chill is when we kill each other
It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven-sent” (“Changes”)
Although Tupac did not have a criminal record until he started his career, growing up in the many places that he in the many places that he did he witnessed police brutality and also by being the child of an ex- Black Panther party member he had saw and lived some of the effects of racism.
Being successful is not easy. When Tupac released the song “I Ain’t Mad at Cha” he tackled the feeling one would or could experience during when you make it out of the hood and your friend does not. The Crab–Barrel effect can tear a family, friendship and a community apart. In the third verse of this song he talks about how jealously can kill, and how your closest friends will betray you with the kiss of death in this.
“Well guess who 's moving up, this n***a 's ballin now
B*****s be calling to get it, hookers keep fallin down
He went from nuttin ' to lots, ten carats to rock
Went from a nobody n***a to the big man on the block
He 's Mr. Local celebrity, addicted to move a key
Most hated by enemy, escape in the Luxury
See, first you was our nigga but you made it, so the choice is made
Now we gotta slay you why you faded, in the younger days” (“I ain’t Mad At Cha”)
By the way this song is worded one can see the tone of jealousy and envy in the first five lines. And unfortunately the subject of this verse was killed by his childhood friends because he made it out of the hood and became rich. Some people think that this verse is about Tupac and he is foreshadowing his death. Tupac’s music has touched many people and inspired them to become better than what they were.
Besides Tupac’s music there was his poetry. After his death his mother published a book of his poetry titled The Rose That Grew from Concrete. This book was filled with poems and thoughts by Tupac. This book embodied the real Tupac that no one saw or even paid attention to. This book poems show how Tupac felt about life, death, heart-break and love and everything else in-between. Most people were focused on the misread connotation of his “Thug Life” persona. This book of poetry begins with a poem that bears the title of the book. This short, yet powerful poem is a beautiful opener for this book. Under the title there is a small note by Tupac that says “Autobiographical” it is quite ironic that this poem is what he measured as his life. Right off the bat things like this make the reader once again question if Tupac knew of his untimely death. This poem is short and yet powerful just like Tupac’s life.
This poem reads:
“Did u hear about the rose that grew from a crack
In the concrete
Proving nature’s laws wrong it learned 2 walk
Without having feet
Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams
It learned 2 breathe fresh air
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
When no one else even cared!” (Shakur).
Dreams are the key to success and this poem tells its reader to never lose sight of their dreams.
Also in this book he has certain poems dedicated to his closet friends. One of these poems is dedicated to his best Friend, Jada Pinkett Smith. This poem is simply titled “Jada”. In this poem he writes about how their friendship is a once in a lifetime and how there would never be another one like it. He writes her “you are the omega to my heart…you are my heart in human Form” (Shakur). He also admits his fears of losing or messing up their friendship but overcomes that fear because he knows that it will last until death. This book is filled with Tupac’s thoughts and dedications to the people that he loved. He also has a series of poems dedicated to his ex-wife April. He has a poem from the time he knew he was in love with her and their unfortunate divorce and how he felt. But this book comes to a chilling end with the very last poem titled “In the Event of my Demise” and it says that it is dedicated to those curious.
This poem reads:
“In the event of my demise,
When my heart can beat no more
I hope I die for a principle
Or a belief that I had lived 4
I will die before my time
Because I feel the shadow’s depth
So much I wanted 2 accomplish
Before I reached my death
I have come 2 grips with the possibility
And wiped the last tear from my eyes
I love all who were positive
In the event of my demise!”(Shakur)
Death is scary to most people, because it is in human nature to fear the unknown. But the Fact the he had accepted his fate is chilling. It really puts things into perspective. No one really wants to die because they do not know what is next. He even stated that he knew that he was going to die before his time. But he has the most Human request in the event of his demise and that was only to be remembered.
Tupac died on September 13, 1996. He was the unfortunate victim of a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. The death of Tupac brings about so much conspiracy and mystery. He was shot in public and to this day people claim that they saw nothing. The whole world hurt when Tupac Shakur died. His life had inspired his fans and peers. Even though he and Tupac were in the middle of an argument, the Notorious B.I.G. gave an interview in 1997 on how he felt about Tupac’s death. Unfortunately for B.I.G he was shot multiple times and died two days after giving this interview.
“I was more shocked than anything, you know what I 'm saying?But I wasn 't more shocked of him dying I was more shocked of him... Pac is a strong dude yo
I know dude, you know what I 'm saying? Real strong
So when they was like he got shot I was just more like, "again"
You know what I 'm sayin ' He always gettin ' shot, or shot at He going to pull through this one again Make a few records about it, and it 's going to be over
You know what I 'm saying? But when he, when he died I was just like, "whoa", you know what I 'm saying? Kinda took me by-I mean even though we was going through our drama
I would never wish death on nobody; you know what I 'm sayin '
Because there ain 't no coming back from that” (“Biggie on 2pac Death”).
B.I.G. was not alone because the Death of Tupac shocked the world. Although no one would come forward many people believed that his death was a result of the East Coast-West Coast Hip Hop rivalry. Others speculate it was just Tupac’s past catching up with him or people believe he was killed by an underground cult with in the music industry given the name the “illuminati”. Also many people speculate that the death of Tupac was a hoax to get out of the limelight and he is living somewhere in the Caribbean Islands or with his fugitive aunt in Cuba. Regardless of the many Conspiracies’ about his death or the possibilities of him being alive, it was very untimely and unfortunate event because Tupac had a lot more to give.
Losing a child is a horrible thing, but Tupac’s mother took this negative and made it a positive. After his death , Afeni Shakur started the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation dedicated to helping young kids hold on to their dreams and inspire them to follow those dreams. It is based in Stone Mountain, Ga and has impacted young children and their dreams since its founding in 1997. Also many up and coming rappers pay tribute to Tupac for paving the way for hip hop. Many rappers list him as one of their biggest influences to why they became rappers. Rapper Kendrick Lamar is and up and coming rapper and with his flows and philosophies many feel that he is almost like a modern day Tupac who is calmer. It has been almost two decades since Tupac’s death and he is still listed as one of the world’s most influential people. Also he is still gaining new fans and generation after generation. Tupac Shakur’s legacy will live forever. Although he lived a troubled life Tupac was truly a “rose that grew from concrete” his life music and poetry will forever serve as a guide and a reminder of how great one can live their life.
Works Cited
"Biggie on 2pac 's Death." N.p., 23 Jan 2011. web. 6 Dec 2013. .
"Inspirational Tupac Interview." N.p., 17 Apr 2012. web. 6 Dec 2013. .
"Tupac Amaru." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Changes” . Tupac Shakur, Interscope Records, 1992.
“I Ain’t Mad at Cha” .Tupac Shakur, Deathrow Records 1995.
“Keep Ya Head Up”. Tupac Shakur. Interscope Records 1993.
“Life Goes On”. Tupac Shakur. Interscope Records 1996.
Rhonda Wells-Wilbon, Nigel D. Jackson and Jerome H. Schiele. Lessons From the Maafa: Rethinking the Legacy of Slain Hip-Hop Icon Tupac Amaru Shakur Journal of Black Studies , Vol. 40, No. 4 (MARCH 2010), pp. 509-526
Scott, Cathy. The Killing of Tupac Shakur. Las Vegas: Huntington Press, 2002.
Shakur, Tupac. The Rose that Grew from Concrete. New York: Pocket Books, 1999. Print.
“Screaming Thug Life ‘till I die” (“Life Goes On”). These words have a powerful meaning that most people ignore. Tupac Shakur coined this phrase. Although most people think that this phrase glorifies the “thug” mentality of gang violence, murder, robbery, and being a menace to society. In better perspective, most people thought this phrase was glorifying the negative stereotypes of black men. From the outside looking in most people thought that Tupac was just another embodiment of negative stereotypes of the black male, but they were wrong. Tupac Shakur was a philanthropist, poet, activist, prophet to some, and a martyr. His phrase “Thug Life” was the battle cry for the underdog. It was the glimmer of hope and guiding light for people who had lost hope for their future. Tupac Shakur was something like a black Jesus for the African- American community. Shakur was not …show more content…
what he seemed and even in death he is a mystery. He left a legacy within his music, poetry, and lifestyle that we can still view today.
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born in Harlem, New York on June 16, 1971 and was assassinated September 13, 1996.
According to the coroner’s report He was originally born Lesane Parish Crooks (Scott). Tupac Shakur came from a long line of political and civil activists. Both of Shakur’s parents were members of the Black Panther party, who worked and fought during the Civil rights movement. His aunt was the infamous Assata Shakur who was accused of slaughtering thirty-seven police officers and escaping prison. From an early age, Tupac was exposed to revolutionary thoughts and taught to stand up and speak out for what he believed in. Tupac’s Mother Afeni knew her was son was going to lead a great movement. Tupac Shakur was named after a famous Incan martyr by the name of Tupac Amaru. Tupac Amaru was slain for leading a revolt against the Spanish trying to save his people (“Tupac Amaru”). Contrary to popular believe Tupac Shakur never really live the life of a thug. Tupac took ballet and studied theatre at the Baltimore school of
Arts.
Tupac Shakur began his career in 1988 as a background dancer. But in 1991 he began his career in hip- hop and his rise to fame. Tupac began to become consumed in this rap lifestyle in 1992 he began to become involved in crime. Tupac also began to star in movies like Juice, Poetic Justice, and Above the Rim. While his rap and acting career soared to the top, the east coast –west coast feud began to erupt and he was smack dab in the middle battling his former friend the rapper Notorious B.I.G. The East Coast- West Coast rivalry started as a rivalry between the east coast record label Bad Boy and the West Coast label Death row Records. Most of fights were at night clubs and there were a lot of public arguments. Tupac received a lot of death threats because of this rivalry and his music began to reflect that. Many of Tupac’s song made death an under-toned theme. For instance at the end of the third verse his song “Changes” he uses onomatopoeia of a gun going off as a foreshadowing of his looming death and how he has accepted his fate.
In the hip-hop industry Tupac was portrayed as a reckless thug who from time to time spoke out against the oppression of the black community. Tupac believed in equality. He had revolutionary ideas to help heal the people. He hated poverty. In a 1992 interview he explains how selfish the world is. He did not understand how the rich were rich and had excess in everything, but there were people who were homeless and starving. He felt that the people who made it out of poverty or even people who had never experienced poverty should give back to the community. He felt that if everyone would only get what they need that poverty would not exist (“Inspirational Tupac Interview”). He believed that people should be able to step outside of the “isms” in America (by “isms” racism and sexism etc.) and help out his or her fellow brother.
Tupac was portrayed in the media as a gang banging thug, who was wild and reckless but he was not that at all. In his music Tupac let his listeners know his philosophies and how he felt about the world in his songs “Keep ya head up”, “Changes” and “I ain’t mad at cha”. He inspired people whether they were black, white Asian, or whatever he inspired them. In these songs Tupac talks about how we treat women, the inequalities in the black community, racism, and internal struggles we face when we are the pursuit of “thug life” and some are left behind. In “Keep ya head up” the song has a nice beat and rhythm. He begins the first lines with.
“Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice, I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots” the first line is a call and response line and it engages the listener. The first verse of this song is dedicated to women’s empowerment. In the quote below Tupac tackles all of the social issues women face like: being a single parenthood, rape, disrespect, and abortion and also uses this verse to tell men that women could not do it alone.
“You know what makes me unhappy
When brothers make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women
I think it 's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don 't we 'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies that make the babies
And since a man can 't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one” ( “Keep Ya Head Up”)
Tupac dedicated this first verse of this song because he was the child of a single mother who at one point in her life battled with drugs. Tupac knew what it was like to watch a woman struggle in poverty. Many of his songs had uplifting messages for women. Tupac did not believe in the misogynistic views that our society had. He strongly believed in women’s empowerment. “Changes” by Tupac is another notable song that had Tupac’s wisdom wrapped in it. In the second Verse of this song he tackles racism, drugs, and black on black crime.
“I see no changes; all I see is racist faces
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under, I wonder what it takes to make this
One better place, let 's erase the wasted
Take the evil out the people, they 'll be acting right
Cause both Black and White are smoking crack tonight
And the only time we chill is when we kill each other
It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven-sent” (“Changes”)
Although Tupac did not have a criminal record until he started his career, growing up in the many places that he in the many places that he did he witnessed police brutality and also by being the child of an ex- Black Panther party member he had saw and lived some of the effects of racism.
Being successful is not easy. When Tupac released the song “I Ain’t Mad at Cha” he tackled the feeling one would or could experience during when you make it out of the hood and your friend does not. The Crab–Barrel effect can tear a family, friendship and a community apart. In the third verse of this song he talks about how jealously can kill, and how your closest friends will betray you with the kiss of death in this.
“Well guess who 's moving up, this n***a 's ballin now
B*****s be calling to get it, hookers keep fallin down
He went from nuttin ' to lots, ten carats to rock
Went from a nobody n***a to the big man on the block
He 's Mr. Local celebrity, addicted to move a key
Most hated by enemy, escape in the Luxury
See, first you was our nigga but you made it, so the choice is made
Now we gotta slay you why you faded, in the younger days” (“I ain’t Mad At Cha”)
By the way this song is worded one can see the tone of jealousy and envy in the first five lines. And unfortunately the subject of this verse was killed by his childhood friends because he made it out of the hood and became rich. Some people think that this verse is about Tupac and he is foreshadowing his death. Tupac’s music has touched many people and inspired them to become better than what they were.
Besides Tupac’s music there was his poetry. After his death his mother published a book of his poetry titled The Rose That Grew from Concrete. This book was filled with poems and thoughts by Tupac. This book embodied the real Tupac that no one saw or even paid attention to. This book poems show how Tupac felt about life, death, heart-break and love and everything else in-between. Most people were focused on the misread connotation of his “Thug Life” persona. This book of poetry begins with a poem that bears the title of the book. This short, yet powerful poem is a beautiful opener for this book. Under the title there is a small note by Tupac that says “Autobiographical” it is quite ironic that this poem is what he measured as his life. Right off the bat things like this make the reader once again question if Tupac knew of his untimely death. This poem is short and yet powerful just like Tupac’s life.
This poem reads:
“Did u hear about the rose that grew from a crack
In the concrete
Proving nature’s laws wrong it learned 2 walk
Without having feet
Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams
It learned 2 breathe fresh air
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
When no one else even cared!” (Shakur).
Dreams are the key to success and this poem tells its reader to never lose sight of their dreams.
Also in this book he has certain poems dedicated to his closet friends. One of these poems is dedicated to his best Friend, Jada Pinkett Smith. This poem is simply titled “Jada”. In this poem he writes about how their friendship is a once in a lifetime and how there would never be another one like it. He writes her “you are the omega to my heart…you are my heart in human Form” (Shakur). He also admits his fears of losing or messing up their friendship but overcomes that fear because he knows that it will last until death. This book is filled with Tupac’s thoughts and dedications to the people that he loved. He also has a series of poems dedicated to his ex-wife April. He has a poem from the time he knew he was in love with her and their unfortunate divorce and how he felt. But this book comes to a chilling end with the very last poem titled “In the Event of my Demise” and it says that it is dedicated to those curious.
This poem reads:
“In the event of my demise,
When my heart can beat no more
I hope I die for a principle
Or a belief that I had lived 4
I will die before my time
Because I feel the shadow’s depth
So much I wanted 2 accomplish
Before I reached my death
I have come 2 grips with the possibility
And wiped the last tear from my eyes
I love all who were positive
In the event of my demise!”(Shakur)
Death is scary to most people, because it is in human nature to fear the unknown. But the Fact the he had accepted his fate is chilling. It really puts things into perspective. No one really wants to die because they do not know what is next. He even stated that he knew that he was going to die before his time. But he has the most Human request in the event of his demise and that was only to be remembered.
Tupac died on September 13, 1996. He was the unfortunate victim of a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. The death of Tupac brings about so much conspiracy and mystery. He was shot in public and to this day people claim that they saw nothing. The whole world hurt when Tupac Shakur died. His life had inspired his fans and peers. Even though he and Tupac were in the middle of an argument, the Notorious B.I.G. gave an interview in 1997 on how he felt about Tupac’s death. Unfortunately for B.I.G he was shot multiple times and died two days after giving this interview.
“I was more shocked than anything, you know what I 'm saying?But I wasn 't more shocked of him dying I was more shocked of him... Pac is a strong dude yo
I know dude, you know what I 'm saying? Real strong
So when they was like he got shot I was just more like, "again"
You know what I 'm sayin ' He always gettin ' shot, or shot at He going to pull through this one again Make a few records about it, and it 's going to be over
You know what I 'm saying? But when he, when he died I was just like, "whoa", you know what I 'm saying? Kinda took me by-I mean even though we was going through our drama
I would never wish death on nobody; you know what I 'm sayin '
Because there ain 't no coming back from that” (“Biggie on 2pac Death”).
B.I.G. was not alone because the Death of Tupac shocked the world. Although no one would come forward many people believed that his death was a result of the East Coast-West Coast Hip Hop rivalry. Others speculate it was just Tupac’s past catching up with him or people believe he was killed by an underground cult with in the music industry given the name the “illuminati”. Also many people speculate that the death of Tupac was a hoax to get out of the limelight and he is living somewhere in the Caribbean Islands or with his fugitive aunt in Cuba. Regardless of the many Conspiracies’ about his death or the possibilities of him being alive, it was very untimely and unfortunate event because Tupac had a lot more to give.
Losing a child is a horrible thing, but Tupac’s mother took this negative and made it a positive. After his death , Afeni Shakur started the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation dedicated to helping young kids hold on to their dreams and inspire them to follow those dreams. It is based in Stone Mountain, Ga and has impacted young children and their dreams since its founding in 1997. Also many up and coming rappers pay tribute to Tupac for paving the way for hip hop. Many rappers list him as one of their biggest influences to why they became rappers. Rapper Kendrick Lamar is and up and coming rapper and with his flows and philosophies many feel that he is almost like a modern day Tupac who is calmer. It has been almost two decades since Tupac’s death and he is still listed as one of the world’s most influential people. Also he is still gaining new fans and generation after generation. Tupac Shakur’s legacy will live forever. Although he lived a troubled life Tupac was truly a “rose that grew from concrete” his life music and poetry will forever serve as a guide and a reminder of how great one can live their life.
Works Cited
"Biggie on 2pac 's Death." N.p., 23 Jan 2011. web. 6 Dec 2013. .
"Inspirational Tupac Interview." N.p., 17 Apr 2012. web. 6 Dec 2013. .
"Tupac Amaru." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Changes” . Tupac Shakur, Interscope Records, 1992.
“I Ain’t Mad at Cha” .Tupac Shakur, Deathrow Records 1995.
“Keep Ya Head Up”. Tupac Shakur. Interscope Records 1993.
“Life Goes On”. Tupac Shakur. Interscope Records 1996.
Rhonda Wells-Wilbon, Nigel D. Jackson and Jerome H. Schiele. Lessons From the Maafa: Rethinking the Legacy of Slain Hip-Hop Icon Tupac Amaru Shakur Journal of Black Studies , Vol. 40, No. 4 (MARCH 2010), pp. 509-526
Scott, Cathy. The Killing of Tupac Shakur. Las Vegas: Huntington Press, 2002.
Shakur, Tupac. The Rose that Grew from Concrete. New York: Pocket Books, 1999. Print.