"Let's change the way we eat, lets change the way we live, and let's change the way we treat each other".- Tupac
I must have been about 12 years old when I heard my first Tupac song. It was titled "Changes" and I could not get enough. I never really was into rap music. That genre of music had a bad reputation and my mom was not too thrilled in having me listen to it. When I heard “Changes” it was different, the song had meaning to me. I remember recording the song from the radio and listening to it over and over again. I wrote down the lyrics and realized that when the words were read out loud they just flowed so beautifully. It was a perfect poem; I felt that I understood what he was saying because he rapped from the heart.
It was after listening to this song that I became his number one fan. I purchased all of his CD’s and looked up lyrics to his songs, I realized that he was much more than a rapper he was a poet. The issues he rapped about were so powerful and controversial. He rapped about poverty, politics, racism, and violence. His music was much more than drugs, money and women. I also learned about Tupac and his life. He had been murdered in Las Vegas in 1996, but his music was timeless. I soon learned about his passion for writing, I was introduced by one of my teachers to a compilation of his poems and thoughts titled “A Rose that Grew from Concrete”. It was a collection of his writing discovered after his death. I was inspired by his writing and started writing my own poems and thoughts. A lot of what he writes about is very powerful for me. My life at times has been hard and I have been faced with many obstacles that I have had to surpass. At times when I have felt discouraged I turn to his poetry. I like to read his poems and reflect on my own life.
I'm writing this blog because I want to share some of his work with you. I think that his words are immortal and I feel that we all still are able to learn and reflect on his words. I will be posting some of his work from his book and just reflecting upon it and how it applies to my life now. I hope you enjoy my posts and feel free to comment any thoughts.
This is a great introduction post. Just like you I wasn't that into rap, but I did love listening to Tupac. His words, poems, and songs spoke the truth of his experience and what he had seen growing up in a hard life. I'm glad he inspired you to write your own poetry. Do you see yourself posting up your poetry in your blog in the future?
ReplyDelete-Ronnica Stephens
It was nice reading through your blog. I enjoy you sharing your stories/experiences, connecting them Tupac's poems and songs. I think many people can relate to at least one song or poem that he has written. I'd love to see some of your own writings on here in addition to the stories that you share in relation to Tupac's. By the way, I really enjoyed your latest post "Call On Me". I think so many people can relate to that poem when it comes to friends, family, and significant others.
ReplyDelete-Shantel
I really enjoy this blog and it's similarities to the blog I am writing. I am a HUGE fan of lyrics and rap artists are unique in their ways of writing. Tupac was truly the top of his genre at the time and many still hold high regards to his name. Keep up the hard work!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really sweet blog! Tupac was really ahead of the game and he was a helluva guy. I like the addition of the scans and pictures of the poems themselves, they really add to the posts and the personal touch of the poems. I agree with the others, you should definitely post your own poetry here as well. To get your thoughts and feelings out there just like he did.
ReplyDeleteWow, I really like the angle of this blog. Tupac's words definitely inspired people when he was alive, and I think they still do now that he has passed. I love how you add own aspects of your own life to the blog, giving it an even more relatable feel. I think your blog will grow with you, and I'm excited to see where the future goes with it.
ReplyDelete