Tupac's Song example essay topic

MUSIC ANALYSIS: Changes by Tupac Shakure For most people that listen to music, a song can be classified as simply a plethora of words constructed into verses in the midst of an appealing tune playing in the backdrop. But it is when an artist can take all of this and add even more to it to make it memorable and even sometimes controversial he or she is considered a great artist. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood rap, along with hip hop artist of the 20th century is the late Tupac Shakure... However, to his fans and critics, he was perceived as a political poet and a lyrical genius. Though I wasn't supposed to, I have listened to Pac since I was a child... and Ill have to admit I haven't always liked him or his style of rapping. I really began to appreciate him more as I grew older and more mature.

I believe that this is due to the fact that most of his music is filled with complex thoughts and opinions along with extremely vivid images that stray far, far away from the traditional Euro American society of perfection and happiness. That is a great aspect of Pac's rapping style. Tupac has released around 15 albums and an uncountable amount of underground tracks. I have chosen to look at one of Tupac's song that I think is the most concentrated on Black and White race relations in America. This song is called Changes, this song was released on his Greatest hits CD in 1998. In this song Tupac addresses this issue he begins the second verse with the lines; "And still I see no changes all I see is racist faces... ". (verse 2).

This verse is very powerful in that it addresses political racial issues, society's justice system and how things in society are set up in a way that blacks will remain at the bottom of society and how that is accepted as the norm. He addresses in this verse the American presidency and how we aren't ready to see a black man occupy the white house. Tupac says "we aint ready to see a black president... huh" (verse 2) I interpret this as him using sarcasm in that he laughs at the end and uses the term "we" when in all reality he knows that the majority of blacks in the U.S. are patiently waiting for that day. In his first verse Pac also addresses the law enforcement issues based on racial inequalities in our society. He addresses the fact that the life of and African American is not valued as equal to or even near equal to the white Americans life. He expresses this when he claims; "I'm tired of be in' poor and even worse I'm black... ". (verse 1) Tupac also gives recognition to Huey P. Newton who was the founder of the Black Panther party.

I think what Tupac was attempting to say is that we as a race are constantly held down and kept from taking a stand for our selves. This song Changes is just a perfect example of an African American that is voicing his every day life in society and how encounters with whites affect him.