"Changes" by Tupac Shakur
September 23, 2014
Uday Mishra
English 112B “Changes” by Tupac Shakur
The Problem of racism, police violence and poverty is still a big social issue. It was worse in 1990s than now but the things are getting better because of some motivational leaders and citizens who gave their life for change. The song “Changes” by Tupac Shakur is one of the more famous songs in history. It is a reference to social issues faced by African-American in the 1990s and some places in present days. Most of the songs by Tupac reflect the racism, violence and hardship in inner cities where the majority of the population was lives in poverty. The main purpose of his song is to convey a message to the people about racism, equality, peace and unity. Tupac Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 in East Harlem, New York City, New York where poverty, crime and drug addictions plagued the area for long time. He was born in a poor activist household. His mother Afeni Shakur and his stepfather Mutulu were a active member of Black Panther Party who taught him to stand up for right, equality and what he believes in. At a young age he joined the theater group, which introduced him to performing arts. Later, he joined the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz and ballet. In late 1980s, Shakur and his family moved to California where he was caught on a notorious “East Coast vs. West Coast” rapper battle. The battle did gave him the boost to his career but also remained as his caused for death (September 13, 1996) in his early adulthood. “Changes” was released in 1998, after his death, and became one of his most famous songs because of its powerful message of peace and equality (Wikipedia and Biography.com). Tupac highlights poverty as the main cause of hardship in the hood. In the first verse, he wrote, “I am tired of being poor and even worse I am black. My stomach hurts, so I am looking for a purse to snatch.” This line clearly explains how the African
Uday Mishra
English 112B “Changes” by Tupac Shakur
The Problem of racism, police violence and poverty is still a big social issue. It was worse in 1990s than now but the things are getting better because of some motivational leaders and citizens who gave their life for change. The song “Changes” by Tupac Shakur is one of the more famous songs in history. It is a reference to social issues faced by African-American in the 1990s and some places in present days. Most of the songs by Tupac reflect the racism, violence and hardship in inner cities where the majority of the population was lives in poverty. The main purpose of his song is to convey a message to the people about racism, equality, peace and unity. Tupac Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 in East Harlem, New York City, New York where poverty, crime and drug addictions plagued the area for long time. He was born in a poor activist household. His mother Afeni Shakur and his stepfather Mutulu were a active member of Black Panther Party who taught him to stand up for right, equality and what he believes in. At a young age he joined the theater group, which introduced him to performing arts. Later, he joined the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz and ballet. In late 1980s, Shakur and his family moved to California where he was caught on a notorious “East Coast vs. West Coast” rapper battle. The battle did gave him the boost to his career but also remained as his caused for death (September 13, 1996) in his early adulthood. “Changes” was released in 1998, after his death, and became one of his most famous songs because of its powerful message of peace and equality (Wikipedia and Biography.com). Tupac highlights poverty as the main cause of hardship in the hood. In the first verse, he wrote, “I am tired of being poor and even worse I am black. My stomach hurts, so I am looking for a purse to snatch.” This line clearly explains how the African