Tupac Apathy Towards Black Women

Tupac and the Portrayal of Black Women: A Reflection of the Black Community’s Apathy Toward Black Women

The late Tupac Shakur is arguably one of the most well-known hip-hop/rap artists of all time. He is known for many of his hit songs like “California Love” and “How Do U Want It”. Some would say that his music established the foundation for hip-hop and rap today, especially in the west coast. As far as the genre of hip-hop and rap, there seems to have been a major shift from Tupac’s era to today’s day and age. The art form of hip-hop has been transformed from a genre primarily used to tell some sort of a story to the constant degradation of women. Excluding some rappers who have sought to preserve the story-telling aspect of hip-hop,
Tupac’s interactions reveal that respectability is rewarded to women based on personal connections and/or social interactions. This simply means that one is more likely to give respect to someone they know on a personal level as opposed to a stranger. It also means that if a woman is “socially submissive”, meaning she is meek, caring, etc., she is given some sort of respect. Tupac’s artistry and archived personal artifacts directly align with the respectability politics used to govern black women within the black community. In a personal letter to Jada Pinkett-Smith, a long-time friend of Tupac, he describes her as the first thing he thinks of when thinking of “what a black woman should be” (Tupac, “Correspondence”). His personal connection to Jada as a long-time friend automatically qualifies her as “respectable” and ideal in his eyes. When expressing his feelings about Jada, he removes any trace of sexualizing her, stating that she “[can] bring me to climax without sex” (Tupac, “Correspondence”). This removal furthers the respect he gives to a long-time friend of his. Tupac’s treatment of Jada as a long-time friend shows the importance of personal connection and respectability. This governing of respectability and who you know has been used in various campaigns against the violence inflicted upon women. Campaigns
In the song “How Do U Want It”, Tupac talks about going to the strip club and having “no sympathy” (Tupac, “How Do U Want It”). Once again, Tupac is so far removed from the strippers in the club that he does not feel the need to sympathize with them. He documents once again the importance of a personal connection and the determination of respectability. Throughout the song, he also hypersexualizes the traits inherently unique to the black woman’s body. Those same traits that are praised on women he found respectable are diminished and objectified on women who did not make the cut. Overall, Tupac’s wavering treatment of black women serve as a reflection of the black community’s ideology when it comes to women. Black women must be deemed respectable before they can receive