Tupac

Last week we discussed hyper-masculinity and pop-culture and media’s strange obsession with masculinity. Tupac, the rapper, was the main tool to tie all of this together. I found this discussion very interesting. I learned so many things about him that I never knew and probably wouldn’t have ever known had we not had this discussion in class. One fact that really caught me off guard was the fact that he use to take ballet classes. To others this isn’t seen as “masculine” which is one of many reasons for why he had to portray this hyper-masculine front.

Most people probably have no idea about Tupac’s lifestyle or how he grew up. They don’t know about the different struggles he faced, or his lack of guidance growing up. Tupac grew up in an urban area, without a father, and a mother who was addicted to crack. This was why he turned to a gang. They were his family and gave him a sense of community. Things like the “cool pose” and the “thug life” were just a normal way of living he was taught, but most people wouldn’t understand or even care to hear these things. All they have to hear is that he was in a gang. Then, they would automatically judge him and believe him to be a bad person.

I also feel that Tupac’s lyrics are often looked over. While yes, some of his lyrics are very profane, he also had many songs that displayed his respect for women, single mothers specifically. Overall, I feel that those who respect him already know this information. Those who are uneducated about his life and unaware of the urban lifestyle believe he is a bad person. And I just feel that in life in general, if people would get educated about something before they begin to judge, that would be one big step for the world as a whole.