What does thug life mean to tupac

BLACK POWER 1

Black Power

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Music is mainly taken by many as a tool for entertainment, and it is hardly considered by many as a tool that can be used for communication. However, this is not always the truth since music may pass on vital messages but only if the listener is keen enough. Some time back, the hip-hop legend named Tupac Shakur founded a music group that he called thug life. Many people have had different definitions of thug life, and to some, thug means gangster, so people take the meaning of thug life as a violent,lawless, or even criminal life. However, according to Tupac Shakur, Thug Life was an acronym that he used to mean “The Hate U Give Little Infants F**ks Everybody” the quote told that the society would be harming itself indirectly if it does not show love to their youngest members and that is the youth and even younger children.

As stated earlier, music can significantly help in the communication of very important messages. In this case, Pough's article is fundamental since ithelps one understand the connection between Tupac and the black power movement. The black power movement was a movement founded with one primary purpose of fighting against racism and equality for all people, especially those of Black and African descent. Black rage, anger, and cultural expression was the most extensive connection between hip-hop and the black power movement (Neal, 2004). It wanted black people to be empowered economically, just like the white individuals. Tupac introduced the hip hop legacy where he and a group of other members started recording music that sent a message of resistance against the injustice performed against the black people. There was a need for such action because the rate at which both whites and black people were using drugs was the same, but the policemen mainly fought the war on drugs in the blacks neighborhood. This means that they did not consider the white people a threat, but black people were a threat. Due to such wars, there was an increase in the number of deaths of black people, and in most cases, such homicides were not solved. Tupac recorded music directly criticizing and addressing such issues and calling for action to be taken; Tupacplayed a huge role in empowering the black people to fight for their rights. Tupac went a mile ahead and created a code of ethics and even truces between different gangs to mitigate the violence that was existing between the black communities. “Hip hop is an example of the way” (Neal, 2004).

According to Kelly, few black people could forget Eula Mae Love's killing, who was shot several times by police officers. This was an action that had to be condemned. For this reason, this can be termed as one of the conditions that had influenced the rise of gangstarap in the 19890s. The second condition was the equality that was existing between the black people and the white people. Moreoften, the policemen tended to be brutal on blacks due to crimes, but they would not treat the white community members in the same way (Kelley, 1996).

References

Kelley, R. (1996). Race Rebels: Culture, politics, and the black working class. Simon and Schuster.

Neal, M. A. (2004). That's the joint!: The hip-hop studies reader. Psychology Press.