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Cheyenne Clow
Christina McGregor

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Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known as 2Pac and Makaveil (June 16, 1971 to September 13, 1996) was an American rapper and actor. Born in the Harlem neighborhood in New York City, Tupac grew up surrounded by poverty and violence. After being murdered, Tupac left behind his legacy. Tupac was a spokesperson for his generation as well as subsequent ones who suffer the same struggles.

Figure 1. Photo of Tupac. By Raymond Boyd. n.d. www.wireimage.com/celebrity-pictures/Photo-of-Tupac-Shakur/75959395. January 1, 2007 by Bulk Migration.

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This song is about the suffering of African Americans and how they are treated. This song is from the 90's, however, it is still relevant today. Even though racism is not as big of an issue today as it was then, it is still something we see. 2pac indicates in his lyrics that we see the way things are and it's not working, it's time for us the people to make a change.

(2PacVEVO, 2011)

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The message to his song Changes is about racism. Specifically towards African Americans. He indicates that they are poor, the cops don't care if they kill them as they are essentially a "hero" and there is one less mouth on Welfare. He mentions later that the only time whites and blacks chill is when they kill each other. As mentioned in the first slide, this is still an issue, a lot of people still deal with racist remarks.

Figure 2. Tupac Shakur outside criminal court. New York Daily News by Gerald Herbert, November 4, 1994. https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/tupac-shakur-outside-criminal-court-news-photo/97316900. Copyright date: November 4, 1994 by New York Daily News.

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Figure 3 shows part of the lyrics to the first verse. He indicates in the first verse that being African American, no one cares. They are given guns and they kill each other while everyone stands back. People don't care as it's "one less hungry mouth on Welfare" (Shakur,1998)

Figure 3. Lyrics from song 'Changes'.  In the images pinned by Mary Isom (n.d.) https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/567383253031767250/

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Tupac explains that even when you try to show there's another way to live, if all you know is making money and living in a "sleazy" way then its hard to change, that's the way it is. He still tries to be the one to change and show you that this life isn't the only life possible.

In Figure 4, a photograph of Tupac and Carl Lewis is shown at the MTV Music Award in 1996. Identifying that ethnicity of a person, does not have to result in a poverty driven lifestyle- that it is possible to change the roots of the system, individually.

Figure 4. Tupac and Carl Lewis at MTV Music Awards. From 1996 MTV Video Music Awards People, by Kevin Mazur, September 4, 1996, https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/tupac-shakur-and-carl-lewis-news-photo/76118869 . 1994. By WireImage.

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The last verse which I think is also the last aspect is partly indicated in this picture. He states that "as long as I stay black I have to stay strapped, and I never get to lay back." indicating again that not only do they have to worry about police but everyone else they may have had an issue with in the past. Grudges are held no matter what and eventually it comes back to haunt you. Change starts with one person, the people, and the more people you have on your side the better for the change.

Figure 5. Lyrics from song 'Changes'. In the images pinned by Isha S (n.d.)  https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/567383253031767250/

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The weakness I found in this is at the end of the song Tupac says "Some things will never change." (Shakur, 1998). After having a whole song about racism and explaining how it needs to change, saying somethings will never change makes it seem like he gives up on that motion a little bit.

Figure 6. Photograph of Tupac. Tupac Shakur Images, by Fanpop, (n.d.), http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/tupac-shakur/images/24636106/title/tupac-photo

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In this collection of the critical study of 'Changes' by Tupac, it serves as an unofficial anthem to the issue of racism, violence, and oppression. Through the role of music in our media, Tupac was able to bring awareness of the social, economic, and political injustices in our society. His song provokes listeners to examine how we teach, how we should think about the ways African Americans struggle. Through the platform Tupac is able to express the unsettling realities of the systematic mistreatment of blacks in America.

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(2PacVEVO). (2011, July 5). 2Pac - Changes ft. Talent. (Video file). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXvBjCO19QY

(n.a.). (n.d.) Tupac Shakur Images. Fanpop. http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/tupac-shakur/images/24636106/title/tupac-photo

Boyd, Raymond (2007). (Photograph). Retrieved from www.wireimage.com/celebrity-pictures/Photo-of-Tupac-Shakur/75959395

Herbert, Gerald. (1994, November 4). Tupac outside criminal court. (Photograph). Retrieved from
https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/tupac-shakur-outside-criminal-court-news-photo/97316900

Isom, Mary. (n.d.). Tupac (Pinterest post.) Retrieved by October 15, 2018 from https://www.pinterest.ca/mysom2p/tupac/.

Mazur, Kevin. (1996, September 4). MTV Music Awards. From 1996 MTV Video Music Awards People. Retrieved from https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/tupac-shakur-and-carl-lewis-news-photo/76118869

S, Isha. (n.d.). Discover ideas about Quotes In Life. (Pinterest post.) Retrieved by October 15, 2018 from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/567383253031767250/