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The Rose That Grew From Concrete- Jenny 

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The Rose That Grew From Concrete- Jenny 

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Some Textual examples are "Damn! A rose that grew from the concrete?!" this is a metaphor to Tupac Shakur because he represents the rose. The poem also has some onomatopoeia example, FRESH and Damn which really makes the the word stand out. The language that Tupac really reflects on his personality because he uses alot of slang "why'knowhahatImean" is one example. Not only is the language Tupac uses slang but also in Nikki Giovannis part she puts in un finish words like, keepin and puttin, these words have missing G and is slang maybe to make poem go smoother since Nikki doesn't originally use slang in her poems.

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n Tupac's song, Changes, he illustrates the con

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anguage in Cultural Context: Song Lyrics and Poetry
Made with a wink and a smile
Avatar of Maggie Hagen
Maggie Hagen
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“That’s just the way it is. Things will never be the same. That’s just the way it is.”

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njustice actions that the whites have done. This song also reveals 2Pac’s ba

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-Cindy

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The song “Changes” by 2Pac describes the extreme racial discrimination occurring in America during his era and tries to raise awareness for the inhumane and injustice actions that the whites have done. This song also reveals 2Pac’s background and identity. 2Pac grew up through extreme poverty and hardship as explained in the song “I’m tired of bein’ poor and even worse I’m black”. This also shows how being black is worse than being poor in those days, as racial discrimination had superseded the division of wealth. You had a higher chance of dying because you were black than dying because of poverty.

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In Changes, Tupac’s use of language demonstrates the struggle of surviving as an African-American in a discriminatory society. Tupac states that his “stomach hurts so [he’s] looking for a purse to snatch.” This illustrates the poverty that most African-Americans faced, which resulted from their lack of education. These people are forced to steal so they can buy food. This shows the desperation they must have felt to result in crime but also the hopelessness to give into it willingly, regardless of their morals. As Tupac grew in poverty in a racist society, this gives us insight into his childhood and the poor conditions and discrimination he grew up in.

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"Changes" - Grace (sorry I can't edit the other one

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"Changes" - Grace (sorry I can't edit the other one

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In 2pac's song "Changes", 2Pac shows his identity as an African American in America through themes, language, and context. Common usage of the n-word shows background/identification in/with the black community. Other language features such as slang that is suggestive of black culture ("dope", a "G"), words with "-in'" suffixes, and "ain't" are all indicative of an African American dialect. The theme of racial equality comes up a lot in this text, giving one the impression that it is an issue that Tupac has experienced himself. The line “both black and white is smokin’ crack tonight” in comparison with “penitentiary’s packed, and it’s filled with blacks” implies that while whites and blacks both commit crimes, it is the blacks who are punished more than the whites. Another theme throughout the piece is morals versus survival. “My stomach hurts so I’m lookin’ for a purse to snatch” shows Tupac’s desperation and that whatever crimes he did were necessary (“I ain’t never did a crime I ain’t have to do”). Other connections to this theme include how dealing crack was to make money and to survive. A third theme in the song is gang culture and blacks against the law enforcement system. Raps Tupac, “Cops give a d*** about a ne***/pull the trigger kill a ni*** he’s a hero”, demonstrating his frustration at violence by cops towards blacks (one example that could have inspired this lyric is Tyisha Miller, an African American woman who was killed in her car by a cop the same year this song was released, and black rights activist Huey Newton, mentioned earlier in the song). It is likely that the themes expressed in this song are close to Tupac because of their depth (indicative of a thorough knowledge), furthering the idea that he identifies with the black community. Finally, a look at the context contributes to Shakur’s identity in the poem, as he died a victim of gang violence. Critics reacted to his work, sometimes calling it controversial and offensive. Tupac stood up passionately to speak out about racial inequality in his songs, and this song is a call for black people, his people, to unite and to be treated fairly and equally.

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 He shows his struggle and his identity through his lyrics when saying “I’m tired of bein’ poor and even worse I’m / black / cops give a damn about a negro / pull the trigger kill a nigga he’s a hero / Give the crack to the kids who the hell / cares / One less hungry mouth on the welfare”. This section of lines demonstrates how strongly Tupac feels about the poverty and lack of opportunity that the African American community must undergo. He explains that the lack of opportunity causes people to divert to being criminals and how African Americans are commonly targeted by the police

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In the song, Tupac illustrates the struggles and stereotypes that black people faced at that time. He highlights how black people were seen as inferior. For example, when he says, “It's war on the streets and the war in the Middle East

Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs

So the police can bother me

And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do

But now I'm back with the blacks givin' it back to you”

He talks about how instead of focusing on bigger things such as the war in the middle east, the government tackles drugs because the African-American’s have involvement in it. And because Tupac is black, he is automatically categorized as a criminal, giving the cops a reason to bother him.  However, he also blames his people for all the hatred and anger they're surrounded by because they’re more about individuality than unity, and thus he asks them to unite and take a stand against racism.

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In Tupac's song, Changes, he illustrates the constant struggle and the discrimination that society inflicts on black people. Throughout the piece, Tupac writes using common African American jargon, such as "nigga," "dope," and by calling his fellow African Americans, "brother." By using this vocabulary, he reveals his identity as an African American who has experienced everything he raps about and is willing to make a change. By incorporating many themes revolving around black culture, it also becomes evident that Tupac’s main audience are his fellow blacks. By calling for change and for everyone to resolve conflicts and stand up to discrimination, his values of being a determined change maker and a strong-minded activist are also unveiled.

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I feel as though Tupac’s Changes has the theme that is to tackle African American social issues and poverty. This song was released in 1992 which was a time when poverty rates of the United States were quite high at 14.8%. He shows his struggle and his identity through his lyrics when saying “I’m tired of bein’ poor and even worse I’m / black / cops give a damn about a negro / pull the trigger kill a nigga he’s a hero / Give the crack to the kids who the hell / cares / One less hungry mouth on the welfare”. This section of lines demonstrates how strongly Tupac feels about the poverty and lack of opportunity that the African American community must undergo. He explains that the lack of opportunity causes people to divert to being criminals and how African Americans are commonly targeted by the police. Tupac’s mother was in Jail when he grew up and was also living in poor situations. He is upset about all these factors and that’s why he wrote Change, to help the African American community to take a stand against these issues.

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The Rose That Grew From Concrete- Jenny 

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The Rose That Grew From Concrete- Jenny 

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Some Textual examples are "Damn! A rose that grew from the concrete?!" this is a metaphor to Tupac Shakur because he represents the rose. The poem also has some onomatopoeia example, FRESH and Damn which really makes the the word stand out. The language that Tupac really reflects on his personality because he uses alot of slang "why'knowhahatImean" is one example. Not only is the language Tupac uses slang but also in Nikki Giovannis part she puts in un finish words like, keepin and puttin, these words have missing G and is slang maybe to make poem go smoother since Nikki doesn't originally use slang in her poems.

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Quote: “Take the evil out the people they’ll acting right/‘Cause both black and white is smokin’ crack tonight.” This quote from Tupac’s Changes is Tupac’s way of saying blacks and whites are equal. The informal speech and grammatical errors clue the reader into the life Tupac has lead and the life he grew up in. It suggests that he is uneducated, and the reference to drugs implies experience. This shows that it is likely Tupac has experience the evil in people, specifically whites, where discrimination against his own people was present, and thus being the reason for him to encourage the removal of said evil. All throughout the song, he uses the term “brother,” meaning that he sees whites and blacks as the same - all a part of the same family. He indicates this by noting that both blacks and whites are “smokin’ crack tonight,” where he is essentially saying that we aren’t that different. The premises of Tupac's message is that changes in how blacks and whites interact need to be made, as we are all human, all brothers (or sisters).

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The Rose That Grew From Concrete- Sammy 

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The Rose That Grew From Concrete- Sammy 

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At first when I listened to Nikki Giovanni’s interpretation of A Rose That Grew From The Concrete, I was confused. I didn’t understand what Tupac was referring to. He talked about a rose the whole song growing from the concrete. The concrete is an abnormal for a flower to grow, hence that is why I believe he chose it. I believe that the concrete is white people and the rose is referring to African Americans. My other theory is that the concrete is the world and the rose is the people in it. When it says “Well, we are the rose-this is the concrete-and these are/ my damaged petals” you can tell that he is differentiating the two, the rose from the concrete. Nikki Giovanni’s interpretation of Tupac’s writing was, in my opinion, quite negative. She only used the negative lines from his original poem. An example of the negative use is “When no one even cared”. I think she did this intentionally to give the song more meaning.

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“Beyond your curriculum, beyond your standards. I stand here, a manefestation of love and pain, With Veins pumping revolution.” In the poem lift off it is evident that the language  reveals that the author is an educated man. This is shown through how poetic and advanced his choice of words and language are. However, the language and tests show that the author has some opposing arguments about the Education system in the United States, Especially after recently graduating from Harvard with a degree in education. He states that people believe that education is what will make the "black" and “whites” in America equal, but  what people fail to understand is that the education system is set up for only the white people to succeed and live “the american dream”. And that todays education will ultimately result in the loss of individuality. Since the Author of this is from an African American/ Black background  and has a degree in education which makes him one of the only people to have these specific kinds of life experiences to feel the way he does about the education system.

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Tupac Shakur, in his song “Changes”, gives a peek into his personal life and into his cultural context. In this song, Tupac presents a strong perspective of the relationship between “blacks” and “whites” in the U.S. He points out, as emphasis of his point that the african-american population is still considered somewhat lesser than the white population, that the people in the U.S. “ain’t ready, to see a black President”. Tupac continues to shape his cultural context when referring to the unfortunate reality of a poor, drug infested, crime ridden atmosphere. For example, in this line money seems of greater necessity than the life of a child and the morality in selling drugs to one: “Sellin’ crack to the kid. “ I gotta get paid,” ” Tupac reveals his own role in this culture as a peace seeker through lines of this sort: “Learn to see me as a brother instead of / two distant strangers”. Through this theme and the general content of Tupac’s work, as well as his perspective on the outside world, he reveals much of his cultural context and who he is as a member of that culture.

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In the Hip Hop Song Changes, by 2 Pac gives an inside view of the world black people live in. 2 Pac talks in rhythm and slang. The author himself (2 Pac) is black and feels the pressures of society due to the colour of his skin. He also feels that black people aren't treated fairly and that black people aren't equals to white people. This song suggests that 2 Pac was once in the situation that present day African Americans face. But 2 Pac continued to struggle against racism and discrimination. He strives for passive resistance and feels not only white people are at fault in this society. "Cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight". His lyrics are the mirror of his reality and he speaks his mind through his rap.

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The song Changes by Tupac illustrates the difficulties of being and African-American during the 90’s. How they had to deal with drugs, crime, biased law and more. Tupac shows us through his song that he wants change. A change against the oppression of blacks. However, it’s not only the people who oppress the black who have to change, it’s the black people themselves.

“Cause both black and white is smokin’ / crack tonight”

Throughout the song Tupac uses common African American slang such as “nigga”, “dope”, “crack”, “brother” and more. His use of this language reveals his identity as an African-American who has struggled while growing up and what he had to do to survive. Showing us how his choice of words shapes his identity. Not only his diction but his way of showing visual imagery of his childhood and his experiences let us further understand his past and understand him better. Letting us create a better and deeper identity of him and his “brothers”.

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The Rose That Grew From Concrete- Jenny 

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The Rose That Grew From Concrete- Jenny 

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Some Textual examples are "Damn! A rose that grew from the concrete?!" this is a metaphor to Tupac Shakur because he represents the rose. The poem also has some onomatopoeia example, FRESH and Damn which really makes the the word stand out. The language that Tupac really refelcts on his personailty because he uses alot of slang "why'knowhahatImean" is one example. Not only is the language Tupac uses slang but also in Nikki Giovannis part she puts in un finsht words like, keepin and

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"At the core, none of us were meant to be common.
We were born to be comets" / "A crater is a reminder that something amazing happened here — An indelible impact that shook up the world."

Lift off, by Harvard graduate Donovan Livingston, is a moving spoken word poem that involves many literary terms including metaphors, visual imagery,  and strong references referring to inequalities and ones identity, particularly students. In the text above, Livingston is referring to a metaphor which connects to the uniqueness of a person. By comparing a comet to a person he is indicating that both were meant to have their own path and not be "an enslavement to your standardized assessments."
Just like the comet, Livingston refers to human success as a crater that impacted foreign land. The comet and the crater both found their place in space in different ways while the human education systems are all the same.
As a result to the learning situation,  Livingston talks about how people believe bringing education to everyone will solve the gap between good life and bad, however, he explains its just another problem in our society. Students in particular cant find their identities because of how minimal choice their is when it comes to learning. By writing and speaking the poem at his Harvard graduation, it shows that he would personally know the troubles his students have of finding themselves on this planet.

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In the song Changes, Tupac encourages the American people to stop the discrimination and separation of blacks. However, as the song continues, we get a clearer message that Tupac is really losing hope in Americans and is growing increasingly frustrated.
He shows this right at the start where he made it clear he was contemplating suicide
"Is life worth living should I blast myself?". He would then say the reason for that thought is because he doesn't "see no changes." This change he is calling for is black equality and instead of progress being made in the country, "all [he] is see[ing] is racist faces". Here, Tupac reiterates the fact that there is no change being made to end the discrimination and instead, the situation is getting worse.
Further, this suggests that Tupac might have come from a less privileged background since the audience can almost tell that he is speaking from his experiences. He also uses colloquial and slang language throughout the whole song, further emphasizing his struggles during early life.

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"At the core, none of us were meant to be common. / We were born to be comets, / Darting across space and time– / leaving our mark as we crash into everything"

The extended metaphor of the celestial bodies in Donovan Livingston's spoken word poem "Lift Off" integrates various aspects of language and context to reveal his views on identity, especially of students. In the quote above, Livingston expresses the individuality that is present in everyone, yet is hindered by society's norms - explicitly, the modern education system. Humans, considered one of the most intellectual creatures yet to live on Earth, were not meant to be standardised, nor meant to be part of some homogeneous collection. The same applies to students. One of Donovan's main messages was that students have something to say, that they have an identity.

Furthermore, Donovan challenges a common phrase "Sky's the limit" by saying that sky is not the limit. In fact, the sky is "just the beginning". This adds onto his argument that students should not be just "An enslavement to [the modern education system's] standardised assessments".

Overall, Donovan's expressive language communicates that identity is not something to be rewarded, but something to build yourself.

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Changes by Tupac is a song that insinuates the dark lifestyle that African Americans must face in a rising America, as Police Brutality and Racial Profiling is heavy prevalent as they are targeted as the minority. The language in the piece show his "ghetto" life which he was raised in as "I'm tired of being poor and even worse I'm black" really shows the stereotypes that actually exist with many individuals having to "look for a purse to snatch" or selling crack to kids. The in your face description of the injustice they face is through the lines of "Cops give a damn about a negro" and "Pull the trigger to kill a nigga he's a hero". Showing the possible attitude that local law enforcement show towards the black community. Where the language is apparent to provide a negative connotation as the only types "negro and nigga" are really used when to describe an action the police take towards the blacks. From the context of the song we can assume there is a message asking for change, implying that the "white" and "black" races should end their perilous conflicts to unite. As later implied by Tupac, it isn't only the "White's" fault for conflict and problems but his own community as well showing a grey line between both communities. Starting off with "I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere unless we share with each other / We gotta make changes" Showing his attitude not being positive towards his own community as well as faults are easily apparent with many individuals taking unity to much disparage. As "Try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game" implying that unity is ruined by the values and wants of some acquisitive individuals. Showing what little value unity would mean if not all are aboard. Finally finishing his opinion and ideals with the chorus of "That's just the way it is / Things will never be the same / That's just the way it is" giving the initial facade that the chorus merely suggests of Tupac's broad disappointment of his surrounding environment yet, from what was learned this chorus itself was taken from "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby and the Range which critically portrayed the American Civil Rights Acts of 1984 giving the implications of Tupac being disappointed to the fact that after all these years of progression and revolution people are still willing to take a step back while others are taking two steps forward. As he sees "still no changes". Where this song represents the concerns of African-American Injustice while also showing the responsibility of both White's and Black's.

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The language used in this text ties to the author's background as well as his identity. Tupac, being an African American that grew up in a thug-like environment, illustrates how his culture influences his expression of music and spoken language. Slang is often used in this piece: "Crack, dope, pimp" etc. The usage of this language reveals Tupac's lifestyle and the things that were prevalent in his life. The culture and context shapes the way he (Tupac) speaks and sings. Words like "crack" and "dope", that which are cacophonous, are used several times in "changes". The common theme in this text is the difficulties of being a black man and how he feels like he is predisposed to walking down a certain path. He talks about how it all begins with poverty and harsh/difficult living conditions that guide young African Americans down the path of crime and drugs.

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In Changes, Tupac illustrates the common struggles and stereotypes that black people faced at the time. Furthermore, the language he used characterises his identity and culture. The words "dope", "crack", "negro" represents the society and culture which he grew up in, where many people were uneducated and drug addicts. Hence, his identity is shaped by that particular culture which he grew up in shown clearly in the language he uses to write this song. He portrays himself as a black male facing the challenges of discrimination and the sad and hopeless nature of his community; people don't have a choice but to sell crack for a living, fight against one another instead of helping the each other to change their society. This sense of hopelessness is enhanced by the repetition of the word "change"

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Changes by Tupac Shakur is a song written about the effects of racial prejudice in the United States, and the hesitation for the white community to make a change. The song also explains that setback the black community faces due to their inevitable fate of following the patterns of crime, drugs and violence within the black community; and their resentment to work together in order to fight the discrimination they face. Tupac starts of the song by saying that he “sees no changes”. This overall theme of the lack of changes is repeated throughout the song, especially through the chorus sung by Talent. The use of the word changes, both in the title and throughout the text lets us know that Tupac was not using the song as a way to inform people of racial prejudice, yet rather to comment on the apathy people have towards the problem. The language used throughout the poem gives context to the author’s identity. By using race sensitive words like Ni*** or Ne***, it is clear that the author must be from the black community, especially if it were to be published an made a hit. Tupac also uses words such as "dope" and abreviations for words ending with in' such as "lookin'" in his song, which possibly conveys his identity, as that is common dialect in the black community. Furthermore, Tupac uses the words I, my and me an abundance of times, to show his relationship to the black community, and to set himself inside the problem. For example, when Tupac says “My mama didn’t raise no fool, and as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped”, Tupac is saying that he too has felt the struggles of being part of the black community in the United States. What sets Tupac aside from other rappers who talk about racial discrimination is the commentary he uses. Rather then exclusively setting the blame of racial discrimination on communities outside of the black community, Tupac argues that it is partially the black communities fault for their everlasting cycle of crime. While he does say use the quote "My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch" due to the fact that "Cops give a damn about a negro" as a possible justification for the reason many people within the black community are associated with crime, Tupac does claim that if the black community would stop seeing themselves as individual entities and work together, they could get some changes; "Learn to see me as a brother 'stead of 2 distant strangers".

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In the Song Changes by Tupac, Tupac attempts to convey a message to his audience that racism should be stopped in order to resolve the issue of racism in America which was prominent at the time. Although Tupac seemingly wrote this song in order to fight back against racism, the audience can see the frustration and desperation that Tupac feels towards racists. This can be seen multiple times throughout the song. The phrase "I see no changes. All I see is racist faces" shows how no matter what efforts the black community who Tupac represents in this song takes, there are no changes and the racism continues and shows little or no progress in stopping. The severity of the issue of racism is conveyed when Tupac states "I'm tired of being poor and even worse, I'm Black". This statement by Tupac shows that being black in that time period was worse than being poor as the fact that one is poor can be changed, but the fact that one is black cannot be changed. This shows the severity of racism. Although Tupac wrote this song to combat against racism, the fact that he uses certain words and phrases such as "i see no changes" and "... even worse, im black" shows that deep down, Tupac feels that the situation may be hopeless.

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Quote: "Pull the trigger kill a n**** he's a hero"
In 2pac's song "Changes", 2Pac shows his identity as an African American in America through themes, language, and context. Common usage of the n-word shows background/identification in/with the black community. Other language features such as slang ("dope", a "G"), which originated in the black community, words with "-in'" suffixes, and "ain't" are all indicative of an African American "dialect".

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The essay was written in the civil right era when schools were being integrated. The essay is about the author hearing a white kid say the N word for the first time. Even though she heard the word in my other places not just in school but at her family as well, she still do not know what the word really means. The war dis a disrespectful term but now use in a common to signify a person. The N word is what african american call themselves to be but it originate from white american meaning worthless. The word shows a huge discrimination against the african american. The word is use normally throughout the african-american community; however, they found it offensive
when a white american call them  a "nigger". To conclude, the word is being influenced by the context of the society. In this case, this word came from the anti-african american by white people where afterward, the african american start using the word to call among themselves.

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"I've been a Black hole in the classroom for far too long; Absorbing everything, without allowing my light escape." –Donovan Livingston
The spoken word poem 'Lift Off' by Donovan Livingston has strong metaphors linked by the ideas of education and segregation with hints of personal anecdotes and literary references. Firstly, a consistent metaphor throughout the piece compared stars to goals and achievements, thus the title 'Lift Off' as inspiration for students to begin their journey to strive and achieve. Secondly, to relate to students, Livingston uses personal anecdotes about himself in 7th grade and being in a classroom. He refers to himself as a 'Black hole', which has a negative connotation alongside the mention of his race. Thirdly, in regards to the racial context of this poem and Livingston's past, he reiterates the idea of dreams, which is a significant theme in African American history, in popular poems such as 'Dream Deferred' and 'Strange Fruit'. Finally, Livingston also uses the rule of three multiple times, like when he states "Disruptive. Talkative. A Distraction." to be convincing and impactful to his audience. Overall, the poem has definitely achieved a place in the stars as a very strong poem that links ideas of education and segregation, which are significantly different, together.

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"I’ve been a Black hole in the classroom for far too long;
Absorbing everything, without allowing my light escape.
But those days are done. I belong among the stars.
And so do you. And so do they.
Together, we can inspire galaxies of greatness...
No, sky is not the limit. It is only the beginning."
Donovan Livingston indicated to many thing in his Spoken Poetry,

(reflection on the textual example/comment on how language&context reveals Identity)

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In his song Changes, Tupac urges Americans to start making changes in order to resolve the issues prevailing in America. Superficially, it may seem like Tupac believes that America is capable of accomplishing this. However, throughout the lyrics, the audience can sense his frustration towards Americans, suggesting the impossibility of changing the world into a "perfect" place where no discrimination, poverty, and war exist.
Tupac's frustration appears immediately as the song starts. The second line reads "I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself". Although he wants people to make changes, people are failing to make progression. This is why Tupac "[sees] no changes". The same line appears at the beginning of the second verse, "I see no changes all I see is racist faces".  Tupac reiterates his frustration, thus placing an emphasis on the situation where the society is overlooking the problems and not tackling them properly.
Moreover, there are lines in the song where the audience is forced to doubt Tupac's belief in America. The most obvious line is "some things will never change", which appears multiple times in the song. This may suggest that deep down, Tupac thinks that improving the situation is quixotic, and that it will never actually happen.

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"I see no changes all I see is racist faces misplaced hate makes disgrace to races" 2Pacs choice of words shows his attitude towards the racist thought of whites towards the black. He uses phrases like "We gotta start makin' changes", that inspire people to stand up to the situation. Hardships the black faces are conveyed through out his song by words such as "negro" or "wasted". He uses the word "change" multiple times through out the song, to emphasise his desire of change on the perspective towards the blacks that are even now full of racism. 2Pac lament about the difficult conditions the poor blacks has to face, which he describes with modern slangs through out the song. He utilizes language using irony, metaphor and more figurative devices. When he mentions the cops, he sarcastically describe them that they think killing a black isn't a big deal. Spontaneously describing the racist reality he sees in life, 2Pac inspires people to stand up against it.

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"As long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped And I never get to lay back". "Changes" written by Tupac Shakur reveals his life as an African American in 1980s when racism was active in the United States. Tupac uses the word "change" repeatedly throughout the song, and the meaning of "change" alternates its shape as we read on. For example, he starts the song with the line " I see no changes wake up in the morning", from this line we can assume that Tupac is representing the voice of African-American at the time, and every morning they wake up hoping that the world would have changed into a better place. Moreover, the word "change" in this line can mean hopeless which is ironic, since they've all been waiting for changes which does not happen. It illustrates the harsh lives of African-Americans.

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The message of 2pac's poem demonstrates 2pac's life struggles. It illustrates the bad living conditions he was raised and the effort and miracle of how he overcame these conditions. "Well, we are the roses - this is the concrete - and these are My damaged petals. Don't ask me why, thank God nigga, ask me how!" In this last phrase 2pac refers to the roses as the black people and by using 'we' 2pac shows to the audience a sign of unity among his race, African American. Furthermore 'concrete' symbolises the African american's harsh living condition back in 1960's 70's, when this poem was written. Next the damaged petals symbolises the hardship and pain the blacks suffered in order to succeed in a dominant white society. He then asked the audience to not question why he succeeded but how he succeeded. This conveys to the audience that 2pac wants them to realize not the reason of his success but rather the journey he took to achieve his success. He also uses the term 'nigga'. This word clearly shows 2pac's identity because the usage of this word is most commonly found among one African American communicating to another. In summary by using symbolism and diction 2pac clearly expresses his true identity.

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"I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself is life worth living should I blast myself?" This anaphora used here is meant to emphasise on the fact that he wants to see and make a change. It also illustrates feelings of futility and exhaustion. The whole purpose of the songs is to convey a message about racism, equality, peace and unity. "My stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch" showed how many African Americans lived in poverty and had to starve often, resulting in them being desperate enough to become thieves. Tupac uses a few literary devices to make a point. "How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?" This line is a metaphor for death and also a religious allusion, where he now thinks of God as a devil because of the suffering that he has been through. "It's war on the streets and war in the Middle East - Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs". This line is referring to the government tackling drug problems instead of poverty just because African Americans are involved with these drug issues. It can also be a reference to when he was arrested in 1993 for drug use. "And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped" shows that black people do not get as much freedom and opportunities as white people. "That's just the way it is" displays his feelings of hopelessness and how that is his reality. The language of the song reveals that he had grown up in a harsh environment just because he was African American. It also reveals that he had gone through many things that shaped his thinking and how his observation of the way other people treat African Americans made him want to inspire his own people to stand up and fight for themselves. In this context, only fellow African Americans would truly understand the meaning behind his lyrics just because they had probably gone through the same thing and had been treated the same way. So basically, this song is about a fight against racism and the need to change the views of society.

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The rose that grew from the concrete  (2pac) - New

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The rose that grew from the concrete  (2pac) - New

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This text talks about how you can achieve your dreams even in the most unlikely environments. 2pac uses the extended metaphor of the rose (representing himself) and the concrete (the environment that surrounds him/ social norms) to convey his struggle and journey to success, and a life out of the gutter. The concrete represents the society he lives in, and also the place he grew up in. The textual context also tells the reader that during the 1960's black people weren't allowed to dream or allowed to chase their dreams as they 'didn't have the right'. An example of these social norms is in the first verse
Q: "Damn! He grew out of that? He came out of that?"
the tone of this indicates  society's reaction to his success. This shows how 2pac's success is counter culture to the people's beliefs. It also shows his identity as a fighter and a person who never gives up to chase his dreams. The next line is a personification of the rose
Q: "it learned to walk without having feet"
Nikki Govanni's verse gets repeated throughout the song as if it were a praise for 2pac and what he has done. Later on it almost becomes a chant and it gains more power the more times it's repeated. In the last verse of the song 2pac wants to inspire other people, he wants them to ask how he did it rather than why. He reveals his message at the very last line:
Q: "Don't ask my why, thank God nigga, ask me how!" and by using the word "nigga" it directs this message at black people like a wake up call or to shake sense into them to achieve their dreams. This powerful song is not only one to listen to, but the hidden message in it conveys 2pac's hopes of other people, like him, who are still in the concrete. He wants to inspire and encourage them to grow out of it like he did, despite society's norms during that time.

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The song "Changes" by 2Pac illustrates the struggles—the result of strong racial prejudice against blacks throughout the 20th century—African-Americans experienced on a daily basis. 2Pac's attitude toward this conflict was widely portrayed through his utilization of social satire.

"I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black"

This quote exemplifies the society's irrational way of thinking during that period, deeming that being black, something beyond a person's control, is worse than being poor, an economic status that heavily affects an individual's welfare.

However, on the other hand, 2Pac also weaved the theme change into this piece. This reveals some of his values and identity. In a hypothetical tone, he said:

It's time for us as a people to start making'
some changes...
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
What we gotta do, to survive.

This part of the song hints the audience 2Pac's optimism for a better future. Despite the harshness of the society then, he was still somewhat able to maintain his optimistic thoughts in changing the society.

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"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way sellin' crack to the kid."

This line is very powerful in Changes, a song written by Tupac. The song discusses about the hardships that poor African Americans had to live through at the time including some biased police, drugs, crime, and affording to live in their homes. Tupac grew up in this community and has seen everything he writes about in this song.
Going back to the line shown above, it shows that he had to do whatever he could to get money regardless on how wrong it is. In fact they are willing to make money so fast that they sell it to kids. But then again as Tupac puts it,

"Give the crack to the kids who the hell care"

They have to many problems to worry about that.

Tupac writes this to show his main in that they have to change their ways to continue and "survive". He later has a whole verse dedicated to saying that we have to change our way life if we are to change the poverty that causes this crime. But when he says this he says "we". Not the poor, police, nor the wealthy. He shows that we have to come together if we are to fix the dope and the gun violence in the streets.

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'Learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers'
I feel that this is important given the context of the death of Tupac. He was a victim of gang violence . His word here are extremely ironic as he attempted to be a uniting force, an advocate for the black community but eventually he became a victim of the division that he was trying to end. He wanted the community to fight bigger issues such as police brutality and racism which feature heavily in this song. As a result through the use of slang and personal experiences in his song 2pac tried to bring the community together to stand up for their rights and hold their ground but he became a victim of the violence that he was trying to end.

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"Education is no equalizer - Rather, it is the sleep that precedes the American Dream. So wake up - wake up! Lift your voices until you've patched every hole in a child's broken sky. " Donovan Livingston's spoken-word poetry reveals about the complexity between his identity and education. In certain parts of his speech he speaks for his ancestors, describing how limited the accessibility to education was because of the severe social hierarchy and discrimination. He believes that education is not a great "equalizer", contradicting Horace Man, but says that education can lead to change as it is up to one to move forward and act upon the change by oneself.

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Donovan Livingston's Lift Off talks about the ideas of discrimination and education throughout the poem. "I couldn't read - couldn't write. Any attempt to do so, punishable by death." This line is significant because it reveals how people faces problems about the rights to education. Livingston's background of being an African American Harvard graduate from school of education reflects on his values about education. This poem reflects on his identity because it shows his values of education and how he promotes it. "So wake up - wake up!" shows how he is advocating people to help people who are discriminated and give them rights to education.

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"At the core, none of us were meant to be common.
We were born to be comets, Darting across space and time ---
Leaving our mark as we crash into everything.
A crater is a reminder that something amazing happened here ---
An indelible impact that shook up the world.
Are we not astronomers --- looking for the next shooting star?"
Throughout the poem, Donovan Livingston, talks about his point of view about education for people living in different generations/time in the world. He speaks about his complexity of being an African American, even mentioning that "An attempt to do" reading and writing, would be "punishable by death.", clearly showing the discrimination of race during that time. Although Livingston lives in a society today, where discrimination of race has lessened, he calls himself a "DREAM Act, Dream Deferred incarnate". The DREAM Act is a proposal for immigrants to have residency and Dream Deferred is a poem written by Langston Hughes speaking about dreams getting destroyed due to the identity of an African American. By calling himself an incarnate of the two allusions, not only reveals that he's an African American, but he's an educated African American and he's one passionate man when addressing the topic of discrimination, similar to the figures mentioned above. Throughout his spoken word poetry, Livingston mentions the idea of how "Education is no equalizer", when it's only a key and we can "change the locks". Personally, this means that knowledge and what we learn is standard/unchangeable, it's how we interpret what we learn. He tells the audience be courageous and "Lift [their] voices", because anyways by "Leaving [a] mark", it's "a reminder that something amazing happened here", "An indelible impact that shook up the world." All in all, Livingston conveys and showcases his identity by speaking about himself, his personality, and by voicing his opinion on education and discrimination, as if he has been through all the different places in time and space.

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"Learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers." By using this line in the rap, 2pac indicates that even though black people were inferior to society during 1988, the lack of unity that blacks demonstrated between themselves by commencing gang violence, and street shooting, also worsened their status in society and gave white people an excuse to constantly stereotype black people. In this rap 2pac indicates that there has to be a change within his own race in order to transform the racist mindset that society created, and that change needs to happen by visualising black people's flaws primarily instead of blaming society for for problems blacks face. Furthermore, he uses the line  "We ain't ready, to see a black president," this further demonstrates that black people are not unite as race, and therefore, a black president would be disastrous outcome to represent the country. If the blacks cannot unite within themselves then a black leader cannot represent society.

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"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way. Selling crack to the kid. "I gotta get paid," Well hey, well thats the way it is. This line shows how African Americans had barely any education forcing them to make money the wrong way for survival. 2pac uses this line to connect to people who have suffered similar issues causing him to become so famous due to the lyrics with such great meaning. He also shows how hard the struggles of an African American person could be back when this song was being created but even now 30 years later its very relatable and a common issue especially in the U.S. 2pac's usage of slang in this piece definitely connects with his society he was in and ultimately has a greater emotional effect on the readers.

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Lift off, is about racial inequalities in the educational system. Livingston opened with Mann's quote, which is more than 200 years old, that called education as "a great equalizer." During that time there were inequalities in the society  that non-white people could not learn. In many contexts Livingston mentioned about the discrimination for example the way Livingston talked about "classroom and plantation" is time, the privileges were be able to learn in the classroom, but for the slaves their times were spent on works and made quotas. He also showed show his background of being black in a white institution, "Diversity.. There are days I feel like one, like only- A lonely." However, he called himself as a "strange fruit", "a movement", his "vein pumping revolution" and he "cannot be contained", all of those things that he mentioned were showing his passions; he wanted to change the inequality in educational system.

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"Changes" is a powerful piece written by Tupac that talks about the racism and the hardship that the black people had to go through in the 1900s. The language that was used by Tupac shows his culture and background.

"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way. Sellin' crack to the kid. "I gotta get paid." This line is significant as it shows the two ways readers can perceive the message as. The first being how because of the discrimination, the black people were forced them into a situation where they had to sell drugs in order to survive. The second message that this message can be perceived as is how it's also the black people's fault for being accused of what they did."I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black." This line is an example from the song that shows how the society discriminated against black people, and the hardship that they had gone through. The language that Tupac uses, such as "dope" and "nigga", shows his thug side. But at the same time, we can also see that he cares for companions, which can be seen through the line, "... let's change the way we treat each other". This shows that Tupac wants the society to start treating each other as equal and to see one an another "as a brother instead of two distant strangers".

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In this song, Tupac shows how the struggles of being an African American can be. The discrimination from the white society has made his life a struggle. He uses words such as "Dope" "Nigga" to show people where he is from and that he was not brought up very well. He grew up in a African american community which ment back then that he was poor. He says he is "Tired of being poor" which shows that he wants change in his life. I believe that the language used in this song shows his background and he is trying to tell his fellow "black" community that they need "Changes" because he does not feel safe. He says "What do we gotta do to survive." This shows that he is scared. He also blames the whites for not caring about them. He says that they care more about the war on drugs than the war on poverty. This shows that he wants the white community to help him, not to abuse and disgrace him like the police are doing.

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"I'd love to go back to when we played as kids."
This line is significant because it represents a sense of innocence and how black children are somewhat 'protected' from the pressure of being a minority in this world. It is also important as we can see that it seems like 2pac saw the world as a much better place when he was younger, as he had been not effected by the brutality and unjust treatment of blacks then. The language gives us a vision of his life in a community that heavily oppresses blacks and clearly indicates 2pac's identity as a black person begging for a change in the society.

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Slang is used to give a glimpse at the hardship and everyday struggles most black people are forced to endure throughout their entire life. For example, "sellin' crack to the kids" is used to empower the experiences and harsh reality through stereotypical black slang, as it is able to enhance the emotional tone and effect on the reader. It enables the audience to engage in the text and feel intact with black culture. Around 1998, the derogatory term "nigga" was heavily controversial and contributed to the constant separation between whites and blacks. Despite the term also acting as a symbol of unification between blacks, it acts as a strong racial isolation. Considering one of 2Pac's initiatives and goals was to unify the human race, the word "nigga" was used ironically to shame distancing one another because of a cruel past. "Cops give a damn about a negro." He also reveals how they are perceived as being inferior. Blacks are placed into a vicious cycle of poverty, crime and drugs. The background and culture of 2Pac shapes the theme and meaning of the song drastically, giving precise interpretations based on the context of the song.

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Om
"Cops give a damn about a negro/ Pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero"
This is a very powerful line because it touches on the social issues that that this song is about. He use the old word "negro" to describe a black person because that was how white people described black people when slavery still existed. He is trying to say that even though slavery has been abolished, white people still see black people as inferior and as a result, black people are still being discriminated due to their race. He then uses the word "nigga", a modern slang that african-americans of use when talking to each other, meaning dude and to an extent, brother. 2pac wants to change the social conditions for black people in America and by using the word "nigga", he is trying to tell his audience that it is time for whites and blacks to set their differences aside and essentially be like brothers and not two different races.

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Will Lewis

The timeline and relevancy of the song spans several decades. Considering that this was released after his death , 2pac must have made this song back in the early 90s and then it was released in the 2000s. We are listening to it today and we can still see the issues he references in the song, such as racism and the poverty cycle.

"The penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks" alludes to racist issues with the US Justice System, but can also be extended to reference the amount of criminals in the US. The US Justice System hasn't seen many changes over the years, unlike other developed nations. The line which follows this one is "But some things never change" and I believe this is not a direct reference to the seemingly antiquated system, but a statement about how problems in the US haven't been solved since MLK Jr.'s era, they have just evolved. The language 2pac uses isn't unsophisticated, and his grammar isn't perfect, but it is the general directness of his words, and his vocabulary isn't filled with complex words either. He is coming from a place where it is likely you don't finish your highschool education, and his language reflects that.

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Tip Akkarat

In this song, Tupac is trying to express his opinion as a black person in a 'racist' society, where there's inequality between the two races; black and white. For example, "Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races". In this example, Tupac is trying to explain that instead of hating on bad things that in the world such as poverty, the society "misplaced" the hate and placed the hate on the blacks. The author's diction suggests that the society is confused and wrong because in order to "misplace" something, there has to be either a misunderstanding or confusion. Therefore, Tupac is suggesting that the blacks have a bad reputation among the society, which was all arose from a misunderstanding or a confusion.

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The language used by Tupac in his song "Changes" helps to inadvertently show the struggles and discrimination faced by black Americans during the production of his song. One line that alludes to the unfair treatment brought upon by society is the verse, "The penitentiary is packed and it's filled with blacks." This verse combined with the ideals found in a previous rhyme "Cops give a damn about a negro, Pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero" indicates the racist beliefs Tupac believes he has endured due to the color of his skin. Tupac had a strong belief that the Justice system was corrupt as it had strong bias against the African Americans seeing them as bad people who should be locked up. With a this biased system in place Tupac noticed a large majority of his "brothers" locked up. This slang seen normal in his everyday life was not accepted by most of society. The slang although used in everyday conversation, is one way that the differences in society were eluded to. Although it is seen as weird to use slang, it is part of Tupac's culture which helps to put this poetic song in context as it shows that Tupac is able to understand the opinion of the struggling African Americans because he is one of them and is part of their culture. Overall, Tupac through his slang as well as his opinion is able to help show the racist ideals shown toward blacks during the time he wrote his song.

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Tupac's Changes talks about social and economic difficulties of the black minority during the 90s. In the lines "Cops give a damn about a negro / Pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero", Tupac expands on the issue of police brutality towards blacks, and how the public viewed blacks so lowly to the point where if the police killed a black man, the police would be considered a hero. He used terms such as "negro" and "nigga" which emphasises how many thought of African Americans as degrading. He further reveals this issue when he makes an allusion to how Huey P. Newton was shot dead. As the founder of Black Panther Party, a revolutionary black nationalist and socialist organisation, he led his followers to challenge police brutality. However, he was viewed as a criminal rather than a hero.

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Darwin Lee

" Cops give a damn about negro, pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero . Give crack to the kids who the hell cares." This line references to the war on drug, equality and the treatment of black people by the police. As this song was written in the early 90's , racism was a huge problem at that point. From the line " pull a trigger kill a nigga he's a hero " shows that when police shoots a black person , he is regarded as a hero and the police did not have any respect or felt that the African Americans were of a lower social status as compared to them. " Give crack to the kids who the hell cares" shows that during the time when this song was composed by 2pac , there was a war on drugs as children were being exposed to the environment filled with drugs it is difficult to educate the children about what is right and wrong to do. 2pac is a strong believer that the war between whites and blacks should be stopped , such that everyone should have the same social status . 2pac uses informal language such as " nigga" which is a word used to describe a black person , he uses this word to emphasise on the blacks in the society. 2pac uses slang in his song such as " crack" which is commonly known as drugs in the states . Tupac tries to tell the people to come together and make " Changes " to society.

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"I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black" In this line it reveals that the author is a black person who is dealing with poverty. That isn't even the worse thing about the author but he is black. 2pac believes that because of being black, black people are being discriminated by white people and it makes their lives so much harder. He believes that they have less rights than the average white person so they are being treated poorly. This can be seen when he says "I'm tired of bein' poor" It sounds like he is begging for money and that he needs a job so he can have a stable life. Because 2pac has experienced this life he was able to use languages that send a strong message out to the audience about what he feels about black discrimination.