The Angle Has Fallen: Legacy of a Thug - Essay Example

The Angle has Fallen: Legacy of a Thug The life of Tupac Shakur was an integrated mix of contradiction and conformity. His life was his art and was a reflection of the world he lived in and the society that shaped it. In his song "Can't C Me", 2Pac tells of the pressure of the streets that he came to live in, "and I ain't stoppin', till i'm well paid, bails paid, now nigga, look what hell made, visions of cops and sirens, niggas open fire, buncha Thug Life niggas on tha rise, until I die". These words sum up the socialization of violence that 2Pac had been subjected to. It was the expression of the masculinity that he had been taught by mainstream media and misguided authority. 2Pac's life is best known for his connection with 'Gangsta Rap'. This art form glorified violence, misogyny, and brutality to foes and hos. To the mainstream media, Gangsta Rap is readily exploited for its commercial value as entertainment or news, but continues to be misused to demonize black males by the patriarchal norms of the culture in which it exists (hooks 1994). Black males have taken Gangsta Rap as a necessary means of male expression. However, hooks contends, "Without a doubt black males, young and old, must be held politically accountable for their sexism" because they are being "... forced to take the "heat" for encouraging, via their music, the hatred of and violence against women that is a central core of patriarchy". Gangsta Rap lives up to the expectations of the norm. 2Pacs love of Gangsta Rap did not spontaneously appear. It was the culmination of his childhood and the experiences he endured as a young man that had been bludgeoned by life as an adult. He was born into a black revolutionary family as the son of two members of the Black Panthers. His parents were never together after 2Pac was born and he lived with his mother and sister for all of his childhood. Their influence can be seen in one of 2Pac's earlier songs called "Brenda's Got a Baby". 2Pac writes, "Well let me show ya how it affects tha whole community. Now Brenda never really knew her moms and her dad was a junky, Went in debt to his arms, it's sad, Cause I bet Brenda doesn't even know, Just cause your in tha ghetto doesn't mean ya can't grow, But oh, that's a thought, my own revelation, Do whatever it takes ta resist tha temptation". 2Pac had not yet succumb to the black male stereotype and the song shines through with non-condescending sympathy and reason. 2Pac's childhood was based in poverty, yet he was drawn to books and read at length on sociological theory. He was able to gain acceptance to the Baltimore School of Arts. He did well in this environment where he developed his rap music and acting. Before he could complete his studies, his family moved and he was forced to drop out. This unfortunate move took a young man that was serious about his art and at the age of 17 threw him into the streets of Marin City, CA. He soon hooked up with the Digital Underground and appeared on two of their albums. His mentors were people like Shock-G, Ernest Dickerson, and director John Singleton. During the period of 1991 - 1993 he released two albums and appeared in 3 movies. By all appearances 2Pac was a successful artist, educated, and had escaped the streets and the mold of the patriarchal norm. However, something was changing and it was reflected in his altercations with law enforcement. He was arrested in 1992 for his involvement in a fight that resulted in the death of a six-year-old. In the summer of 1993 he assaulted director Allen Hughes and was sentenced to 15 days in jail. In October of 1993 he was arrested for shooting two off-duty police officers in Atlanta. The charges were later dropped. In November 1993 he was charged with sexually abusing a female fan. In 1994, he was found guilty of sexual assault. The day after the verdict was announced, he was attacked and shot while at a recording studio. Shakur was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison on February 7, 1995. After serving an 8-month sentence, 2Pac was released from prison and was subsequently murdered. The angle had fallen and become a thug. When he moved out of his mother's home in Marin City, "...he began selling drugs and establishing himself on the streets of his adopted town. "It was like a 'hood and I wanted to be a part of it. If I could just fit in here, I'm cool. And I thought I did" ("Tupac Shakur"). For 2Pac, the way to fit in was to become the extreme version of the black male stereotype portrayed by the mainstream media. To do that, it would take money. 2Pac had the knack for generating wealth. In an article titled "Challenging Capitalism & Patriarchy", writer bell hooks refers to this drive for wealth as a misplaced effort to describe the people in the ghetto and a way to escape it. She says,"...that becoming rich within this society--individual wealth--is somehow a way to redeem Black life". While it may be true that 2Pac's wealth and notoriety helped him escape the ghetto, his immersion into the expectations that others held for the black male could not escape him. In 2Pac's words from his song "I'm Gettin Money" he writes, "Rather die making money, than live poor and legal. As I slang another ounce I wish it was a kilo. I need money in a major way". Tupac Shakur was fulfilling his own prophecy. Tupac Shakur had grown up with a strong element of idealism that was gained from his mother. She had been a radical element in the black struggle for civil rights. His early music reflects these values. As he grew into manhood, he was expected to become a symbol of masculinity. This involved getting money, abusing women, and defying authority. In the end, he will be praised and condemned by both blacks and whites. When Michael Eric Dyson, Avalon Professor in the Humanities and African American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania was writing a book on Tupac his colleagues asked, "Why would you waste time and energy writing about this thug". He replied, "Tupac spoke to me with brilliance and insight as someone who bears witness to the pain of those who would never have his platform" (qtd. in Gewertz). Tupoc Shakur had left a lasting legacy as a 'Thug Angel' that will continue to spark debate about men, masculinity, race, and the future of the human condition. Works Cited "Brenda's Got a Baby." Lyrics Depot. 2007. 16 Mar. 2007 . "Can't C Me." 2Pac (Tupac Shakur) Lyrics. 16 Mar. 2007 . Gewertz, Ken. "Symposium Analyzes, Celebrates 'Thug'" Harvard Gazette 24 Apr. 2003. 16 Mar. 2007 hooks, bell. "Sexism and Misogyny: Who Takes the Rap" Z Magazine Feb. 1994. hooks, bell. "Challenging Capitalism & Patriarchy." Z Magazine Dec. 1995. 16 Mar. 2007 . "I'm Gettin Money." 2Pac (Tupac Shakur) Lyrics. 16 Mar. 2007 . "Tupac Shakur." Black Biography. 2007. Answers Corporation. 16 Mar. 2007 . Read More