Remembering Tupac who died 15 years ago today

[Julius Seeker]

Tupac Shakur is probably both one of the most mourned musicians of all time, and also the largest political voice in music since John Lennon. Coincidentally enough, John Lennon was a voice and an ally and financier of the very people who parented Tupac Shakur. "Power to the People" is a telling slogan, it was the slogan of the Black Panther Party, and also the title of a famous 1971 John Lennon song. The Black Panther's struggled for black equality in a society where equality wasn't given to the,. Tupac Shakur was nearly born in prison; his mother, Afeni Shakur, was a member of the Black Panther party, as was his father and his Godfather was a very high ranking member.

Tupac continued on carrying the same revolutionary intellectual voice John Lennon began - although in a much more realistic, and brutally honest fashion. Tupac rapped about issues suffered by black women, something very new to hip hop: rape and incest, drug addiction, prostitution, and even about how black males treated black females with disrespect. The most telling feminist songs by Tupac Shakur are Keep Ya Head Up, Part Time Mutha, Papa'z song, and Brenda's got a Baby; although it is all throughout his music - and no one is likely to forget his ode to his mother in "Dear Momma". He spoke real, and from the heart, and from his experience, and there has never been another one like him.


The drama of his life is still unfolding 15 years later.

Tupac Shakur, in 1994 was shot 5 times by a mysterious armed assailant who robbed him. The man came in July, a man came forward stating that James Rosemond had paid him 2500 for the hit. It was suspected by Tupac that Biggie Smalls and Puff Daddy knew about the hit; and Tupac also suspected that James Rosemond may have been behind it. The man allegedly holds a medallion that he acquired from Tupac in the robbery.

Tupac was slain in a very slick and almost mafia like fashion, and he died in hospital September 13th 1996. many suspect Suge Knight and the FBI to be involved.

It's hard to believe that it was 15 years ago now. I remember it so clearly... I'm starting to feel old. Rest in Peace Tupac.

[Flip]

A little off topic, but its interesting how the Black Panther Party seems to not be remembered for its violent nature as time goes by. I remember my sister doing the salute as a kid, not really knowing what she was doing as she was only like 12, and my grandmother flipped out and sat us all down for a lesson on how her and her friends walked the streets of Alexandria, VA in fear of Black Panther Party members. Of course, different factions do not speak for the whole group, but she told us about all sorts of horrible random violence the party memebrs would do to white people. I dont think of my grandmother as a racist, she just had unfortunate run ins with the BPP. Their views, while trying to achieve the same goal, were so very NOT Martin Luther King Jr.'ian. They basically created the whole stereotype of cops treating black people harsher during an arrest by being resistant and violent.

I'll probably always think of the BPP as a group of extreme'ists, almost as bad as the Tea Party or neo-nazi's. That famous 1968 Olympic picture is basically a symbol of hate.

[Shrinweck]

Because the cops were completely justified and were never responsible for people getting lynched while in their custody for merely looking at someone the wrong way? And this isn't just black people. The idea of self-defense was justified. Gunning people down and random violence not so much. Both sides fucked up.

What makes civil rights leaders and people like Tupac worth talking about (edit: in this context) is that they're often assassinated right before their message goes broader than skin color and the like.

You're also missing the point about the Olympic picture, it was about solidarity, not about the BPP. You may want to look it up. It's actually a pretty beautiful moment.

[Kupek]

They basically created the whole stereotype of cops treating black people harsher during an arrest by being resistant and violent.

Completely false. Police abuse of minorities in general, and blacks in particular, in the US predates the Black Panther Party. If you want an excellent history of the civil rights movement, read David Halberstam's The Children. Rather than a high-level view, it follows the students who participated in the first sit-ins. Something he makes clear is how much genuine and immediate danger they were in.

[Shrinweck]

"Negroes with Guns" by Robert F Williams also has some really interesting factual information on why arming yourself in those times was actually a pretty damn good idea. It talks about how arming yourself and defending yourself is a perfectly viable option rather than lying down and waiting for someone to kill you, even if it goes against what visionaries like MLK were saying at the same time.

[Flip]

They basically created the whole stereotype of cops treating black people harsher during an arrest by being resistant and violent.

Completely false. Police abuse of minorities in general, and blacks in particular, in the US predates the Black Panther Party. If you want an excellent history of the civil rights movement, read David Halberstam's The Children. Rather than a high-level view, it follows the students who participated in the first sit-ins. Something he makes clear is how much genuine and immediate danger they were in.

Sit-ins were not resistant AND violent (from the standpoint of the sit-ins). If you edited my quote by that last word, you might be right.

[Flip]

You're also missing the point about the Olympic picture, it was about solidarity, not about the BPP. You may want to look it up. It's actually a pretty beautiful moment.

You're right, I honestly think the athletes didnt know what they meant by doing that pose. Its intention, im sure, was harmless, but they seriously misconstrued what the BPP salute, and the BPP message for many years, meant to a lot of people. I have researched BPP a little and there is nothing really admirable.

[Shrinweck]

The Black Power salute doesn't simply equate to the Black Panthers. As a symbol, it's obviously been tarnished by violence. The BPP wasn't purely about violence and a lot of intelligent thought came out of it. Obviously the violence that came from it isn't part of that intelligent thought but condemning its entire history is irresponsible.

A response to an overly aggressive world isn't something that should be purely ignored as terrible.

Also, I argue that the athletes did know what they were doing. You can tell by the subsequent fallout and quotes. They were in the spotlight and challenged the status quo. The illusion of any hatred is in the eyes of the beholder. That isn't their fault.

[Flip]

Guh, i wish we had more black members of this board, lol. I would even go so far as to say equal rights activists of that time period (obviously mostly blacks but some whites) were against what the BPP stood for, as it hindered a lot of the real efforts.

[Eric]

I'm black, but even I'm not old enough to give insight into alot of that shit. :p

[Flip]

I'm black, but even I'm not old enough to give insight into alot of that shit. :p

I know you are! And i really wanted you to agree with me!!!.. way to ruin my day.

[Shrinweck]

I'm of Samoan and Caucasian (Jewish) parentage so I can't really speak much for a personal black experience either heh

I agree that a lot of the intellectuals were against what the BPP stood for since violence and crime doesn't exactly help anyone drive a point home. Hard to take a high road when your foundation is partially laid with bricks of shit. Wait shit bricks can be trustworthy, wait I got another metaphor...

[kali o.]

Is comparing Tupac to Lennon something a lot of people do...or is just a Seeker thing? What a strange, almost insulting comparison....

[Kupek]

I don't understand what this sentence means:

Sit-ins were not resistant AND violent (from the standpoint of the sit-ins).

I was not talking about the sit-ins in particular. The book starts there, but it gives an excellent history of the civil right movement, which goes well beyond a group of college students sitting at a lunch counter. But, regardless, you made a causative statement, and it is demonstrably not true.

Oh, and Kali, I thought Seekers comparison was unusual, but I think we've learned to just let a lot of what Seeker says slide.

[Julius Seeker]

Is comparing Tupac to Lennon something a lot of people do...or is just a Seeker thing? What a strange, almost insulting comparison....

I find John Lennon to be the obvious one to compare any politically minded iconic musician to; particularly when they both are tied to the Black Panthers, which is largely what I focused on. Why do you find that strange and insulting?




Anyway, on the Black Panthers

I think most of the violent reputation comes from the fact that a large number of Americans, particularly in that time period had a discomfort, even fear, of black people. Seeing large groups of empowered black people, wielding weaponry to warn of cops and stop the beatings, the oppression, etc.. was obviously a terrifying thing for people who weren't well informed of the objectives; and there is absolutely no reason blame them given which government (Nixon) was in power at the time, and what the media was showing at the time. The Panthers fought against the brutal treatment and murder of minorities in the United States, they fought for liberty and equality; they provided food, shelter, and education for the poor and hungry black communities which really had no one to turn to. Can a group be villainized as a whole for intimidation tactics against a brutal, oppressive, and murderous police force?

Truth be told, the Panther revolution was far less violent or terrible than the American revolution (FAR FAR less). The American revolution involved the lynching and murder of a many many MANY innocent people, on top of rape, theft and usurpation of property, and more. The situation eventually escalated into the war of independence; these are your ancestors, your founding fathers - do you villainize them for these villainous actions? No, most Americans praise them for gaining liberty. How about when they financed people who kidnapped and enslaved Africans to be brought into your nation where were treated brutally even by slave standards? It sounds like a fairly terrible picture, but the American founding fathers were responsible for these things; and even as late as the 1990's the signs of inequality were still very visible. The goal of the Black Panthers was liberty, so was the goal of the early Americans. Who was more oppressed and who was more righteous and why do you think that?

Anyway, here's a speech of Tupac's when he was 20 years old (Some strong language involved)



Anyway, I'm Canadian, this has nothing to do with me; I am outside of all of this. I do find the history and equality struggle of the black population in the US to be among the most interesting history of our continent. I think it's a very strong story, an important one that should get much more attention than it does. Just my humble opinion.