“…If you wanna get away with murder, all you gotta do is shoot somebody in the head and put a demo tape in their pocket! ”  Chris Rock

Hello World,

I’m not gonna pretend that Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996) was a saint or had he lived he would have been the next Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X or the first black president. I don’t know all that…But I do know that Tupac’s death was a tragedy, and I cannot believe that all of these years later, there are no suspects in the shooting deaths of Tupac, Biggie & Jam Master Jay…It’s almost inconceivable actually…and then again, maybe it’s not- which is the real tragedy…

Had Tupac lived, this Thursday, June 16, would have been his 40th birthday! Can you believe it! He was 25 years old when he was killed. Now, I think of 25 year olds as kids…To this day, Tupac is my favorite hip hop artist ever! He was a rare  combination of street braggadocio (swag) unquestionable  intellect and straight talent. And I’m not gonna lie – Tupac was something to behold with his chocolate skin and doe eyes! Yes, I know that he wasn’t perfect. Some of the lyrics in his songs were foul, and he was accused of horrible things.

I saw Tupac once. He performed at a concert as a part of Clark Atlanta University’s homecoming back in the ’90s. Me and some of my girls at the time had driven to Atlanta from Athens (I went to UGA) and snuck into the concert. Tupac was wilin’ out because he wanted to smoke weed on stage as he performed, but he wasn’t being allowed to do so. He enlisted the audience to help him convince the powers that be to allow him to get his smoke on…And basically, he threatened that he would not perform if he couldn’t smoke…He eventually did perform though, and if I remember correctly, he did not get to smoke…And at the end of the concert, he invited the ladies back to his hotel room…What can you say? He was a boy/young man at the time…

I’m not excusing all of his behavior…but the world is a better place for his talent, and he was gone too soon…My favorite poet Nikki Giovanni was also a Tupac fan and wrote a poem about him…

All Eyez on U
(for 2Pac Shakur 1971-1996)

as I tossed and turned unable to achieve sleep unable to control anxiety unable to comprehend why
2Pac is not with us
if those who lived by the sword died by the sword there would be no
white men on earth
if those who lived on hatred died on hatred there would be no KKK
if those who lived by lies died by lies there would be nobody on wall
street in executive suites in academic offices instructing the young
don’t tell me he got what he deserved  he deserved a chariot and
the accolades of a grateful people
he deserved his life
it is as clear as a mountain stream as defining as a lightning strike
as terrifying as sun to vampires
2Pac told the truth
there were those who called it dirty  gansta rap inciting there were
those who never wanted to be  angry at the conditions but angry
at the messenger who report:  your kitchen has roaches your toilet
is overflowing your basement has so much water the rats are in the
living room
your house is in disorder
and 2Pac told you about it
what a beautiful boy graceful carriage melodic voice sharp wit intellectual
breadth what a beautiful boy to lose
not me  never me  I do not believe east coast west coast  I saw
them murder Emmett Till I saw them murder Malcolm X  I saw
them murder Martin Luther King  I witnessed them shooting
Rap Brown I saw them beat LeRoi Jones  I saw them fill their jails
I see them burning churches  not me  never me  I do not believe
this is some sort of mouth action  this is some sort of political
action and they picked well  they picked the brightest freshest
fruit from the tallest tree what a beautiful boy
but he will not go away as Malcolm did not go away  as Emmett
Till did not go away your shooting him will not take him from us
his spirit will fill our hearts his courage will strengthen us for the
challenge   his truth will straighten our backbones
you know, Socrates had a mother she too watched her son drink
hemlock   she too asked why but Socrates stood firm and would
not lie to save himself  2Pac has a mother  the lovely Afeni had
to bury her son it is not right
it is not right this young warrior is cut down  it is not right for
the old to bury the young  it is not right
this generation mourns 2Pac as my generation mourned Till as we
all mourn Malcolm  this wonderful young warrior
Sonia Sanchez said when she learned of his passing she walked all day
walking the beautiful warrior home to our ancestors I just cried as all
mothers cry for the beautiful boy who said he and Mike Tyson would
never be allowed to be free at the same time who told the truth about
them and who told the truth about us who is our beautiful warrior
there are those who wanted to make him the problem who wanted
to believe if they silenced 2Pac all would be quiet on the ghetto
front there are those who testified that the problem wasn’t the conditions
but the people talking about them
they took away band  so the boys started scratching they took away
gym  so the boys started break dancing the boys started rapping
cause they gave them the guns and the drugs but not the schools and
libraries
what a beautiful boy to lose
and we mourn 2Pac Shakur and we reach out to his mother and we
hug ourselves in sadness and shame
and we are compelled to ask:
R U Happy, Mz Tucker?  2Pac is gone
R U Happy?

Deep huh? If you are in the A, you can actually help celebrate Pac’s 40th b-day. Erykah Badu will be the headline act at the Tupac Shakur Foundation concert this Thursday, June 16,  7 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall. Other artists Roy Ayers, Eric Roberson, Too $hort, Bun B and 8Ball & MJG will also be in the house…Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, and comedian Mike Epps will host the concert. Tickets are $45 to $150. Go to 16thofjune.com for more info.

Luv Me Some Tupac! Happy Birthday Tupac!

Any thoughts?

P.S. I love sooo many Tupac songs…but this one seems to fit today….

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