Today marks 20 years since the day Tupac died, but for many fans and followers—myself included—it was as if time stood still, as one of Hip-hop’s most prominent figures passed away.
And indeed, the day stood still, and several accounts documentaries would attest to that phrase. But to break the familiarity, may we imagine a different notion, for although time stood still, Tupac has not—and he’s continued in shaping the Hip-hop scene we realize today. That is what I wish to relay.
Who could forget his controversial T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E., which asserted the notorious “The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everybody”, and the controversies he stirred with other work. That being said, it became inevitable for critics to title him for the content he offered: a thug.
Despite this, many critics and fans have stepped beyond the initial criticism. What was defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “a violent person, especially a criminal”, Tupac’s work reimagined it into “a man who triumphs over systematic obstacles”. And I believe he strove for the latter, for many artists have partaken in its reinvention.
With modern-day media and such commodities as the internet, you’d expect more convenience, and yet Tupac remains the most overwhelming figure in the Hip-hop scene. The work ethic Tupac embodied became and to this day remains a famous mantra as well as a precedent ambition for several, if not most, current artists.
To provide as a brief account on his significant impact, Rolling Stone features a satisfactory claim:
“Although he is no longer with us, the myth of 2Pac the thug angel remains. No other artist better illuminates Hip-hop’s fault lines between regional pride and mainstream success, and the struggle to transcend and elevate beyond humble origins while honoring the streets that raised you… His wayward, conflicting expressions of pride, militancy and gangster-ism resonates in a world when black men and women celebrate their heritage and collectively organize against racist America, yet are also cautious to protect themselves from each other”. Well said.
So let’s go back to “the day Hip-hop stood still”, and let me just say this: It did. We lost an unmatched force that day, but what we acquired was the legend of a man who fearlessly expressed his distaste at a faulty system and fought for change through his unfiltered content and uncensored lifestyle.
Twenty years ago, today stood still. Twenty years after, the story of Tupac remains and undoubtedly will live on, though the years pass and Hip-hop seeks to continue that which his legend began.
By Jods Arboleda for RAPStation.com
