Struggle in a song : CHANGES (Tupac Shakur) When I was given this assignment of picking a song that is representative of the modern black freedom movement, Tupac’s “Changes” popped into my head. I have always liked this song for its melodic feel and motivational tone. I never thought of the song to be a representation of the modern black freedom struggle, but after some critical thought, I recognize how this song sums up many themes in which I associate with the struggle. The song’s main singer/rapper is Tupac Shakur who I believe is an iconic person in pop culture regarding his music and infamous reputation. The song is recorded in 1992, but is released in 1998. The timing of the song production is relative to the racial tension and gang activity in the 1990s—specifically the west and east coast rivalry. In 1996,Tupac Shakur was fatally shot and many conspiracy theories involving his death are related to his supposed gang affiliation. In my own assumption, Tupac Shakur’s standing in society is closely similar to Malcolm X’s status during the civil rights era. Tupac Shakur’s life can be seen as inspiring because he was eloquently outspoken about the wrongdoings in the world, but his reputation is hurt by his involvement with gang activity. As a music artist, Tupac Shakur rapped songs for the purpose of bringing to light absurd happenings in society. Tupac Shakur’s music seems to be influenced by his life and therefore he represented the black American experience—though he does not speak for every black American. The song, “Changes,” is produced in the 1990s and the content of the lyrics seem to speak to black Americans. With the use of “we gotta start making changes,” the “we” is at times in reference to both black Americans and white Americans, but I feel that the majority of the song highlights the black American experience. This leads to me understanding that black Americans are his intended audience. Tupac Shakur chooses lyrics to emphasize the experiences of black Americans and from there use that to motivate them to make changes. His thoughts about life and advocacy for change motivate his audience to relate to him. This song captures and records Tupac’s perspective on the modern black freedom struggle. Themes of making changes and references to racial biases in society are very relevant to my understanding of the struggle. Here are my ideas of key elements of the modern black freedom struggle represented in the lyrics of “Changes” (they are in order of when they appear in the song): “I’m tired of bein’ poor and even worse I’m black” This lyric specifically emphasizes the socio-economic inequality that still exists in today’s society for black Americans. Throughout the whole song, Tupac Shakur makes references to the drug dealing that is affecting the black community negatively. Even though a person makes a “grand,” this does not mean that he gained it through proper means. The long struggle to achieve a high social class for the majority of black American are prevented through institutionalized racism and lack of leaders in major job roles. The civil rights of black Americans have only been recovered sixty years ago. This short amount of time does not make up for the socio-economic inequalities that exist in the modern black freedom struggle. “Cops give a damn about a negro/pull the trigger kill a nigga he’s a hero” This lyric represents the tension between black Americans and the police. This lyric implies that cops kills and become a hero for doing so. From there cops do not seem to care about black Americans. This ideal is still prevalent in today’s society. I’ve seen programs in predominately black neighborhoods in Boston trying to soften these notions against each other. “It’s time to fight back that’s what Huey said 2 shots in the dark now Huey’s dead I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere unless we share with each other We gotta start makin’ changes” This block of lyrics has a reference to a person named “Huey,” specifically “Huey Newton,” the co founder of the Black Panther Party. (Tupac Shakur’s family has a connection with the Black Panther Party) Using the reference of “Huey” is Tupac’s way of motivating his audience in a similar fashion to Huey Newton. As the co-founder of the Black Panther Movement, Huey Newton represents a figure who was inspirational an affected the civil rights movement with a strong impact. So with the racial tension in the 1990s, Tupac Shakur makes aware of the need of an advocator for making changes not only with the general public but also within the black community. “I see no changes all I see is racist faces/ misplaced hate makes disgrace to races” This lyric explicitly points out the idea that the thought of racism is on everyone’s mind and brings attention to the reasoning behind the “racist faces.” The relationship between hate and racism is relevant to the modern black freedom struggle because these themes are the underlying factors of the hardship faced by black Americans. “and the only time we chill is when we kill each other” – in reference to whites and blacks This excerpt from the lyrics displays the absurdity of racial relations in the US during the 1990s. I don’t know how relevant this notion of “black vs. white” violence in today’s society, but I feel that the history of the tension between racial groups affects general views toward black Americans. From there, this theme adds on another struggle to modern black freedom. “the penitentiary’s packed, and it’s filled with blacks/But some things will never change” This lyric refers to the large percentage of blacks in prison. This is another addition to the struggle because this fact is not only spurred by institutionalized racism by the government system, but also by the influences of specific black communities with a strong gang presence. There are many reasons that can influence the reasoning of this issue, but Tupac yet again includes a lyric that is a part of the struggle of modern black freedom. Overall my interpretation of the meaning of modern black freedom struggle is based on my understanding of factors that prevent black Americans to be “free,” such as freedom from racial biases and social inequalities. This song is filled with many references to unjust happenings in the black community and I chose the lyrics, which stood out to me the most. You can see other lyrics I chosen below, in bold. In sum, I believe that Tupac Shakur is a major figure in the modern black freedom struggle. He inspires many black American youth despite his background and run-ins with the police. In the YouTube video below, you can see a clip of Tupac briefly speaking as journalists and cameras surround him. I believe that piece shows his strong presence as a social activist against the racial struggle underlying black Americans. There are definitely many interpretations to the song and I believe that “Changes” can also speak to the racial tension among other racial groups other than “black and white.” I think it is important to know that these issues are not only relevant to the black American experience. I feel that the black American experience has a certain level of similarity to other minority racial groups as we’re all a minority in American society and face the common struggles. So this is my reasoning for taking the course and I hope to learn more about the modern black freedom struggle as black Americans are the majority among the minorites. - Ricky Strikes
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 13:08:08 +0000
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