Jack Doyle
English 1001
11/6/17
The American best-selling hip hop artist Tupac Shakur has had influence on many
aspects of popular culture since the early 1990s, including music, film, and poetry. Tupac, also
sometimes known as 2Pac, has had made an impact on fans and supporters lives specifically
through his ideology and messages in his art, focusing on ideas of feminism and pro-black
attitudes. Tupac Shakur is a positive influence on society because he speaks for an audience
that can fully relate to his art focused on the struggle, pain and heartbreak of living in a society
against you. Tupac Shakurs positive influence has survived even decades after his death due to
his empowerment of women, poor people, and essentially any minority going through struggle
in a societal structure.
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 in New York City. He grew up raised by
his mother with his sister, moving around the east coast, from New York City to Baltimore. By
the age of 17, Tupac and his family had moved and settled to the south side of Los Angeles,
California. Tupacs mother raised him and his sister, trying to provide the best, most educative
life for her children. Tupacs mother, Afeni Shakur, was a very important member of the Black
Afeni Shakur was an active member and section leader of The Black Panther Party in the
1960s and 70s, and in April of 1969, Afeni and twenty other suspects (Panther Party members)
were arrested on charges of plotting bombings with other party members in New York. Each
suspect got bail of $100,000 and Afeni and one other member were given bail funds first by the
Black Panther Party. Shakur decided that she was going to represent herself in court, and her
and the other jailed members were acquitted in May of 1971. Tupac Shakur was born less than
a month after Afeni was acquitted. Afeni Shakur participated in the Black Panther Party
especially throughout Tupacs young life, creating the pro-black mentality that he carried
The life of Black Panther Party member Afeni Shakur influenced Tupacs mentality,
attitudes, and knowledge about what it means to be black in America from an early age. As well
as the influence, his mother had on him as a panther, being raised solely by his mother also
influenced Tupacs appreciation and respect for women from the start of his life.
In an interview from when he was only 17, Tupac discusses how being raised only by his
mother created a massive amount of respect for women, which influenced his tolerance level
for disrespect for women. In the interview, the 17-year-old also discusses how because he had
this initially large respect for women from the get-go taught by his mother, he finds it appalling
when men use words like bitch when approaching women. Tupac talks about how he has
seen men treat women with a very, very small amount of respect, which he does not tolerate.
Tupac in the interview says he has called out men for speaking to women with little respect,
Young Tupac clearly is foreshadowing his motives for music by explaining how his plan
is to continue to tell girls not to tolerate verbal or physical abuse from men, not to listen to the
names men call them. He discusses how by continuing to converse about not letting men call
women awful names, women will begin to fully not tolerate any names like bitch when a man
is talking to them. Tupac from this early age interview is telling women to not tolerate any of
the verbal abuse men inflict, because for things to change, they need to stand up for
themselves and other women. Tupac is stating he will continue this kind of dialogue until things
begin to change.
Due to his exposure to the Black Panther Party and being raised by a single mother,
Tupacs music is a direct reflection of this exposure in his life. Because he talks about personal,
deep events and aspects from his life, Tupacs music is something people can really feel is real.
It is his story, and he is using that in his music to help change social issues like feminism.
Tupacs greatest positive influence would be his devotion to speak out for women and
let men know that the way they are treating women everyday is wrong. Through out his
lifetime, he has seen men mistreat women, beat women, and leave women to raise children on
their own. To take a stand, Tupacs music questions this social norm that is becoming too much
of a normal occurrence. Tupac Shakurs song Keep Ya Head Up is a song in which Tupac brings
light to the social issue of the mistreatment of women, especially black women, in society.
In the song, Tupac says, I wonder why we take from our women, why we rape our
women, do we hate our women? In the song, Tupac mentions how men, often he has seen,
leave women when they become pregnant. This cycle of leaving women to raise children on
their own is something Tupac has first hand experience with, being raised by his mother, so he
is sick of this cycle being normalized. Societal perceptions of gender roles are critiqued by the
young artist in this song, discussing that it is not the role of a woman to raise a baby on her
own. He is irritated that the men in the environment around his continue this mistreatment and
cowardly decision.
Throughout the song, Tupac is telling women to stay strong and keep their head up
through times of struggle. He is speaking to women to show that some men care and are not
okay with the abuse men take over women. He says, I think its time to kill for our women, to
heal our women, be real to our women. And if we dont well have a race of babies that will
hate the ladies, that make the babies. Tupac believes that if women, and men, let other men
treat women poorly, the cycle of sexism will continue within society.
This song has influenced a dialogue about changing the way men treat women through
women empowerment and support. Even today, over twenty years after the song was written,
women and men use the song to represent a platform feminists have been speaking on for
decades. The song brings awareness to the state of men treating women poorly, but the song
specifies towards the black community in America. He is letting black women know that they
Within the song, Tupac even talks about issues like abortion and womens legal rights.
He says, And since a man cant make one, he has no right to tell a woman when and where to
create one. This line is important within the song because he believes its a womans choice to
have a baby, not a man. To many, this statement would be an understood assumption, but
Tupac bringing light to this issue is important for women to know that it is their choice.
Tupac in the song discusses the struggles his beloved mother made for him and his sister
to be raised right. Her devotion and struggle to help Tupac live a good, educated life is
something that greatly inspires his life, which is shown in the song. He discusses how he owes
her his dream and that he will make her proud and take care of her amidst success.
Keep Ya Head Up is a song about feminism, womens rights, and the struggle of being
a woman in society, but the song also shows support for poor people. Being from poor,
predominantly black neighborhoods, Tupac is speaking for his community, the people that
know the struggle he also experienced growing up. In an article from wordpress.com, an author
discusses how the song brings attention the governments role in perpetuating poverty in
communities with people of color. The article also discusses how there is this negative
connection made with the youth in communities of color and larger societal forces that fuel a
A line from the song is You know its funny when it rains, it pours. They got money for
war but cant feed the poor. Tupac is commenting on the poor, unequal treatment of black
people in America. He has lived through this cycle of poverty and is speaking out in opposition
Throughout his career, Tupac has always shown his disapproval of the government and
their unequal treatment of African Americans. Seeing the governments mistreatment of his
mother and other Black Panther Party members was an original influence on his opinions
towards the government. Throughout his life, living in poverty, he could see the lack of care the
government provided for the communities hes lived in. People listening to Tupacs music can
relate to this mistreatment, feeling angry and tired along with Tupac.
Tupacs politics have always been a huge role in his music, especially in Keep Ya Head
Up. As a young man in Baltimore, he joined a communist league. His support for the
underprivileged is reflected in much of his music. He once said, Everybody needs a little help
on their way to be self-reliant. His revolutionary attitudes to support the poor and colored in
America has been adopted in specific parts of the world, especially in Africa. His music has not
only inspired women, but any person oppressed to speak out and fight the power against them.
In an article by Karu F. Daniels, the author brings up how the song is a dedication to
Latasha Harlins, a fifteen-year-old girl that was killed in the 1992 Los Angeles riots. He talks to
people who are starring in the play which will include Tupacs music, and actress Tonya Pinkins
said Tupac was a feminist. His lyrics in Keep Ya Head Up espouse everything women deserve
and which the patriarchal society undermines and which the government tries to control.
Tupac was the voice, the message that was essential in understanding the state of patriarchal
reason he has gained copious amounts of support. He speaks out for women, challenges issues
of race, gender and poverty, and still makes music that can appeal to all types of people. In an
article from gradientlair.com, a writer, a female black woman that comes from a poor
community, discusses how the song Keep Ya Head Up meant everything to her as a kid. She
discusses the song and how black women feel and cry because of intraracial abuse and not just
racism. Essentially, the article brings up that black women deal with racism and discrimination
as well as abuse from men that roots in intraracial sexism. The song by Tupac is a
representation of how she and many black women feel is not right with treatment towards
them.
Keep Ya Head Up is a song that comes from Tupac Shakurs roots, being raised by his
mother, and seeing her being mistreated not only by men, but also by the government and
society. He is taking a stand against mistreatment of women, specifically black women, because
it is not right. He wants to change the way men treat women of color, and he will continue to
Tupac has written many politically fueled songs criticizing society and the social
construct of America, including White Manz World and Changes, but the song Keep Ya
Head Up has had a considerable influence on peoples lives, today and two decades ago. It is a
timeless song because these political issues are still relevant. He spoke about police brutality,
poverty, and womens rights during a time of political tension in the 1990s. There is still
constant mistreatment, abuse, and inequality within the black community, and Tupacs legacy
can help bring light to these issues for young people to realize they are not alone and it is a
societal issue, not just a black issue. Although Tupac has been criticized for his songs about gang
violence, drugs, and money, he is a figure that can be versatile and still include politically-
focused ideology.
Tupac Shakur, through music, film, and poetry, has brought attention to social issues
that many artists do not care to bring attention to. Because of his dedication to bring
awareness to social issues, Tupac Shakur is a very positive influence for society. Even decades
after his death, his art is still important and will continue to influence people to change the
that can fully relate to his art focused on the struggle, pain and heartbreak of living
II. The life of Black Panther Party member Afeni Shakur influenced Tupacs mentality,
attitudes, and knowledge about what it means to be black in America from an early
age
III. Young Tupac clearly is foreshadowing, from the interview, his motives for music by
explaining how his plan is to continue to tell girls not to tolerate verbal or physical
abuse from men, not to listen to the names men call them.
IV. Tupac Shakurs song Keep Ya Head Up is a song in which Tupac brings light to the
a. Throughout the song, Tupac is telling women to stay strong and keep their head
b. This song has influenced a dialogue about changing the way men treat women
c. Tupac in the song discusses the struggles his beloved mother made for him and
his sister to be raised right. Her devotion and struggle to help Tupac live a good,
educated life is something that greatly inspires his life, which is shown in the
song,
V. Keep Ya Head Up is a song about feminism, womens rights, and the struggle of
being a woman in society, but the song also shows support for poor people.
VI. Throughout his career, Tupac has always shown his disapproval of the government
a. People listening to Tupacs music can relate to this mistreatment, feeling angry
VII. In an article by Karu F. Daniels, the author brings up how the song is a dedication to
Latasha Harlins, a fifteen-year-old girl that was killed in the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
reason he has gained copious amounts of support. He speaks out for women,
challenges issues of race, gender and poverty, and still makes music that can appeal
IX. In an article from gradientlair.com, a writer, a female black woman that comes from
a poor community, discusses how the song Keep Ya Head Up meant everything to
her as a kid.
X. Keep Ya Head Up is a song that comes from Tupac Shakurs roots, being raised by
his mother, and seeing her being mistreated not only by men, but also by the
XI. It is a timeless song because these political issues are still relevant.
XII. Tupac Shakur, through music, film, and poetry, has brought attention to social issues
that many artists do not care to bring attention to. Because of his dedication to bring
awareness to social issues, Tupac Shakur is a very positive influence for society.
Works Cited