On this day we celebrate what would have been the 40th birthday of Tupac Amaru Shakur. The legacy of Tupac (2Pac) is something that has developed tremendously over the years. The impact that he had on the world is not only seen in the musical aspect of his contributions but in the world of film, philosophy and everyday life. To fully understand and appreciate the genius of 2Pac one has to dig deeper than the catalog of music that he left behind for the world to forever hold. When Tupac spoke people paid attention to not only his thoughts, but also people searched endlessly for the ammunition behind his thoughts. Some answers were found; many were not. Though he only lived 25 years he accomplished more in his short life than many people have in a combination of lives. The depths of Tupac’s thoughts were on the surface in his music but the roots of his thoughts and philosophies on life and society can be heard and understood in his interviews. While watching or listening to an interview with Tupac it is easy for you to lose sight of the fact that he is a musical artist; his intellect transcended his musical creations, leaving us still pondering many of the same questions and thoughts that he put into his lyrics nearly 20 years ago. The ills of society that he spoke of within his music (in black communities in particular) are still prevalent in today’s society. I challenge you all to listen to many of his interviews and hear his thoughts on race, American society, politics and music. You would be enlightened on the genius, which was snuffed out by a bullet on September 13, 1996. Tupac the actor was something that was developing right before our eyes. The fact that he had acting ability was evident in the fact that directors would seek him to be in their movies. Many of today’s artists have to have their representatives campaign for them for a movie part, yet Tupac’s developed ability as an actor enabled him to be able to display his talents as an actor in varying roles. The movies that he starred in hold legendary status similar to the music that he made. Many people from history that have legacies see their lives shared in many different avenues of life. Tupac was one of these types of individuals. Shakur’s impact was not limited to music and movies as evidenced by the fact that there are colleges that have courses geared towards the study of him, his music and ideologies. Worldwide there are statues erected in his honor from the United States to Germany. Many view him to be the greatest hip-hop artist of all time. Words have said this and numbers have proven this with the fact that Tupac has went platinum over platinum in album sales. As we celebrate his birthday today take time not only to listen to his music, but take a moment to listen to him speak outside of the studio. Read some of his actual statements, listen to his thoughts so that you can be able to have a better grasp of the person he was and why he was that type of person. Happy Birthday 2Pac!
