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Jul 11, 2006

What Would Tupac Do? · by Dallas Penn

June 16, 2006 marked the date for what would have been the 35th birthday for the artist and entertainer known as Tupac Shakur. A bittersweet milestone for many that have been profoundly affected by his life. The legacy of Tupac continues to evolve and grow even though the person no longer remains with us. Tupac’s image emblazons clothing in so many realistic and moving portraits I imagine them to be modern day memorabilia as if the shroud of Turin were for sale.

Tupac was ultimately a prophet for profit. Too bad that he didn’t have a chance to enjoy the fruits of his labor a little longer. As rap artists become actors become rap artists the one thing is certain is that Tupac was already on his third lap of that phenomenon. Where would Tupac exist now in the pantheon of street thug statesmen? It seems that every popular artist has a little piece of the Tupac caricature or mythology. I surmise that is to legitimize their center-city credibility. No one holds the complete set of blueprints so details are missed when the final draft is submitted.

Who shot ya? Only Tupac knew for sure the final time and that’s why he isn’t here today, but I wonder what he might think of Hip-Hop from the eyes of someone in their mid-thirties. If he had survived the thug life even until the age of 28 that would have been incredible. Bear with me for a second as I am a slight numbers fan. Every 7 years we enter and exit a life era. Beginning with your birth and then multiplying every 7 years after wards. 7, 14, 21, 28 would have brought Tupac to the beginning of a fifth life era. Do you think it would have been an era or an error? With so much promise and belief in his own innate ability to create change how do you think he would have moved in the world? Another 7 years added to 28 is 35 and that is how many years that Tupac would have exited on the Earth.

Think about the changes in your world over the last ten years. Have you gained more sense or nonsense? Have you grown angry or more empowered? Do you physically exist in the same space? I am trying to imagine that Tupac would be wearing button up linen shirts during the weekend with open toe sandals. How much thugging did you expect Tupac to do? It would be time for the younger kids to wear Tims and army fatigues. Tupac would be weird like Tom Cruise because he’d drink placenta smoothies and give interviews in babytalk. Johhny Gill would live in the poolhouse on his estate.

The other school says that Tupac ould still be sagging and flagging even with the demise of Death Row due to Suge Knight’s arrest and conviction for raping Dr. Dre (DNA swab inconclusive). This type of keeping it real seems to be 180 degrees of the former storyline, but maybe not. The responsibility of Tupac in either scenario was to sell it. And that is what he did so well. As you remember Tupac and you light your candle or your phillie or your Golden Honey Dutch Masters TM, just try to think about ‘Pac’s true gift, his raison d’etre.

Selling shit. Now change clothes bitches!

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Dallas Penn is your favorite blogger’s favorite blogger. Recognize.

Comments for "What Would Tupac Do?"

  1. TUPAC IS THE GREATEST MC OF ALL TIME. MAKAVELI FOR LIFE


    — damu bloods    Jul 11, 08:48 PM   

  2. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    Michael Eric Dyson, is that you?


    — eauhellzgnaw    Jul 11, 09:34 PM   

  3. I don’t think I’ve heard that take on Pac, he could’ve probably gone both ways too. Yeah water to a whale so applies to dude.


    — 911    Jul 12, 03:47 AM   

  4. if tupac had lived long,he would have been eleveted to greater hights{more than being just a rap musician}he was living beyond rap.he would have been a political leader


    — emmanuel ahmed banda    Aug 1, 09:08 AM   

  5. Tupac was killed by the Aryan brotherhood who quietly walked away from the entire fiasco with the assistance from the police department who intentionally botched the investigation. Tupac was working with Al Quaeda as a revolutionary and needed to be eliminated immediately. Remember that Tupac means “shining serpent” in Inca and that nigga was the shiniest motherfucker out there. if you doubt me, just ask Steve.


    — Durfee McBride    Nov 21, 01:37 PM