Tupacs Influence

[Ryan_21]

Since we shifted to the subject of rap, I felt the need to point out some things Tupac affected and influenced in our society and the kids of today. Many people dont realize how much of an influence he had on society. He basically trained a generation of soldiers that are training the next generation of kids today.

Almost all of these new rappers you see on t.v. today are just copying the blueprint that Pac layed out for them, and since the youth mimick their idols there is a whole society that benifited somehow from Tupac.

Not many people have this type of affect on a society. He has to be put in the same league as James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Elvis, when you talk about Icon status.

Here is a list of things Tupac started:

1.Thuglife or being a Thug.

When you see all these thugged out kids today and you think what the hell is wrong with society, well thats Pac's influence. Nobody was talking about being a thug until Pac had those influential words tatooed on his stomach.

2. Wearing bandana's.

Tupac definately glamorized this fashion trend for our society.

3. He started the tatoo explosion for rappers and thugs.

Yeah, people had tats before Pac, but rappers werent sportin a body full of them before Pac glamorized it.

3. Wearing Big Medalions on your chains.

No rappers or anybody else were sportin big ol Medalions until Pac died with his Angel of Death medalion on.

4. Rappers wearing a charm with their record labels logo on it.

Pac definately started this with the Death Row charm on the cover of "All Eyez on Me" now everyone does it.

5. Speaking of which, nobody was puting z's on the end of words that I can think of until Pac did it way back in 92 on his Strictly for my N.I.G.G.A.Z. album.

6. With that being said Pac glamorized using the N word between black people.

7. First to talk about drinking Crystal and Hennessey, now thats all these rappers talk about.

8. Pac was the first one to "pour out liquor" for your dead homies. This has become a cultural tread among the black community.

9. One of the most important influential things Tupac ever done was claim were he was from. He was the first to claim Westside or Westcoast, now all rappers and youth get excited to say were they are from and were they represent.

10. "Poppin your collar" You see all these rappers and kids poppin their collars on videos and on the streets, and even athletes do it in games. I seen videos of Pac doing it back in 92.

Well there are 10 things (no specific order) that Pac had a major influence over in our society. This alone, not even counting his music would make him one of the most influencial black men or any color man of the 20th century.
All of these kids and rappers today have a direct or indirect link to Tupac. You know the saying, "everybodys got a little Pac in them." If you dont think Pac was a major contributor in making the black community what it is today, just go to any mall in any major city, get you a cup of coffee and just sit back an look at all of the kids there. Any of them that look thugged out got that from Pac one way or the other, even if it was passed down to them from someone else who got it from someone else who got it from Pac.

Ryan_21

[Clarkmeister]

I agree about Tupac being influential, and one of the 4 most important rappers of all time. However.............

1. The word "Thug" may have become popular with tupac, but the idea of being a gangsta and that whole lifestyle were popularlized in many groups' lyrics before him.

3. Not sure that its something to be proud of.

3. (there were two 3's listed). Rappers were wearing big medallions long before Tupac. I can even think of several songs with lyrics talking about "my big medallion"

5. NWA was Niggaz with Attitudes. Also predating Pac.

6. This also predated Pac.

9. This also predated Pac.

Does BET still have "Old School Wednesday"? Check it out. If you like, I'll dig up specific songs and lyrics as evidence of the items that predated Tupac.

[Ryan_21]

1. You're right, I know the idea existed before Pac, but he really glamorized the term and the lifestyle like no one else.

3 #2 sorry didnt realize i made 2 #3's. You get credit on that too, I know guys like Slick Rick predated Pac, but there stuff wasnt really pumped into the mainstream and people didnt see it as much, I think Pac glamarized it more than anyone else.

5 + 6. You are probably right on these so I wont argue, although I will say Pac helped out on these a lot so, I'll give him 1/2 credit.

The only thing I really disagree with is #9. Sure people were claiming were they were from before Pac, but nobody made it a big ol deal like he did. He was once quoted as saying "before I got out of jail it wasnt a problem to be were you were from, the day I stepped out of jail it was a mf problem to be where the f you was from."

Ryan_21

[Clarkmeister]

"Straight Outta Compton" is about as in-your-face a statement about a groups roots as I can think of.

East Coast-West Coast was big before Pac. Groups were constantly saying where they were from, and more importantly, who their label was. The big difference is that the money at stake in the 90's absolutely dwarfed the money involved in the 80's. That has led to all the violence and mainstream publicity.

[B-Man]

1.Thuglife or being a Thug...

3. He started the tatoo explosion for rappers and thugs...

6. With that being said Pac glamorized using the N word between black people.


Wow, this is someone to really be proud of and look up to. I mean, look at all of his wonderful accomplishments. I think he should be ahead of Martin Luther King, Jr.!

The fact that anyone with half a brain looks up to this guy is a sad reflection on the society we live in. MLK was a role model. Colin Powell is a role model. With all of his faults, even Tiger Woods is a role model. Tupac is a thug.

1) Ok, so he popularized the word "Thug". Not the concept, though.
2)Uh, nope. Long before his first album hit, people were sporting their rags as identification. Long before the movie colors, too (which really thrust this into the mainstream).
3) Tats are gang symbols, and stem from the prison culture. Unless Tupac was around in the sixties when the prison gangs really exploded, he didn't start this either.
3b) I think Flava Flav and his clock really got this one going
5) I gotta go with Clarkmeister on this one. (plus, what's so admirable about creating a generation that can't spell)
6) I'm pretty sure it was happening before. Also, apply the parenthetical comments above)
8) was happening way before Pac. See Colors for an example. When Hollywood gets its hands on it, you know it's been around for a while already
9) What exactly did he claim? When he was on the east coast, he was all about new York. when he was on the west coast, it was all about LA. Then, up here in the bay area, it was all Oakland or Marin City. How many places does a guy get to claim, anyway?

People saw him as a visionary. I don't get that. Sure, taken individually, some of his songs were good, and his lyrics powerful. Taken collectively, though, they were a joke. How can the same artist rap about bitches and hoes and the thug life, then come out with anthems like "Keep Ya Head Up" and "Dear Mama", and expect top be taken as anything but a hypocrite?

[M2d]

[Ryan_21]

1. Double CD's, "All Eyez on Me" was raps first double CD, now rappers put out doubles like they are going out of style.

2. The phrase/concept "keeping it real", this has also become an influential concept in the way of life for the black community. Maybe the most important thing on the list.

Ryan_21

[Boris]

All I can say is you are obviously too young to remember anything from the '80s. Tupac got his bandanna fashion idea from watching David Lee Roth in Van Halen videos. I'm surprised Tupac didn't wear parachute pants also.

[Jimbo]

2) I have got to give Roy Rogers credit for the bandana Ryan.
3) far as medallions and chains I wore those in my Disco days.
6) The N word among brothers even predates my experience with it in the 1950's.
9) Poppin your collar, look at some disco or 70's movies to see the pioneers here.

As far as him being "one of the most influencial black men or any color man of the 20th century." I find this a bit of a stretch but perhaps in relation to a small group of todays' youth I can see that. For you to campare his accomplishments(?) with the likes of Henry Kissinger, past US presidents, numerous other world leaders or even the Beatles for that matter is taking this Tupac thing way to far.


Jimbo