Becky Told Jenny & Now They All Know The Skinny

By zach • February 2, 2007 • Words is Like Ziti

I don’t know if Tupac was the greatest rapper of all time but I know that he was more than a rapper. Pac was a voice that spoke directly to people who were often denied a voice of their own. As an individual transitions from speaking directly to the people- to speaking for the people, that person acquires iconic status. This status often takes on a greater power than they can realistically satisfy. However, it is that romanticized vision of their influence that makes them who they are: an ideal. Huey Newton once said, “A leader is what the people aspire to be, but can never be themselves.” These leaders are necessary for they supply us with the nearly tangible, glimmering prospect of hope. But what happens when these individuals are taken from us? What will we do with the ideals of hope they embodied?

No one can take away the art of Kurt Cobain or the political and social lessons of Martin Luther King. Their contributions were greater than the brief nature of their lives; the quality of their contributions circumvents death through its timeless impression. However, as with the example of Tupac, our society can transform ideals into commodities. I believe Pac is still embraced as a true hero to many. I also believe his face and name have taken on a symbolism that diminishes his relevance. Shakur is in position to become an icon who only symbolizes relevance. Pac should never be a logo. A logo is a means for people to make a statement about themselves. When Che Guevara became an image on hipster tees it’s fair to say that his historical relevance was slightly altered. While we must find ways to remember those who are gone we must also remain cognizant of the methods we use and why we choose them. No particular method of remembrance is better than another. It’s not a matter of sweatshirts versus moments of silence; it is the ethics that one has toward the act of honoring a hero.

Do the youth know the message of Pac, or is he simply a picture on a hoody and a feature on a T.I. track? By appropriating an established icon we degrade their importance and trivialize their meaning. As generations pass and individuals drift deeper into our history books our historical memory begins to change its understanding. The ways we find to remember our heroes is the greatest service we can pay to them.

How do we keep or heroes alive after their death? This is a some-what new issue in hip-hop, and a old one for humanity. We must not allow the same injustice that took their lives to continue to pillage their memory. Especially while we are the ones living to defend it. It is their beliefs and the manifestations of those beliefs that made us believe so deeply and follow so loyally. We can honor their lives and carry on their messages by living the ideals they inspired us to believe in. Like Huey said, we can not all be leaders, but we can manifest their inspiring qualities within the context of our own lives.

*Pistol Pete with a pen in the holster…Art by Rory Panagotopulos

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