The Biggest Hypocrite There Was?

While reading the text last week in preparation for Thursdays lecture, I couldn't help but think of this 2 part interview.  I was first introduced to it as a teenager, and it further progressed my view of Tupac Shakur.... for the better.

If you could, please excuse the aggressive title and immerse yourself in this text as well as the video posted above.

 I have always been able to relate to Tupac as an artist (actor, poet, musician) because he is a beautiful reflection of the dichotomy of who we are as human beings and how we are seen.  We are flawed and contradictory creatures by nature.  The sooner we can realize that, the sooner we can progress as human beings and mature into adults.

I could relate to Pac because of his many talents, as a minority youth from a  low socio-economic household whom attended a upper-middle class populated schools for half of my life, the comprehension of the previously spoken dichotomy was a necessity.  Even now while away at college, I often find myself putting on a "Hyper-Feminine" front, not wanting to scare, offend, or be stereotyped by anyone.

This Hyper-Masculine identity that I posses is not a front to me, but a result of my hetero-normative and urban upbringing.  I do not view Hyper-masculinity as a bad thing, in the environment from which I originate, anything less from a young boy of color is unacceptable.

Pac gave little boys like me a different view point, someone similar to us who made it.  If Pac can, we can too.  Not only with music but on the big screen as well as being a published writer.  He is who we aspired to be (success and talent-wise).  Along with his talent, his obvious contradictory and hypocritical behavior were also extremely relate-able.  By being open with his flaws just as much as his passion for women and people as a whole is what normalized Pac in my eyes.

Call him a gangster or thug all you want, but to me he is a hypocrite.... and so am I, so are you, we all are.  No one is perfect, we all are complex individuals and to short change this great individuals legacy with a simple title just  takes away from who he was and is to me.  So let's try to remember him for everything he did.

RIP PAC

(Part 2 and 3 of the interview can be found at the below)