Shakur was born in New York City to parents who were both political activists and Black Panther Party members. Raised by his mother, he relocated to Baltimore in 1984 and to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. With the release of his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, he became a central figure in West Coast hip-hop for his conscious rap lyrics. Shakur achieved further critical and commercial success with his follow-up albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993) and Me Against the World (1995). His Diamond certified album All Eyez on Me (1996), the first double-length album in hip-hop history, abandoned his introspective lyrics for volatile gangsta rap. In addition to his music career, Shakur also found considerable success as an actor, with his starring roles in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above the Rim (1994), Bullet (1996), Gridlock'd (1997), and Gang Related (1997).
During the later part of his career, Shakur was shot five times in the lobby of a New York recording studio and experienced legal troubles, including incarceration. In 1995, Shakur served eight months in prison on sexual abuse charges, but was released pending an appeal of his conviction. Following his release, he signed to Marion "Suge" Knight's label Death Row Records and became heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry. On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas; he died six days later. Following his murder, Shakur's friend-turned-rival, the Notorious B.I.G., was at first considered a suspect due to their public feud, but was also murdered in another drive-by shooting six months later in March 1997 while visiting Los Angeles.
Five more albums have been released since Shakur's death, all of which have been certified Platinum in the United States. In 2002, Shakur was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Shakur among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Shakur was born on June 16, 1971, in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City. While born Lesane Parish Crooks, at age one he was renamed Tupac Amaru Shakur. He was named after Túpac Amaru II, the descendant of the last Incan ruler, Túpac Amaru, who was executed in Peru in 1781 after his failed revolt against Spanish rule. Shakur's mother explained, "I wanted him to have the name of revolutionary, indigenous people in the world. I wanted him to know he was part of a world culture and not just from a neighborhood."
Shakur had an older stepbrother, Mopreme "Komani" Shakur, and a half-sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, two years his junior.
Ghetto Gospel ft. Elton John
2Pac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those who wish to follow me
My ghetto gospel
I welcome with my hands
And the red sun sinks at last
Into the hills of gold
And peace to this young warrior
If I could recollect before my hood days
I sit and reminisce
Thinking of bliss and the good days
I stop and stare at the younger
My heart goes to em
They tested with stress that they under
And nowadays things change
Everyone's ashamed of the youth cause the truth look, strange
And for me it's reversed
We left em a world that's cursed
And it hurts
Cause any day they'll push the button
And all come in like Malcolm X or Bobby Hutton died for nothing
Don't it make you get teary
The world looks dreary
When you wipe your eyes see it clearly
There's no need for you to fear me
If you take your time and hear me
Maybe you can learn to cheer me
It ain't about black or white cause we human
I hope we see the light before it's ruined, my ghetto gospel
Those who wish to follow me
My ghetto gospel
I welcome with my hands
And the red sun sinks at last
Into the hills of gold
And peace to this young warrior
Without the sound of guns
Tell me do you see that old lady
Ain't it sad
Living out of bags
Plus she's glad for the little things she has
And over there there's a lady
Crack got her crazy
Guess who's giving birth to a baby
I don't trip or let it fade me
From out of the fryin' pan
We jump into another form of slavery
Even now I get discouraged
Wonder if they take it all back
Will I still keep the courage
I refuse to be a role model
I set goals, take control, drink out my own bottles
I make mistakes but learn from every one
And when it's said and done
I bet this brother be a better one
If I upset you don't stress never forget
That God isn't finished with me yet
I feel his hand on my brain
When I write rhymes I go blind and let the Lord do his thing
But am I less holy
Cause I chose to puff a blunt and drink a beer with my homies
Before we find world peace
We gotta find peace and end the war in the streets
My ghetto gospel
Those who wish to follow me
My ghetto gospel
I welcome with my hands
And the red sun sinks at last
Into the hills of gold
And peace to this young warrior
Without the sound of guns
Lord can you hear me speak
To pay the price of being hellbound
In "Ghetto Gospel" by Tupac, he addresses the harsh realities of life in the ghetto, and encourages listeners to find hope and peace through his "ghetto gospel". He reflects on his own experiences of growing up in poverty, and how difficult it is for the youth today to cope with the stress and pressure of life on the streets. Tupac speaks of the various forms of slavery that still exist, and urges people to find a way out of their circumstances. He emphasizes the need for peace and unity amongst all races and communities in order to bring about change.
Tupac also addresses his own struggles with being a role model for young people. He acknowledges that he is not perfect, but learns from his mistakes and strives to be a better person. He questions whether his choices invalidate his spirituality, and reminds listeners that they too are still a work in progress. Tupac urges everyone to find their own voice and take control of their own lives, rather than follow blindly what society tells them they should be.
Overall, "Ghetto Gospel" is a powerful and insightful reflection on the challenges facing communities in poverty, and a call to action for positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh, hit em with a little ghetto gospel
I'm about to share a message of hope and inspiration from the streets.
Those who wish to follow me
Anyone who wants to join me on this journey, listen up.
My ghetto gospel
This is my truth, my story, my message - straight from the hood.
I welcome with my hands
I'm extending an open invitation - come walk with me.
And the red sun sinks at last
Another day is coming to an end, but there's still hope for tomorrow.
Into the hills of gold
Nature reminds us that there's beauty in this world, even in the midst of struggle.
And peace to this young warrior
I'm praying for calm, for inner peace, for strength to face whatever comes.
Without the sound of guns
Without violence, without aggression - let's find another way forward.
If I could recollect before my hood days
Looking back to my childhood, before life in the ghetto became my reality.
I sit and reminisce
I remember the happy moments, the simple times, the feelings of joy and security.
Thinking of bliss and the good days
Remembering when life was easier, less complicated, more filled with hope.
I stop and stare at the younger
Watching the children of today, filled with potential and promise.
My heart goes to em
I feel for them, I wish them well, I'm committed to making their world better.
They tested with stress that they under
The challenges they face are intense, overwhelming, and draining.
And nowadays things change
Society is evolving, technology is advancing, and sometimes it feels like things are changing too fast.
Everyone's ashamed of the youth cause the truth look, strange
Adults are scared of the younger generation, they don't understand them, they judge them unfairly.
And for me it's reversed
But for me, the opposite is true - I have faith in the young people, I believe in them.
We left em a world that's cursed
As adults, we've let the world become a difficult, dangerous, and unfair place for young people to grow up in.
And it hurts
It's painful to see how our actions have hurt the next generation.
Cause any day they'll push the button
We've created a precarious world where the threat of disaster is always looming.
And all come in like Malcolm X or Bobby Hutton died for nothing
The struggles and sacrifices of the past to make things better for future generations seem wasted.
Don't it make you get teary
Doesn't it make you emotional to see how we've failed the youth?
The world looks dreary
The future looks bleak, the challenges seem insurmountable, but we must not lose hope.
When you wipe your eyes see it clearly
Once we get past our emotions, we need to see the situation for what it is and take action.
There's no need for you to fear me
I come in peace, I want to make the world better, I'm not your enemy.
If you take your time and hear me
But if you listen to what I have to say, you might just learn something.
Maybe you can learn to cheer me
You might even find yourself inspired, motivated, and uplifted by my message.
It ain't about black or white cause we human
Race doesn't matter when it comes to our fundamental humanity.
I hope we see the light before it's ruined, my ghetto gospel
I pray that we have a collective epiphany and change the course of our society for the better.
Tell me do you see that old lady
Do you see the suffering of the vulnerable and marginalized people in our society?
Ain't it sad
Isn't it heartbreaking that we let people live in such conditions?
Living out of bags
People forced to live in homelessness, moving from place to place with only the bare minimum of possessions.
Plus she's glad for the little things she has
Despite her dire circumstances, the lady finds ways to appreciate the small blessings in her life.
And over there there's a lady
There's always someone suffering nearby.
Crack got her crazy
She's addicted to a powerful drug that's destroying her life.
Guess who's giving birth to a baby
This woman is bringing a new life into the world, but under terrible circumstances.
I don't trip or let it fade me
I don't let the suffering I see around me distract me from my mission to create positive change.
From out of the fryin' pan
One bad situation after another.
We jump into another form of slavery
Even when we escape one problem, we often find ourselves in another - all of which keep us chained.
Even now I get discouraged
Even with all the efforts we make, things can still feel hopeless at times.
Wonder if they take it all back
Sometimes I worry that all the progress we've made towards positive change could be undone.
Will I still keep the courage
No matter what happens, I will stay strong and committed to the cause of justice.
I refuse to be a role model
I don't want to be put on a pedestal or seen as perfect - I'm flawed like anyone else.
I set goals, take control, drink out my own bottles
I'm in charge of my own destiny, I make my own decisions and chart my own course.
I make mistakes but learn from every one
I'm not perfect, but I'm committed to learning and growing from my mistakes.
And when it's said and done
At the end of the day, after everything is over.
I bet this brother be a better one
I'm confident that my struggles and my growth will make me a better person in the end.
If I upset you don't stress never forget
If I say something that offends you, don't worry about it - we're still in this together.
That God isn't finished with me yet
I'm a work in progress, I'm not perfect yet, but I'm still growing and evolving.
I feel his hand on my brain
I feel inspired by a higher power, I feel guided and uplifted by a spiritual force.
When I write rhymes I go blind and let the Lord do his thing
When I'm creating art, I let go and let inspiration guide me, trusting that it will turn out as it was meant to be.
But am I less holy
Is my art somehow less valid or meaningful because it involves things like drugs or alcohol?
Cause I chose to puff a blunt and drink a beer with my homies
Just because I enjoy spending time with my friends and indulging in some vices doesn't mean I'm less serious about my life's work.
Before we find world peace
There's so much work to be done before we can achieve the kind of global harmony we all crave.
We gotta find peace and end the war in the streets
Let's start by creating peace within our own communities, by ending violence and building trust.
My ghetto gospel
This is my message of hope, of change, of redemption - for those who need it the most.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, DEON EVANS, ELTON JOHN, LUIS EDGARDO RESTO, MARSHALL B. III MATHERS, TUPAC AMARU SHAKUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jason Chayer
@TheKing0fHalo how about that change eh?
Did you really think that electing a Democratic President was going to fix the issues in these high crime areas that have already been run by mostly democrats for decades? Thats cute, but impossible in a world where self accountability and self reliance is on a steep decline. If you voted blue you voted to expediate that decline instead of reverse it.
I hear the song as a call to rise up and be better, start cleaning your streets up before you call for world peace. Basically don’t point the finger anywhere but at yourself, learn from your mistakes and grow to be better. He feared his generation was worsening things and they needed to reverse course as to not leave the world worse for the next generation. Sadly it seems that inner cities stayed on the course he feared.
Now instead of helping, they are talking about pulling cops out. They are literally pushing that cops are as much of or more than a threat to them than the criminals are. Sadly people are buying it and it’s actually working. They pulled one hell of a jedi mind trick and now the racists don’t have to waste money having cops in minority communities.
I’m 99.99% certain that this move is going to devastate these communities.
Republicans: We need more cops to make these areas safe so business can flourish.
The left: Republicans and cops are racist
Also the left: we need to remove cops from all of these high crime areas because they are “murdering” minorities.
They also neglect to really talk about any of the main issues that actually affect inner cities, and call anyone who says anything about those issues a coon, uncle tom or a racist.
RetroWreck5
"I feel his hand on my brain when I write rhymes, I go blind, and the the Lord do his thing".....GOOSEBUMPS
steven frederick
+Mr786Addzy thats such a sick line!
Keny Flythe
REAL SHIT!!🔥🔥🔥
hidden blade
IKR!
Gold!!
I like to watch 00🇦🇺
Rap used to have a message and a story, before 2 Chains.
Bruno
Man it is so strange, but it's happening in global scale, in Brazil per example where the old school used to expose the true reality of streets, in our society, now rap means Sex, Money, Cars and voidness things, without ideology. So sadness but the world is going to...
I apologize for my errors
Your Step Father
Im sure the world would be better if 2pac was still there... We Miss you man
Itskaitdog
Your Step Father I agree
RaaagexD
It would but he paved the way of how we should become soldiers of God
C.T.
S1ckerpro yeah he is.