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.
The Rose That Grew From Concrete
2Pac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You try to plant somethin in the conrete, why'knowhatImean?
If it GROW, and the and the rose petal got all kind of
scratches and marks, you not gon' say, "Damn, look at
all the scratches and marks on the rose that grew from concrete"
You gon' be like, "Damn! A rose grew from the concrete?!"
Same thing with me, why'knahmean? I grew out of all of this
Instead of sayin, "Damn, he did this, he did this,"
That's what they should say, why'knowhatImean?
All the trouble to survive and make good out of the dirty, nasty
why'knowhahatImean unbelievable lifestyle they gave me
I'm just tryin to make somethin..
[Nikki Giovanni]
When no one even cared
The rose it grew from concrete
Keepin all these dreams
Provin nature's laws wrong
It learned how to walk without havin feet
It came from concrete
[spoken part]
Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
Provin nature's laws wrong it learned how to walk without havin feet
Funny it seems but, by keepin its dreams
it, learned to breathe FRESH air
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else even cared
No one else even cared..
The rose that grew from concrete
[spoken part]
Did you hear..
Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
Provin nature's laws wrong
It learned to walk without having feet
Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams
it learned to breathe FRESH air
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else, even cared
[Nikki Giovanni]
Keepin all these dreams
Provin nature's laws wrong
It learned how to walk without havin feet (to breathe the fresh air)
It came from concrete (to breathe the fresh air)
(to breathe the fresh air, to breathe the fresh air)
[Tupac Shakur]
You see you wouldn't ask why the rose that grew from the concrete
had damaged petals. On the contrary, we would all celebrate its
tenacity. We would all love it's will to reach the sun.
Well, we are the rose - this is the concrete - and these are
my damaged petals. Don't ask me why, thank God nigga, ask me how!
Hahahaha..
The song "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" by Tupac Shakur is about how he overcame the struggles and hardships of growing up in a poor, violent community. Tupac uses the metaphor of a rose growing from concrete to represent his struggle to grow and thrive despite living in a harsh environment. He talks about how people are quick to judge someone based on their background or appearance, but they should admire and celebrate their strength and determination to succeed against all odds. Tupac also uses this metaphor to reflect on his own struggles and achievements, saying that despite his past mistakes and failures, he should be recognized for his ability to rise above them and become successful.
The song's chorus is spoken by poet Nikki Giovanni, who emphasizes the message of the song that nature can still thrive in the harshest environments. She talks about how the rose grew from concrete, something that is not commonly associated with growth and life. She also mentions that the rose learned to walk without feet, which is another metaphor for overcoming obstacles and adapting to challenging situations.
The song is a tribute to Tupac's resilience and determination to succeed despite the odds stacked against him. It is also a message to anyone who has ever faced adversity or hardship to keep pushing forward and not give up.
Line by Line Meaning
You try to plant somethin in the concrete, why'knowhatImean?
Have you ever tried to plant something in a seemingly impossible environment? That's what growing up in these conditions was like.
If it GROW, and the and the rose petal got all kind of scratches and marks, you not gon' say, 'Damn, look at all the scratches and marks on the rose that grew from concrete.' You gon' be like, 'Damn! A rose grew from the concrete?!'
If something beautiful grows out of rough circumstances, we should be impressed by its growth instead of focusing on the imperfections created by its struggle.
Same thing with me, why'knahmean? I grew out of all of this. Instead of sayin, 'Damn, he did this, he did this,' just be like, 'DAMN! He grew out of that? He came out of that?' That's what they should say, why'knowhatImean?
I too have grown out of difficult circumstances, so instead of criticizing me for things I've done in the past, be impressed by my progress and how far I've come.
All the trouble to survive and make good out of the dirty, nasty why'knowhahatImean unbelievable lifestyle they gave me. I'm just tryin to make somethin..
Despite the hardships of my upbringing, I am trying to use my experiences to create something positive.
When no one even cared. The rose it grew from concrete. Keepin all these dreams. Provin nature's laws wrong. It learned how to walk without havin feet. It came from concrete.
The rose growing from concrete is a metaphor for people who thrive despite being in an oppressive environment, learning to thrive and survive against the odds.
Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Provin nature's laws wrong it learned how to walk without havin feet. Funny it seems but, by keepin its dreams, it learned to breathe FRESH air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared. No one else even cared... The rose that grew from concrete.
The power of the rose growing from concrete protected by all, breathing fresh air and keeping its dreams despite its incongruous surroundings.
You see you wouldn't ask why the rose that grew from the concrete had damaged petals. On the contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity. We would all love it's will to reach the sun. Well, we are the rose - this is the concrete - and these are my damaged petals. Don't ask me why, thank God nigga, ask me how! Hahahaha..
Just like the rose that overcame its environment, we too should admire people's resilience despite their struggles, even if it causes them to have visible scars and imperfections.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Femi Ojetunde, Jamal Joseph, Royal Bayyan, Tarik Bayyan, Tupac Shakur
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mariannekonecny2335
Everytime I going through hard times in my life, I always remember about this poem written by Tupac., and makes me strong, " We are the Roses, and this is the Concrete, and these are my damaged Petals" Thank you Pac!
@corakiphart8576
Amen amen and AMEN 🌹
@mizzmia18
I love you Tupac. Thank you! You are the first person my husband wants to meet in the afterlife. ❤
@forcey6983
Modern poetry, in so called "non modern" times... Legendary icon 🙏🏽
@corakiphart8576
🌹🌹 so misunderstood while he was alive, such a brilliant man. His music and poems have helped me navigate some really hard shit. Wish you were still here Tupac.
@md-imperialconstruction2394
i love those i listened to this when i was fifteen in 2002 had no mother or father now i am 36years i am running my own firm. 'PROVING NATURE LAW IS WRONG"
@JohnDoe-nw3vh
MD: So good to hear great news. May your success continue.
@Landmark207
Respect bro
@nobody.1954
Ayy,im fifteen.
@scgeechiegoddessasha6843
Isn't It FuNNy How LiFe Gives Us So Many Different Obstacles, So many Bumps in the Road, So Much Pain And Heartache, So Many Trials and tribulations And So So Many Moments that you feel So Alone And Disappointed Even in the Midst Of A Room Full of People. We WEEP FOR WHAT IS BUT WE ALSO WEEP FOR WHAT IT COULD'VE BEEN...NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDING THAT 1 DAY NOT HAVING PARENTS, SIBLING, A STABLE HOME, GOING TO BED HUNGRY EVERY NIGHT ETC WAS BUILDING YOU UP SPIRITUALITY, PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY BC YOU SEE IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU, YOU WERE DESTINED FOR GREATNESS THE 2ND YOU CAME FROM YOUR MOTHERS WOMB; IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS NOW YOU KNOW IT 💪🏽😚😁💗 BE BLESSED❗❗