Tupac Shakur: An Analysis of His Contributions on Song Writing

Song writing, especially the hip-hop genre, would be decades behind if it had not been for Tupac Shakur. Still a source of inspiration, Tupac’s words transcend time barriers and the walls of locality; he is still an immensely popular figure in the rap world, and for good reason. Shakur wrote about some of the most prevalent and severe issues of his age, problems that have largely remained unchanged over years. Thusly, many, if not all, of Tupac’s rhymes are still applicable to society, and have the same affect on the listener as the very first day they were written. In fact, his insight into “thug life” and “growing up in ghetto” has been rewritten a thousand times over by modern artists. He directly accused the police of racial profiling, and the problem of drugs is a constant theme in a lot of his songs. Also, he often addressed street violence and underage pregnancies.

One of the most prolific rappers ever to write a verse, Tupac is ranked by critics and contemporaries as the greatest hip-hop artists in the genre’s history. His albums have sold over 67 million copies worldwide, making him the highest selling rapper ever. Most notably, his album All Eyes on Me went quintuple platinum, making the second largest number of opening week sales in the history of the music industry (behind The Beatles Anthology). Tupac brought a boldness to the art of hip-hop, an audacity and bravado against which all subsequent rappers measure themselves. He spoke candid truths about the world around him, and after making his bail from a New York prison, he promised a reformed and ethical lifestyle. This archetype of the rehabilitated rapper has been mirrored over and over again in recent years. Tupac set the bar for success as a hip-hop artist, and he set it high.