2pac & Being Real

To be consistent and calculated is not being real.  That is what a politician does. An Artist is someone that is real to the moment.  If he is angry, he is truly angry, if he is sad, he is truly sad, if he is happy, he is truly happy.  2pac did not hide himself and neither did Bruce, they were both real, almost as real as it gets in mainstream media, and that is why they both died early.  You quoted IT yourself in the first post, IT was saying that he would gladly die early to live with purpose.  2pac and Bruce Lee had purpose in their lives, that is why they ended up dying early.  A great life is not simply a life that is long lived.  A great life has substance and purpose.  Many great people died young but lived a life full of purpose.  2pac, Bruce Lee, Malcolm X, MLK Jr., Jesus, Socrates, Bob Marley, John Lennon, and others.

There are not that many real people in this world, there are many calculated people in this world but not that many real people.  The balance of yin/yang, the balance of White/Black.  Yes I eat healthy but I also eat unhealthy.  Yes I have love but I also have lust.  Yes I have happiness but I also have sadness. 2pac and Bruce shared both with the world.  Most others will only share one part, the good part, the accepted part of society.

IT will not put out music that objectifies women because it goes against his principles.  IT will not make a music video with ass and titties flaunted all over the video because it goes against his principles.  But IT sure doesn't have a problem swearing and using the N-word over and over again.  Many can criticize him for that.  He sets his own principles and he lives up to his own standards.

I don't really see him as a great Artist, I see rapping as his secondary craft.  His primary craft is to be a politician.  I see that his heart is in Politics, not music.  2pac's heart was in music 1st and politics second.

2pac died young only at age 25.  If any of us died at the age of 25, we would never be able to achieve what he had been able to achieve in such a short time.  Of course his expression was "immature" he was only 25!  He was being real to his age.  IT is much older, IT was definitely not an angel when he was growing up.  IT was bragging about his crimes before getting locked up.  With age, you will grow and become more mature.  Most people will say that the rap game is not for the old people.  The commercial rap world is about exploitation.  If you are not willing to exploit then you do not belong in the commercial rap world.

When you judge something as good or bad that is not the way.  The way is beyond judgement.  The balance is difficult to understand, most of us all will fall into extremes.  With 2pac you will find some "unenlightening music" but you will also find music like "Unitl the End of Time" "Changes" or "Dear Mama."  2pac expressed the violent and the peaceful in a creative and artistic way; that is why in my eyes he was a great Artist.  One of the realist Artists to ever make it mainstream.