# TuPac Lyrics, What do YOU think...??



## CookieMonsterMommy (Oct 15, 2002)

I've been talking and lurking in many TAO and Activism tribes, and this isht has me thinking....Anyways, Just wanted to know what you all thought about these lyrics by TuPac Shakur (one of his classics, not the "weaker" hip-hoppy club tunes). He was very much a lyrical activist, for both the poor and the black community, as you can read here. (if you've never heard this song, I suggest listening to it as you read the lyrics, the beat and chorus make it more powerful)

I bolded the parts that mean something to me (personally), but feel free to comment on any part of him and his lyrics, and quote if you'd like. Are you familiar with this song? Do you agree/disagree? Which parts affect you or make you think?

Tupac Lyrics

Keep Ya Head Up Lyrics

[Verse One:]Some say the blacker the berry, the
sweeter the juice
I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots
I give a holler to my sisters on welfare
Tupac cares, if don't nobody else care
And I know they like to beat ya down a lot
When you come around the block brothas clown a lot
But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up
Forgive but don't forget, girl keep your head up
And when he tells you you ain't nuttin don't believe him
And if he can't learn to love you you should leave him
Cause sista you don't need him
And I ain't tryin to gas ya up, I just call em how I see em
You know it makes me unhappy
*When brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
I think it's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies, that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one*
So will the real men get upI know you're fed up ladies, but keep your head up
[Chorus]
[Verse Two:] I remember Marvin Gaye used to sing to me
He had me feelin like black was tha thing to be
And suddenly the ghetto didn't seem so tough
And though we had it rough, we always had enough
I huffed and puffed about my curfew and broke the rules
Ran with the local crew, and had a smoke or two
And I realize momma really paid the price
She nearly gave her life, to raise me right
And all I had to give her was my pipe dream
Of how I'd rock the mic, and make it to the bright screen
*I'm tryin to make a dollar out of fifteen cents
It's hard to be legit and still pay tha rent*
And in the end it seems I'm headin for the pen
I try and find my friends, but they're blowin in the wind
Lastnight my buddy lost his whole family
It's gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity
*It seems tha rain'll never let up
I try to keep my head up, and still keep from gettin wet up
You know it's funny when it rains it pours
They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor*
*Say there ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is ain't no hope for the future*
And then they wonder why we crazy
I blame my mother, for turning my brother into a crack baby
We ain't meant to survive, cause it's a setup
And even though you're fed up
Huh, ya got to keep your head up
[Chorus]
[Verse Three:]*To all the ladies havin babies on they own
I know it's kinda rough and you're feelin all alone
Daddy's long gone and he left you by ya lonesome
Thank the Lord for my kids, even if nobody else want em
Cause I think we can make it, in fact, I'm sure
And if you fall, stand tall and comeback for more*
Cause ain't nuthin worse than when your son wants to know why his daddy don't love him no more
You can't complain you was dealt this hell of a hand without a man, feelin helpless
*Because there's too many things for you to deal with
Dying inside, but outside you're looking fearless
While tears, is rollin down your cheeks
Ya steady hopin things don't fall down this week
Cause if it did, you couldn't take it*,
And don't blame me,I was given this world I didn't make it
And now my son's getten older and older and colder
From havin the world on his shoulders
While the rich kids is drivin Benzes
I'm still tryin to hold on to my survivin friends
*And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but please... you got to keep your head up*

This song always makes me cry, and even just reading the lyrics is getting me all teary, because while it is hopeful (especially the chorus and the end), it just reminds me of how much life can suck.


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## lotusdebi (Aug 29, 2002)

I haven't heard the song, but I like the lyrics a lot. I think TuPac speaks much truth here, truth that needs to be heard not only by the black community, but by everyone.

Quote:

And I know they like to beat ya down a lot
When you come around the block brothas clown a lot
But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up
Forgive but don't forget, girl keep your head up
And when he tells you you ain't nuttin don't believe him
And if he can't learn to love you you should leave him
Cause sista you don't need him
I like this. It's about women being strong through all that they go through with men, and knowing when to leave. It reminds me of many strong black women I've known.

Quote:

You know it makes me unhappy
When brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
I think it's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies, that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
So will the real men get up I know you're fed up ladies, but keep your head up
Most of this is towards men, not women. Telling men to start respecting women, rather than treating them bad. Women give life. Women gave the men life, and men keep forgetting that. Men teach kids to disrespect women, to order women about. TuPac calls out for real men (the men who respect women and take responsibility for their kids) to get up, and the women to stay optimistic, cuz real men are out there. I liked this a lot. I was sitting here, reading it, nodding my head. I would hope that TuPac would be a strong enough influence to get through to some of the guys out there.

Quote:

I remember Marvin Gaye used to sing to me
He had me feelin like black was tha thing to be
And suddenly the ghetto didn't seem so tough
And though we had it rough, we always had enough
I huffed and puffed about my curfew and broke the rules
Ran with the local crew, and had a smoke or two
And I realize momma really paid the price
She nearly gave her life, to raise me right
And all I had to give her was my pipe dream
Of how I'd rock the mic, and make it to the bright screen
TuPac remembering his childhood, and the good times. How he felt empowered by Marvin Gaye. How his neighborhood was just his neighborhood, and not so bad. How he hung out with his friends, just like people in the burbs. And how his mom only asked for him to have a goal, a dream, a plan to get out of the ghetto.
This actually reminds me of how I grew up. I lived in what many in the DC area call "the ghetto", but it was just where I lived, and what I knew. I can only compare it now to other places I've lived. It could have been worse, it could have been better, but it's all that I knew at the time.

Quote:

I'm tryin to make a dollar out of fifteen cents
It's hard to be legit and still pay tha rent
And in the end it seems I'm headin for the pen
I try and find my friends, but they're blowin in the wind
Lastnight my buddy lost his whole family
It's gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity
It seems tha rain'll never let up
I try to keep my head up, and still keep from gettin wet up
And here's the bad side of the ghetto. Losing friends and family to violence. Watching other friends lose themselves to drugs and gangs. Trying to work within the law, hold onto your integrity, and make enough money to survive.

The line, "And in the end it seems I'm headin for the pen" just made me think about how many young black men must think the same thing. It seems so hopeless when you're stereotyped, when the cops do so much racial profiling, and when you're surrounded by illegal activities - and often pressured into them from a young age on. No matter how hard you try, it can be nearly impossible to escape from the ghetto, and the ghetto life. Even if you get out of the ghetto, do you ever get the ghetto out of you?

Quote:

You know it's funny when it rains it pours
They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor
Say there ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is ain't no hope for the future
And then they wonder why we crazy
I blame my mother, for turning my brother into a crack baby
We ain't meant to survive, cause it's a setup
And even though you're fed up
Huh, ya got to keep your head up
People in the black community, especially in the ghettos, aren't even a blip on a politician's radar. They don't count. They don't matter. They're the unwanted. So, the government doesn't care about feeding or housing them. They would rather spend money on killing people in other countries, than on saving people in their own country. Especially poor black people. It is a setup. I totally believe there's a racist conspiracy going on. But TuPac says to keep your head up even though you're sick of it. I wish I knew the secret to that!

Quote:

To all the ladies havin babies on they own
I know it's kinda rough and you're feelin all alone
Daddy's long gone and he left you by ya lonesome
Thank the Lord for my kids, even if nobody else want em
Cause I think we can make it, in fact, I'm sure
And if you fall, stand tall and comeback for more
Cause ain't nuthin worse than when your son wants to know why his daddy don't love him no more
You can't complain you was dealt this hell of a hand without a man, feelin helpless
Because there's too many things for you to deal with
Dying inside, but outside you're looking fearless
While tears, is rollin down your cheeks
Ya steady hopin things don't fall down this week
Cause if it did, you couldn't take it,
And don't blame me,I was given this world I didn't make it
And now my son's getten older and older and colder
From havin the world on his shoulders
While the rich kids is drivin Benzes
I'm still tryin to hold on to my survivin friends
And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but please... you got to keep your head up
Running out of time, so I'll finish this up.

This was another shout-out to the single mamas. They struggle to survive, and keep their kids alive. The show strength, even though they're falling apart inside. One thing after another goes wrong, and they have to keep going. They're living the only existence they can. They're watching their kids grow up without a father, become older and colder from all their responsibilities. They're trying to hold onto any friends who haven't been killed yet. Meanwhile, the rich (white) kids are driving nice cars, living the easy life.

This struck me as well. I wasn't aware of how easy many people have it until I moved to an all-white neighborhood for college. I lost four friends my senior year - two to direct violent acts. I know that's not nearly as bad as many places, and I'm not trying to say it is. The place I moved to for college had no violent crime to speak of. People there couldn't imagine hearing gunshots in the middle of the night. Different worlds for different races, it seems.

Just my take. Sorry if I offend. Naptime, so I can't immediately clarify anything!


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## Eric (Mar 26, 2003)

I think Tupac is awesome, and my brother and my friends and I always talk about him and how he didn't call women bitches and how he respected people, and wasn't some stupid rapper. I thought he was a great person.


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## LavenderMae (Sep 20, 2002)

I never listened to Tupac (maybe I should), so I have never heard that song. Reading it made me cry , very powerful.

Quote:

When brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
I think it's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies, that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one










Quote:

And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but please... you got to keep your head up


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## darsmama (Jul 23, 2004)

Honestly, I never read any of Tupac's lyrics. I didn't know he didn't talk down to women either. I have heard two of his songs, one thanking his mother and the other song "Changes". I liked both of them, just never listened to the rest of his music.

Those lyrics are actually really emotional.


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## MamaAllNatural (Mar 10, 2004)

Tupac was always deep and prophetic. I love that song. There are a couple of his songs that get me teary eyed every time I hear them. He had some amazing things to say.

It's such a shame that his life ended so violently and at such a young age. I was a little







to see the first thing after his death was his new video that he'd made right before, "I aint mad at ya" with him...dead.







Seriously, everything he said in that song was like he was speaking from the other side.







:

Thanks for sharing Kelly


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## Heart.Revolution (Apr 30, 2004)

Don't forget about his book titled "the rose the grew from concrete" a collection of writings.


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## daricsmami (May 18, 2004)

Phew!

I thought this thread was going to be anti-Tupac.

Anyway, as much as I love him, he has said stereotypical and sexist things about women. He's not all puppy dogs and rainbows. I don't consider him the best rapper. But, he was (is) the most "lyrical" and political rapper that was also mainstream.

If anyone's interested, there was a documentary about him (not the one that recently was out in theatres), but I forget the name. I'm sure you can google it. Anyway, it was discussing how brilliant he was as a child. Many people, not just his fans, but people that could be unbiased, thought he was a genius. He was very educated (personally educated, not formally). It's so sad his life turned out the way it did. The music he started making was really pop-y and commercial, had no messages, and was getting more and more misogynistic (sp?). I think he really got caught up in showbiz.

Anyway, enough of my rambling...


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## PurpleBasil (Jan 28, 2004)

bump


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## mamadawg (Jun 23, 2004)

awww...I like those lyrics. I haven't hear the song, but I'm downloading it right now. I'm not into rap, but I love Tupac. I also love "Dear Momma." I used to listen to it when I was pregnant & it made me cry.


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## sadie_sabot (Dec 17, 2002)

I got inton Tupac a little after being in jail and seeing how much the young african american women valued him.

there's a compilation of The Rose That Grew from Concrete, it's other people singing Tupac's poetry, it's amazing. Lot of different musical styles, and amazing words. So I was surprised to listen to some of his othernstuff and hear alla the bitches and ho's stuff.

I also saw his mom at an event to benefit Mumia Abu Jamal, this was not too long after his death, and she was fierce, and she was bitter. I knew nothing about Tupac at that point, other than that my dp's students liked him, but she made me cry.

oh yeh, also while I was in jail, Nikki /giovani, poet, ****, and educator, came and talked to us, she showed us her tattoo inhonor of Tupac--says "Thug Life" down her forarm. I thought, if alla these young women AND this amazing poet and antiracism activist all think Tupac was the bomb, he must have beeen...


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