Outside of his most incendiary critics, Tupac Shakur is generally perceived as a socially conscious artist whose political credibility is located in his lyrical critiques of racism and his mother’s membership in the Black Panther Party. Popular and academic writers have failed to examine Tupac’s distinct political ideas and identifiable activism. This article serves as a prolegomenon to the necessary dialogue on the politics of Tupac Shakur. Drawing from interviews, public statements, and lyrical analyses, the author expands the discourse on Shakur’s contribution to the African American fight against racism and injustice.
Ayres, B.D., Jr. ( 1992, September 13). On Quayle’s list: A rapper and a record company. The New York Times, p. A21.
2.
Bastfield, D. ( 2002). Back in the day: My life and times with Tupac Shakur . Cambridge: Da Capo Press.
3.
Brown, T. ( 2005). Reaffirming African American cultural values: Tupac Shakur’s greatest hits as a musical autobiography. Western Journal of Black Studies, 29, 558-574.
4.
Bruck, C. ( 1997, July 7). The take down of Tupac. The New Yorker, 73, 46-65.
5.
Bynoe, Y. ( 2004). Stand & deliver: Political activism, leadership, and hip hop culture. New York: Soft Skull Press.
6.
Crouch, S. ( 1999). Straighten up and fly right: An improvisation at the podium. In W. Mosley et al. (Eds.), Black genius: African American solutions to African American problems (pp. 245-268). New York: Norton.
7.
Davey, D. ( 1991). The lost interview with Tupac Shakur. Hip Hop and Politics. Retrieved June 16, 2009, from www.hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com
8.
Dolbeare, K.M., & Dolbeare, P. ( 1973). American ideologies. Chicago: Mark Ham.
9.
Dyson, M.E. ( 2001). Holler if you hear me: Searching for Tupac Shakur. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
10.
Evergreen Copyrights. (2009). Tupac Shakur. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from www.evergreencopyrights.com/index.html
11.
hampton, d. ( 1997). The end. In M. Datcher & K. Alexander (Eds.), Tough love: The life and death of Tupac Shakur (pp. 62-63). Alexandria, VA: Alexander Publishing Group.
12.
Henderson, E. ( 1996, January). Black Nationalism and rap music. Journal of Black Studies, 26, 308-339.
13.
Interview w/ hip-hop icons father Dr. Mutulu Shakur. (1996, June 15). Retrieved October 27, 2008, from www.thuglifearmy.com/news/?id=2733
14.
Iwamoto, D. ( 2003, Summer). Tupac Shakur: Understanding the identity formation of hyper-masculinity of a popular hip hop artist. Black Scholar , 22, 44-49.
15.
Jones, J.T. ( 1993, November 3). Art or anarchy: Gun play spurs rap debate . USA Today, p. 1D.
16.
Jones, Q., III (Producer), & Spirer, P. (Director). (2002). Thug angel: The life of an outlaw [DVD]. Los Angeles: QD3 Entertainment.
17.
Joseph, J. ( 2006). Tupac Shakur: Legacy. New York: Atria Books.
18.
Karenga, M. ( 1980). Kawaida theory: An introductory outline. Inglewood, CA: Kawaida.
19.
Keeling, K. ( 1999, Summer). A homegrown revolutionary? Tupac Shakur and the legacy of the Black Panther Party. Black Scholar, 29, 59-64.
20.
Kitwana, B. ( 2003). The hip hop generation: Young Blacks and the crisis in African-American culture. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
21.
Monjauze, M., Cox, G., & Robinson, S. ( 2008). Tupac remembered. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
22.
Potash, J. ( 2007). The FBI war on Tupac Shakur and Black leaders. Baltimore, MD: Progressive Left Press.
23.
Pough, G. ( 2004). Seeds and legacies: Tapping the potential in hip hop . In M. A. Neal (Ed.), That’s the joint! The hip hop studies reader (pp. 283-289). New York: Routledge.
24.
Powell, K. ( 1998). All eyez on him. In Vibe Editors (Ed.), Tupac Amaru Shakur: 1971-1996 (pp. 79-80). New York: Three Rivers Press.
25.
Ro, R. ( 1999). Have gun will travel: The spectacular rise and violent fall of Death Row Records. New York: Broadway Books.
26.
Sargent, L.T. ( 1975). Contemporary political ideologies: A comparative analysis . Homewood, IL: Dorsey Press.
27.
Shakur, A., Toffler, V., and Gale, D., (Executive Producers ), & Lazin, L. (Director). (2003). Tupac: Resurrection [DVD]. Hollywood: Paramount.
28.
Shakur, A. ( 2001). Assata: An autobiography. Westport, CT: Lawrence Hill.
29.
Shakur, S. ( 1994). Taped audio recording with Tupac Shakur, California Pelican Bay State Prison. (Acquired from Greg Marshall, 2008)
30.
Shakur, T. ( 1991). Words of wisdom. On 2Pacalypse now [CD]. New York: Jive.
31.
Shakur, T. ( 1993). The streetz r deathrow. On Strictly for my N.I.G.G.A.Z. [CD]. New York: Jive.
32.
Shakur, T. ( 1999a). Letter to the president. On Still I rise [CD]. Santa Monica: Inter-scope Records.
33.
Shakur, T. ( 1999b). The rose that grew from concrete. New York: Pocket Books.
34.
Smith, R. ( 1992). Ideology: An enduring dilemma of Black politics. In G. Persons (Ed.) Dilemmas of Black politics (pp. 211-224). New York: HarperCollins .
35.
Steyn, M. ( 1996, November). Bozo in the hood. American Spectator, 29, 56-59.
36.
The Talking Drum. (2008). Interview with Sekou Odinga. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from www.thetalkingdrum.com/bla1.html
37.
Tupac Shakur urges rap fans to vote. (1996, September 2). Jet Magazine, p. 23.
38.
Umoja, A. ( 2006). The Black Liberation Army and the radical legacy of the Black Panther Party. In J. L. Jeffries & T. M. Morris (Eds.), Black Power in the belly of the beast (pp. 224-251). Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
39.
Verba, S., Schlozman, K.L., & Brady, H.E. ( 1995). Voice and equality: Civic voluntarism in American politics . Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
40.
Walters, R.W. ( 2003). White nationalism, Black interests: Conservative public policy and the Black community. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
41.
White, A. ( 1997). Rebel for the hell of it: The life of Tupac Shakur. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press.
