In the video “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” by Tupac the message that he portrays is that being a “gangsta” and a “thug” is a good thing because you will get money and have everything that you want. This video is about killing people and running away from the police. In the video Tupac is being accused of killing Biggie Smalls and he is sent to court to be put away in jail. He wants to show that it is ok to get in to trouble and be accused of killing someone because you can get more “Street Cred” which will make other gangsters respect you and fear you because of the things you are willing to do. The lyrics of this song are really simple all he talks about is being one of the most wanted and feared men in America. And that getting money is very easy when you are a thug. And also that you can do whatever you want because there is no one that can tell you what to do since you have money and power. The images that are used in this video are several ones that would want to make someone be just like Tupac. He flashes money everywhere and he has nice cars, he parties in clubs in the V.I.P room with all the champagne and women that anyone would want. He is also in nice suits and has jewelry and he is smoking cigars it is just a lot of images of what you can have only if you are a wealthy person. The way Tupac moves in this video makes him seem like a cocky person, as if he were above the law. In the scene that they are in the court room he laughs and throws papers at the other lawyers. He acts like he invincible and no one can hurt or stop him. He counts his money and he just throws it around as if he had an unlimited supply of it. His body movement is what makes him seem like he does not care about what anybody thinks and says about it because he believes that he will always have the last laugh at the end of the day. At the end of the video you see cop van driving fast down an alley way and then it begins to swerve around and then it crashes. And when the door opens Tupac comes out smiling and acting like it was easy breaking out of the van and acts like the cops can no one else in the world can stop him. I am personally a fan of Tupac I enjoy his music but after analyzing this video I can see how the way Tupac talks and acts can give off a negative message to his fans and this can be a bad thing because he has a wide variety of fans they are all different ages including young kids who could take his song lyrics as something you need to do to have all the things that he has.
I agree with you. I notice a lot of rappers today, show off how much money they make and how no one can get in their way. So things haven’t really changed with today’s rap music. Tupac made many good songs. Some of his songs are explicit and have some violence and aren’t very appropriate for younger audiences. When rappers act that way in their music videos and on stage, it may put influence on the followers watching and listening to them. Many that look up to him in the “gangster” way think that they can do the same and get away with it. When fans watch music videos like the one of Tupac they may think that “hey if act’s that way and get’s money then so can I”. Others may watch the video and not be influenced by it in a bad way and other may. I guess it all depends on how you look at it and how you define bad. I think that when a rapper acts that way in their music video it draws a lot of attention and that may be a bad thing and become a conflict with other rappers and the media turns the heads at the rapper. Tupac has inspired many by his music and is known for being remembered as one of the biggest rappers worldwide. I’m sure Tupac had a lot of people that were offended by his music and by the way he portrayed himself in his songs, and may of caused a lot of problems for him. I like a couple of his songs and think they make a good point, but I’ am not influenced at all in any way by his music. I think rappers even today like Lil Wayne, T.I., and others brag a little too much about their money , cars, fast women, and how they got locked up for drugs. It is just a bad influence and many who listen to their music may try to do the same and think it’s cool. Many of Tupac’s songs are explicit and gang related. I guess it just depends on how a person takes it in. Unfortunately a lot of music selling today such as rap music is explicit and sings about drug use, violent language, and if it’s cool or not. Many younger audiences and even older audiences may be influenced by it and other may not. You made a lot of good points and did a very nice job on giving your opinion.
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