Sunday, April 11, 2010
Tupac Shakur Immortalized at Karamu in Cleveland
NYTimes.com: "“Eclipse: The War Between Pac and B.I.G.,” about Shakur’s troubled relationship with the Brooklyn rapper Notorious B.I.G. (also a victim of a drive-by shooting) and the rap mogul Suge Knight, is playing through next Sunday here at Karamu House, a predominantly black theater founded in 1915, where several Langston Hughes plays had their premieres."
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3 comments:
While it relieves me to hear that there are no plans for a 50 Cent musical, I wonder exactly how good a reception Tupac will receive. As mentioned in the article; Tupac, his music, and even his death are well, things of pop culture past to most people who a show about a rap icon would appeal to. What the article failed to mention about the Tupac posters pasted across many a rap lover's walls is that while Tupac may have been an incredible (I don't like rap, so I have to go on hearsay) artist, he was also heavily involved in the East/West Coast war. He's almost more famous for being gunned down and continuing to "release" CD's post mordum then for his actual work as a rapper.
It's interesting to see renditions of Tupac's story even now so many years after his death. It strikes me how people can relate to the events that occurred in his life and the deep meanings and themes of his work. I don't think that his work would be less appealing or celebrated had he not died young, however it seems convenient to see things in this light. Although he may be well-known for his posthumous album releases, particularly in our generation, many remember where they were when these events happened just as some remember September 11th, the JFK assassination, or when Obama became president. I don't think that an appreciation for rap is necessary to see how this story is appealing and relevant today. As the article points out, regardless of your personal taste, his story lends itself to theatricality.
I feel like this show delicately navigates in between the different parts of who Tupac was. The poet, the rapper, the gangster. I mean, its not like he lived the most innocent lifestyle and was shot out of the blue. No, he surrounded himself in the east coast/ west coast war and stirred up trouble. Not to say that he had it coming, but just that to portray him as a Jesus-like figure would be inaccurate. However, I think that this show acknowledges that and portrays his life poetically and accurately.
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