Topic > A view of Tupac Shakur's racial discrimination as explained in his song Trapped

Trapped Trapped Trapped On No Such PathIn Tupac's song Trapped, Tupac created a song that brought to light the vast amount of prejudice surrounding communities of minorities in America. Tupac was a rapper who came from the rough and tough streets and witnessed many things. Because of the amount of crime that typically comes from low-income neighborhoods and the racism that ran and continues to run deep in America, one can become trapped in a certain lifestyle. This is a world where unfortunately, if you are a minority, you have to work hard to prove your worth. Tupac wrote this song because he knew his struggles and mindset could relate to a larger audience. This “community,” by which he refers to the black community, was a place that Tupac described through his lyrics, where it was careless, abusive, and every man for himself. However, even as Tupac immersed himself in the music, he was still surrounded by the violence that raged in the streets. Having said that, I would like to argue that it doesn't matter where you come from, it matters what paths you have chosen in life that create your success. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. Tupac begins the song by stating, “You know they trapped me in this prison of isolation. Happiness, living on the streets is an illusion.” This is a statement that negates any claims that would paint the “thug life” in a glamorous way Gang-related violence was extremely high in the United States at the time this song was released it was very real to him, and after listening to the song and analyzing the lyrics, I felt like they were taking me to the streets with him. It's amazing to hear the lyrics he wrote to describe being trapped and labeled as a minority,. and then looking at the timeline of his life and really seeing how successful he was. I think the word “trapped” has two meanings, in the sense of trapped “in the streets” where he comes from and trapped in his own skin states that he "can barely walk the streets of the city without a cop harassing me, frisking me, and then asking me for my identity." Since Tupac is a black man living "on the streets", he will always be a big target for the police. Tupac isn't just rapping about himself, he's rapping about many of the same cases that happen across the nation to many different types of people, many different races. Tupac raps, "then I said I'd had enough, there's gotta be another way, a way out to money and fame, I changed my name and played a different game, tired of being trapped in this circle vicious". My thesis is that Tupac was trying to find a way out. He recognized that there was a better life out there, a life with money and fame and far from the gangs and cops he had always known. He had an idea in his head and decided not to give up. Rich among the rich, or very poor, you cannot do without the financial situation you were born into. However, with the opportunities around you, depending on what you do with them, you can create a bright future for yourself. The article titled “Getting Unstuck: Why Some People Get Out of Poverty and Others Don’t” by Michael De Groote, talks about the mindset or situations people can put themselves in to achieve a better quality of life than how they were raised. According to the article, “17% of those born in the lowest fifth of income make it to half that as adults. 9% reach the fourth fifth plus.