“To Live And Die In L.A. to Empire State Of Mind”

Listening to my Ipod today a familiar song came up from one of the greatest poets of all time, Tupac Shakur. Despite all the controversy surrounding this amazing character, or lack there of according to some, I like to think of Tupac in a more positive light; one that remembers his creative soul and not the fame that molded his rap career. To Live And Die In L.A. was more than just a song. I’m thinking of it more in the light of a snapshot of the minority struggle during the mid 90s. Tupac’s lyrics painted the picture of what it was like to live in the hood and actually love it! Despite all of the negativity that come with living in South Central L.A., Tupac said lets put it out there that I still love this place, despite what privileged America thinks!

There’s a correlation between To Live And Die In L.A and Empire State of Mind by hip hop artist Jay Z. An important transition takes place between hip hop in the mid 90s to hip hop in the 2000s. Tupac discusses the struggle. What its like to live in the so called projects. Highlights of laughing out on the corner and embracing other cultures that help create your neighborhood. Legal battles, highlighting the changes in laws that affected the fate of those charged with criminal acts are intertwined. To Live And Die In L.A. embraces the struggle, Jay Z’s Empire State of Mind moves us past the struggle and into the future of our dreams.

Now don’t get me wrong, Empire State of Mind definitely discusses the ups and downs to living in NYC. I like the way he also narrates a story of everyday life that many of his listeners are not able to connect with until listening to this song. Connecting the struggle with success, Jay Z lets us listen to what many of us are living everyday; the pursuit of our dreams. Sometimes we get so busy out here grindin’ we fail to remember that we too are living history.

The time frame of which these songs were written is a big factor in how the message was received. To Live And Die in L.A. was written in the shadows of the Rodney King trial and post riots in Los Angeles. It just goes to show that a true artist feels what the people feel, regardless of their status. Jay Z released Empire State of Mind soon after President Barack Obama came into office. The elation of this time comes through in his record and gives the listener a sense of what people are thinking; anything is possible, keep striving.

Peace and Blessings to All

Reedah