Ricardo Moss
Eng. 113-A
Ms. Jennings
Tupac Shakur, the Rose That Was
“The Rose That Grew from Concrete,” a poem by the late Tupac Shakur, is a poem that parallels Tupac’s life from early childhood until his death and beyond. The concrete representing the struggles and hardships that were a part of Tupac’s earlier days. The rose represents Tupac and his determination to make something of himself against all odds.
Tupac Shakur, born Lesane Parrish Crooks on June 16, 1971, spent the majority of his youth in New York City where he was born. In Tupac’s poem the concrete symbolizes his early childhood and the struggles that were a part of growing up. Tupac’s father was absent for most of his life, according to the (urbandictionary.com). Tupac did not meet his biological father, Billy (William) Garland, until after he was shot five times on November 30, 1994, in New York City.
Tupac would eventually incorporate the “thug life” persona in his life which would lead Tupac on a downward spiral of misfortunes. Mikal Gilmore, in Rolling Stones article characterizes Tupac as “perhaps the most despised man in America.” Gilmore goes on to describe the late rapper’s music as being merciless and condemned by some of Americas most powerful people (Glimore102-104).
Tupac would eventually end up in jail for sexual assault which would not be his last brush with the law. Between Tupac’s vision of what the concrete symbolizes and what was instilled in him from a mother and step father that were members of the Black Panther’s movement, Tupac would eventually battle an inner demon that would ultimately lead to his death. Tupac, in his poem, writes “Proving nature’s law wrong it learned to walk without feet” this can used as a mirror image of Tupac’s success. Tupac success was his gift and his curse, while on one hand he used his determination to make a better life for himself and his family, on the other hand; that same success created many obstacles in his life that eventually became too much to overcome.
Tupac’s inner struggle is evident in so many instances; the contradictions were manifested in his life as well as in his music. Michael Eric Dyson in his “Black Issues Book Review,” says “How could the same artist--or, given the unwilling suspension of disbelief, same man-- encourage women to keep their heads one moment and then quickly pelt them with harsh epithets? How could he proclaim peace while carrying the sword?”(Dyson 14-18). Tupac had a softer side that most of his readers and listeners rarely had a chance to see, until after his death, because of the magnification of the wrong he did. Dyson refers to Tupac’s softer side when he mentions, “Tupac’s language was inflamed with love for the desperate.” Dyson backs this up with reference to several of Tupac’s verse in the song “If My Homie Call,” when Tupac identified one source of suffering low-wage work without benefits: “My homie is making it elsewhere/ Striving, working nine to five with no health care.” (Dyson 14-18).
In 1994 Tupac had become the victim of a robbery in New York, which resulted in his being shot five times. Tupac began to live with a chip on his shoulder, and it was after this incident that Tupac really made a change, for the worst, that he lived out until his death.
Gilmore alludes to this time period in his article when he speak about Tupac’s song “Hit’ Em Up,” which is a song to Sean “puffy” Combs and Christopher “Biggie Smalls” Wallace known also as B.I.G, whom he believed set him up. "I fucked your bitch/You fat motherfucker," referring to a rumor about himself and B.I.G.'s wife, Faith Evans (Gilmore102-104). This was a verse out of the song that leads to a coastal rival, Tupac living in California and Biggie Smalls living in New York, which many people believe to be a contributing factor in Biggie Small's as well as Tupac’s death.
One can easily be misled by Tupac’s lyrics versus his life, and the same could be said from the perspective of his life versus his lyrics; it’s almost as if he lived a double life. So much of Tupac’s life and lyrics are an oxymoron. It is amazing: How can someone so good be so bad? How can someone so positive be so negative? How can someone so enlightened be so ignorant? Eventually, Tupac would become his own worst enemy. Gayle’s statement sums it up very well when she states “Life should not imitate art. Art is only a perception, an abstraction, often one-sided, and always confusing to those who did not create it.” Tupac’s vision when writing “The Rose That Grew from Concrete” was accomplished in his success as a writer, rapper, and actor. However, Tupac lost that vision somewhere along the way (Gayle 12).
Tupac’s mentioning of “long live the rose that grew from concrete can be surmised in the following statement.” Gayle states “Too many young black men die because they didn't learn the valuable lessons in time. Simple lessons, that don't involve expensive textbooks, blackboards or a teaching certificate. The only things required are quiet space, sincere interest and a lot of love and respect for one's life (12).” Tupac loved a lot of things in life, sadly though, it seems in the end it was himself that needed his love most, and unfortunately, Tupac chose to reject himself. “Tupac’s ability to accomplish all that he had, in life and after death sums up the stanza, “Funny it seem by keeping it’s dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air.” Tupac had lived his life in stages; his writings were often in parallel to where he was in life and how he was living. In the end his writings became darker, negative and violent. Sadly as it may seem Tupac’s death reflected exactly where his writings were in his time of death.
Ironically, Tupac’s life after death suits his poem perfectly. Tupac as an artist has generated more income and sold more albums since his death. Dyson states reasons why Tupac continues to be even more popular in in death than in life as “his thug - revolutionary- artiste persona, which resonates in our occasionally barren pop-artiste epoch (102-104).” Tupac will be an American name that will continue to mesmerize those who study his lyrics and poetry in the same way like Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Jimmie Hendrix, and so many others that have left a mark on their followers. Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk without having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams,
It learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
When no one else ever cared. Tupac’s rise and demise can be found in the words above, love him or hate him one thing is for sure “the Rose That Grew from Concrete” will be talked about and analyzed long after we are gone.

Works Cited
Dyson, Michael Eric “Black Book Review” Sept/Oct 2006 vol.8 issue 5, 14-18 Web. 23 Sept. 2012
Gayle, Bridgett New York Times Amsterdam News 9/28/96 vol. 86 issue 39 12 Web. 23 Sept. 2013
Gilmore, Mikal “Rolling Stone” 11/16/2006 issue 1013 102-104 Web. 23 Sept. 2013
Urbandictionary.com Web. 26 Sept. 2013