Response to Charmaine Goodwin, on Tupac:

Charmaine - I think you might like this photo. Like you, I also didn't grow up with the Virgen de Guadalupe, but Tupac was a major part of my childhood.

Nas, (early) Kanye, and J.Cole have kept hip-hop alive, but, arguably, they don’t compare to Tupac. Sometimes, I wish that he was still alive; perhaps, then, rap wouldn’t be dead. Too often, there is too much focus on his ‘thug life’ mantra and, so, his work is overlooked. It is a shame, really, because it was genius. Tupac was passionate about theater and literature – a poet, really. His ‘thug’ persona was bred out of method acting, if you will. He was raised by members of the Black Liberation Army, while his mom served time in jail for her involvement, so much of what he wrote was political, for equality. Despite the ‘thug life’ printed across his chest, “Dear Mama” and “Keep Ya Head Up” showed his soft side.