Memorials
RIP Tupac Shakur
On, Friday, September 13, 1996 Tupac Shakur died of complications due to gunshot wounds he sustained on Saturday, September 7, 1996. Tupac was 25. At this time we extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mr. Shakur. We have created this area as a memorial to Tupac. Tupac Shakur known to his fans and the world as 2pac was one of the most memorable artists in music history. His untamed passion and ambition to achieve his goals are only parallel to the fearless and courageous warriors of times past. Although his exit from the physical world may be one of tragedy, his spirit will remain as reminder to the generation then and now to heed attentively the voice of the youth. To the generations after us: a historical icon of bravery and outspokeness. May you have a safe and peaceful journey Tupac, you will be missed.
RIP Eazy : E
Myths are the means by which human beings make sense of their world. So it is the image of a virulent, unrepentantly promiscuous Eazy-E that the world clings to. Eazy-E "the player" joins the ranks of "Haitian boat people," "faggots," and "junkies"-talismans that people think can protect them from the indiscriminate devastation of AIDS, a leading killer of young people in America. Sacrificed in the process is the complex image of Eric Wright as CEO, as father of rap's most influential genre, as contributor to the Republican Party, as poignant griot of urban angst. All that gone in order to sustain the myth of the "deserving" AIDS victim. When we attribute Eazy-E's March 26 death to a lack of morality, we also fall in step with America's historic predilection for demonizing black sexuality-whether it's the sexuality of innocent men lynched as rapists, teenage mothers, or women on welfare. Hip hop lyrics may often be sexually explicit, but they also promote safe sex more than any other musical form. The double standard says that half-naked brown girls at poolside are dangerous and irresponsible, while Kate Moss's nude picture on a bus or ZZ Top video babes are simply "hot." The obvious reason for all this is racism. But the less obvious motive is a debilitating misunderstanding of AIDS that stops people from getting tested, stops them from practicing safe sex, and leaves them clinging foolishly to fantasy. Eazy's final advice to the hip hop community that loved and supported him was that we "save [our] asses" by recognizing that "this thing is real and it doesn't discriminate." Respect the man's wishes: Do away with the myth. Eazy-E didn't get AIDS because he, or gangsta rap, is immoral. He got AIDS because he made unwise, unsafe choices-bad decisions we don't have to repeat. Joan Morgan