To them, Tupac is a symbol that being young, marginal, and black does not necessarily mean also being powerless. Listening to his songs, males and females alike find a shared refrain in survival and pride, echoing their personal defiance against racism, violence, and poverty in Tupac’s own voice. Take 36-year-old Kelly (names have been changed ), for instance, who started going by the nickname “Tupac” at the age of 14. Like other study participants, she lives in a community where jobs are scant, government services are inadequate, and violence is common. Driven from her home by a physically abusive stepfather, Kelly had to find a way of surviving on streets ruled by the powerful 28s gang. “I used to listen to Tupac’s songs, all his numbers.
He was almost like a motivation for me,” she said. And I used to wear my bandana like him, and a diamond in the nose.
