Special Features

Tupac's song "Changes" is one of 9 entries on the MySpace page for Pope Benedict XVI's album "Alma Mater: Music From The Vatican." (Check it out here.)

Father Giulio Neroni, artistic director of church publisher St. Paul's Multimedia, helmed the list, CNN reports. He also compiled the songs for the Pope Benedict XVI's featured Alma Mater album..

Some might question the Vatican's use of a song from such a controversial artist. The jailed rapper ultimately succumbed to violence when he was fatally shot in Las Vegas in 1996.

Please forgive the title of this article, but know that it is simply my idea of what the late Tupac Shakur whould have said if he knew this was happening. That, my friends is the ONLY thing that I will apologize for in this entry. Frankly, I don't even know where to begin with this one. I will try to control my stream of consciousness and profanity to make a coherent and well reasoned post. I said TRY. I am not making any promises.

First, let me post for you the lyrics to the the song chosen, "Changes"....

Come on come on
I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself
is life worth living should I blast myself?
I'm tired of bein' poor & even worse I'm black
my stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
Cops give a damn about a negro
pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares
one less hungry mouth on the welfare
First ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothers
give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other
It's time to fight back that's what Huey said
2 shots in the dark now Huey's dead
I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
unless we share with each otherWe gotta start makin' changes
learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers
and that's how it's supposed to be
How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
I'd love to go back to when we played as kids
but things changed, and that's the way it is
[Bridge w/ changing ad libs]
Come on come on
That's just the way it is
Things'll never be the same
That's just the way it isaww yeah [Repeat]
[2]I see no changes all I see is racist faces
misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under I wonder what it takes to make this
one better place, let's erase the wasted
Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right
'cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight
and only time we chill is when we kill each other
it takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh
It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact
the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks
But some things will never change
try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game
Now tell me what's a mother to do
bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you
You gotta operate the easy way
"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
sellin' crack to the kid. " I gotta get paid,
"Well hey, well that's the way it is
[Bridge]
[Talking:]We gotta make a change...
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive.
[3]And still I see no changes can't a brother get a little peace
It's war on the streets & the war in the Middle East
Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs
so the police can bother me
And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do
But now I'm back with the facts givin' it back to you
Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up,crack you up and pimp slap you up
You gotta learn to hold ya own
they get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone
But tell the cops they can't touch this
I don't trust this when they try to rush I bust this
That's the sound of my tool you say it ain't cool
my mama didn't raise no fool
And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped& I never get to lay back
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs
some buck that I roughed up way back
comin' back after all these years
rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is uhh
[Bridge 'til fade]

There are two types of Tupac fans in the world, ones that love him and ones that love to hate him. Then, there are those of us who live in the real world. Tupac Shakur lived a life riddled with violence and hatred. His mother was a long standing member of The Black Panthers. He grew up in East Harlem, where is youth and innocence was stolen by the streets. I would advise anyone with any opinion at all on this man to read, at the very least, the information contained in Wikipedia. He is a poster child for the hatred that has consumed this country. His death, and his life speak to the violence and racism that still exists no matter who won this past election.

My personal opinion of Tupac Shakur is a complicated one. I am not a fan of the ganster rap genre. I find it to be hypocritcal in it's message and promoting of a lifestyle that inevitably leads to pain and death. The artists would tell you otherwise. Their claim is that they speak of their lives and experiences in the hopes of opening people's eyes to the violence and racism that they endure. This message, in their opinion, will lead others AWAY from that life, and make them understand that we need to rise above the pain of our pasts, and become one people. Bullshit. I might believe that if many of these rappers with millions of dollars had abandoned their ways of the past, but they have not. There is great pain contained within the lyrics of their music. It is a world that many of us cannot understand or relate to, but unfortunately, there are many who can. I have heard good people who have overcome the trappings of gang life spout on and on about how they love Tupac because he speaks for them, and their suffering. I do not understand this, nor will I ever have the life experience to have relatable feelings on the matter. Here is another example of Tupac's success as a mentor and role model...

Yeah nigga
Yo Pac (That's right)
Yo, I heard you got beat up by the police
Got a big fat lawsuit and everything (yeah)
Niggaz just wanna know if your still gonna be on some crooked ass nigga shit
[2pac Verse 1]Please tell me what's a nigga to do and it's true
Ain't nuttin' new so I do what I can to get through
Now first they had me trapped and now I'm pissed
A loaded AK47 layin on my hips so don't trip
One motherfucker from the underground
And Big Stretch buckin' niggaz if they fuck around
Yo, why ya'll got beef with police?
Ain't that a bitch them motherfuckers gotta beef with me
They make it hard for me to sleep
I wake up at the slightest peep and my sheets are 3 feet deep
I guess it's hard for you to see
But now I'm pointin the finger at police instead of motherfuckers blamin' me
I got the right to bear a pistol
And when them punk motherfuckers get to trippin' I got shit too
And maybe then you'll see the truth
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
[Chorus]It's all up to you
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
And maybe then you'll see the truth (awwwwww)
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
It's all up to you
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
And maybe then you'll see the truth (awwwwww) Oooh!
You can't fuck with the crew, a crooked nigga too
[2pac Verse 2]You know you really can't say that you blame niggaz
Fuck bein' tame, set a flame, tryin' to aim triggaz
2pac'll spark a revolution, fuck the constitution
I want my bucks for restitution
This time you got a bigger problem
Time to face the niggas from South Central, Oakland, Brooklyn and Harlem
And we ain't shootin' at each
other (fuck no), that's a motherfuckin' brother
So save two, run for cover
And other bitches from the clan
Come feel the wrath of a black man that doesn't smoke crack and
I don't drink St. Ides (fuck that!)
Genuine draft ganja ganja and my fuckin' Tec-9
They know their scared to see us sober (awwwww)
Cobra - And niggaz will take the world over
It's all up to you (up to you) Blame the Korean (fuck that)
I'll be a crooked nigga too
[Chorus]It's all up to you
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
And maybe then you'll see the truth (awwwwww)
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
It's all up to you
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
And maybe then you'll see the truth (awwwwww) Oooh!
You can't fuck with the crew, a crooked nigga too
[2pac Verse 3]Pardon me, ?? has been God and try me
I'll be damned if I die come look at the rage in my eyes G
They got my homies in a jail cell
Now it's the rebel and the devil and one of us is goin' to hell
I got the whole place covered with loc'ed out brothers
And nothing but love for eachother
So motherfucker make a motion
I give a fuck, slice you up, and throw your ass in the ocean
Temperatures drop
See it's cool to shoot a nigga but they hate it when we pop the cops
That's when they gettin' petrol
You better watch your step or you'll be left on deathrow
But I learned to look ahead of me
Stay strapped, watch your back, keep your eyes on the enemy
We blowin' up precincts and oooohhhh you can't fuck with the crew
A crooked nigga too
[Chorus]It's all up to you
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
And maybe then you'll see the truth (awwwwww)
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
It's all up to you
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
And maybe then you'll see the truth (awwwwww) Oooh!
You can't fuck with the crew, a crooked nigga too

Sorry folks, but this man was FAR FROM someone who should be considered a role model or a mentor. He died in the very life that he chose to die in. We all have choices in this world, and Tupac made his, and paid the ultimate price for it. Now, before you get all in a huff over my irreverence toward this man, listen to me. I see Tupac as an INCREDIBLE talent. His ability to speak to people and move them to empowerment is undeniable. He was a man of vast ability and drive. Tupac Shakur took what was an unbearable pain and made it into a billion dollar business. That is the American way. You take what you can, and you make the best of it. The only problem is, it was the best for HIM, not for society itself. He MAY have intended the lyrics to be heard and understood one way, but as with any art form, it is open for interpretation. Tupac may very well have killed more young men and women than he saved. We can only speculate on the true impact of this genre of music. I am not concerned for the suburban brats who sag their pants and hang his poster on the wall, I am concerned for the young men and women who live the same life as Tupac. I am concerned that their ability to relate to him, and his music will be their demise. There is an air of justification for their actions in his music. The words may sound as if they are carrying one message, but the whole composition itself holds quite a different effect. There is an anger and resentment that is apparent to anyone who listens and feels the music, not just reads the lyrics or turns the station when they hear the pounding baselines.

So, I read this article this morning about the Catholic Church including one of Tupac's songs as part of their My Space music list. I am stunned. I sat back in my chair and took a moment to think about what the motivation here must be. Well, it didn't take me long to come to the conclusion that Tupac and The Vatican have a shared motive. Money. I will, however, give credit where credit is due. I DO enjoy the fact that The Vatican just shot itself in the ass with their customer base. By that, I mean, how many good, white, racist Catholics just felt like they have been deeply betrayed? That gives me a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach to know that there are white mommies and daddies who will no longer allow their children to be on The Vatican's My Space page. I mean, it is ok for them to aknowledge artists like Tina Turner and Nat King Cole, after all, thems is good entertainment, quality, down home, obedient colored folks. But TUPAC SHAKUR??? Oh my, what would grandma say, assuming she even knew what My Space is. There it is, folks. My Space is a draw for the next generation. It is young, and has abandoned the backwards thinking generation that hates technology and the constant hustle and bustle of "kids today". Put very simply, they are trying a new recruiting method. It is brlliant in one way, and incredibly foolish in another. What the good perverts of the Vatican seem to forget is that racism still runs with vigor through the world. Do these morons think that just because Tupac was American and we now have a black president, that they are free to welcome a brotha into their ranks of morally upstanding and superior? NOPE! They are trying to show how "open minded" they are, and prove to the world that they are not the judgemental dickheads that we, without indoctrination, already know that they are? They have to be kidding, right?

Sadly, they are not kidding. They think that if they succumb to the pressures of the next generation and show how "hip and open minded" they are, their chances of recruiting are better. What an unbelieveable bunch of BULLSHIT! Let me remind all of you that this is the organization that dictates who can and cannot marry. They dictate what you can and cannot do with your own bodies. They STILL hold women as second class citizens within their ranks. This is all fine and good for the catholic, straight white male, but how in the name of FUCK, can one rationalize the life of a man like Tupac Shakur and the teachings of the Catholic church?

Hey fuckheads, yeah, you, Father whatever the fuck, are you completely insane? I will bold this part for you. TUPAC SHAKUR'S MUSIC WAS A REFLECTION OF GANG VIOLENCE. IT BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE SUFFERING AND DEATH OF THOUSANDS OF BLACK MEN AND WOMEN AT THE HANDS OF CORRUPT POLICE FORCES AND RACIST, HATEFUL WHITES! HE ALSO BROUGHT BLACK ON BLACK CRIME TO OUR ATTENTION, AND FED THE RACISTS WHO JUSTIFY THEIR DEATHS! HE WAS A MAN WHO WAS NEVER SILENT ABOUT HIS LOVE OF GOD AND HIS FAITH. HE DIED AT THE OTHER END OF A GUN ONLY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T SHOOT FIRST! HE HAS RECRUITED MORE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO FOLLOW HIM THAT YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE! BUT YOU, YOU FUCKING HYPOCRITE, THINK THAT YOU CAN MAKE ONE OF HIS SONGS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO LIVE, AND YET PREVENT GAY MEN FROM MARRYING EACH OTHER???? YOU ARE FUCKING INSANE!!!!

Come on, guys. Why no big press release and speech from the head of your band of goons on this WONDERFUL new acceptance to your ranks? OH, I know why, because you have a target audience and you DAMN WELL know better than to make it TOO public and lose your base. I can't even come up with a list of adjectives for what I think you are for pulling this stunt. You just keep bending the rules to fit what the times demand. You are doing whatever a good business does to keep up with the changing times. I can see that. Unfortunately, your bleating sheep cannot. If they can't see you for what you are, they are even more idiotic than I once thought. The Catholic church just made a man who lived his life based in money, crime, anger, theft, violence, rape, hatred, intolerance, greed, and blasphemy an example of what is good.

Hey, maybe I am being too hard on them. Maybe Father whatever the fuck REALLY sees the pure artistry and pain of the inner city black man. Maybe he sees the suffering of humanity through the lyrics of a dead gangster rapper. Maybe he, in his heart, knows that if Tupac had the opportunities provided to the middle class, white catholic he would still be alive and working as an accountant somewhere. Maybe he knows, all too well, the trappings of poverty and the anger that can arise from it. Maybe he sees that our youth is in desperate need of positive role models, and also has the ability to discern symbolism for reality. I highly doubt that last one. So do you, don't you Father whatever the fuck. As a matter of fact, that is what you are "banking on", isn't it? Maybe what you actually want is some of that money that they are spending on Tupac posters, and not in your organization. After all, if they take Tupac's lyrics literally, they will take your "lyrics" literally too.