Impact of Tupac
Well known as one of the greatest musicians of all time, Tupac Shakur, a pioneer in expanded the brand of image of how a emcee is also a brand. One of the first rappers to not only drop a catalog full of hit records, he was also a phenomenal actor, involved in LA infrastructure, and well versed in politics. In the 90s, few were close to the pedestal Tupac was on but nobody was as well rounded as a creative talent he was in the hip hop industry. Normally, a artist back in his era would just drop music and leave it at that. His insight about a lot of current issues in today’s society indicate that he down research and put effort into using his platform for a bigger calling than just making classic music. He wanted to be a global icon and a giver for his community. Tupac, however, made the blueprint for emcees and music artists in general to brand themselves much more than their music.
Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, and Drake are two examples of Tupac’s influence. Besides from dropping music which is loved and adored by fans all over the world, each of them have expanded their brands and reached new heights. Drake acted on hit show Degrassi, starred in many commercials, invested in Toronto’s economics, and help build career’s of other artists in the game today. Kendrick Lamar has recently taken acting gigs, composed movie soundtracks, and help give back to his city to go along with dropping Pulitzer award winning music. J.Cole has help prison inmates getting their lives in order, started an anti drug campaign, build the brands of artists under his wing, and drop dope documentaries to go along with multiple album achieving platinum status with no features.
Many more emcees such as Jay Z, Chance The Rapper, Nas, and etc… have gone to build brands that showed that they were more than just an emcee but an overall brand. Tupac was one of the first pioneers who started this trend. Many speculate that if Tupac was alive, he would actually be much more involved into politics and other media arts. It’s a valid point and it shows that Tupac was ahead of his time and still is ahead of this time. Rest in peace!
Classic Tupac below
