The Vatican Lists Tupac Shakur's "Changes" on Its 12 Favorite Songs Playlist
Tupac Shakur Gets Heavy Rotation on Vatican's MySpace Playlist
Tupac's Changes
Released in 1998, Changes is a posthumous hit single from the late Tupac Shakur. This song hit the airwaves two years after Tupac was murdered and became an instant hit reaching number one on the U.S. Billboard rap charts and placed within the top 50 on various international billboard music charts. The song is a raw message about the struggles of young, black men in urban areas. In Changes Tupac tells of the yearning for racial equality and an end to poverty. The references to welfare, the late Black Panther leader, Huey Newton and acknowledgement that the America and the world of the 1990s were not ready for a black president, resounded heavy in the hearts of minorities across the nation.
Some of Tupac's Changes Realized
One of the changes Tupac hoped for was a black president in the U.S. Barack Obama is now the first black president of the United States. This change has been one that African-Americans have hoped for yet never though they would see in their lifetime. Unfortunately, Tupac Shakur was not able to see this momentous change occur during his lifetime. Another change that Tupac wanted to see was for others to "learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers" and December 2009 made a huge effort to this end.
The Vatican and Tupac Shakur are Strangers No More
The Catholic Church recognizing Tupac Shakur's changes and including it on its MySpace playlist is a huge step towards the hope for racial equality. Regardless of how one might feel about the Vatican and the Catholic Church as a whole, this institution is globally recognized and when it endorses something the world pays attention. Now with Tupac's Changes in rotation on the Vatican's MySpace playlist the world may begin to see Tupac as a brother and other African Americans as brothers instead of distant strangers.
RESOURCES
Amaru Entertainment. (2009, December 8). Tupac's 'Changes' Named As One of the Vatican's '12 Favorite Songs' for New MySpace Music Playlist. Retrieved December 9, 2009, from PR Newswire: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp;jsessionid=9FEB858EEB844F16AC0386C4D1D0155A.tomcat2?resourceid=4133226&access=EH
Lyrics to Tupac Shakur's Changes. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/2pac/changes.html
Published by ShawnTe Pierce - Featured Contributor in Beauty
ShawnTe Pierce is a freelance fashion designer, writer and editor with over a decade of professional experience in fashion, beauty, finance and Christian Studies. With a Bachelor's of Science in Apparel... View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentWow! Pac was a visionary.
The Vatican and Tupac...the world is a strange place!
Thank you ShawnTe. Sounds different than the Catholic catechism I was taught in 1960s childhood, in which Tupac could not have even gone to heaven and "seen God" (much less made this faves list), all because Tupac wasn't baptized Catholic and only Catholics could go to heaven, or so stated the priests and nuns. But I wonder if the new pope even knows about this. ~~~ mike ~~~
Great article. Didn't know the Vatican was on social media...will have to check it out. Happy holidays !