Trapped Trapped Trapped on No Such Path
Tupac’s song Trapped By Tupac brought out the prejudice surrounding minorities in America. Tupac was a rapper who grew up in the toughest streets of America and saw many things. A certain lifestyle can be a trap because of the high crime rate in low-income areas and the racism still prevalent in America. This world is not for everyone. Tupac composed this song to share his struggles and thoughts with a wider audience. Tupac referred to this “community” as the black community. His lyrics describe it as a place where everyone is responsible, violent, careless and each man for themselves. Tupac was still surrounded by violence, even though he immersed himself in the music. To sum it all, where you come is irrelevant. What you do in your life will determine your success.
The song opens with Tupac declaring, “You Know They Got Me Trapped in This Prison of Seclusion.” Living on the streets is not happiness. This statement negates any claim that the “thug” life is glamorous. The rate of gang violence in America was high at the time the song was released. After hearing Tupac’s song and reading the lyrics, it felt like I was being led through the streets by him. It’s amazing that he used lyrics to describe being trapped. It seems like “trapped”, which can be taken to mean two things, is what I think it means. Trapped means trapped in the street where he’s from and his skin. In the song, Tupac states that he cannot walk the streets of a city without a cop asking him his identity. He is a black man who has lived in “the street” for many years and will continue to be a target of police officers. Tupac isn’t just singing about himself. He’s also rapping a lot about similar situations that can happen across the country to many types of people, many races. Tupac claims that “then” he said that he was done with the rap. He saw a better way, one that was rich and famous and free from the gangs as well as the cops he knew. He knew what he wanted and decided to stick with it. You cannot change the financial environment you’re born into. There are many opportunities to make your future brighter. Michael De Groote writes about how people can change their mindsets and live in better situations than the ones they were raised in. The article states that 19% of those who were born in the lowest fifth of income reach the middle age. Nine percent make the fourth highest and only four percent rise to the top fifth. There are many things people can do to improve their lives, including education, saving money, and dual earnings. While the article acknowledges the importance of race in achieving success, they also state that whites were twice as likely to leave fifth income bracket than blacks. The statistics are dependent on many variables. You will have greater success if you are determined and take advantage of every opportunity and tool available. Listening to Tupac’s “Trapped” helped me understand the emotions one might feel growing up on the streets. Tupac’s poetic portrayal of violence and racism is a powerful way to connect with an audience. His words are true and still have an impact on people.
It was possible for Tupac to get out of the world of racism, violence, and hate to be successful and create his own success. It didn’t really matter where he was from, what mattered was that he was able escaped and make his dream come true.
