When you analyze the lyrics of the late rapper 2Pac's hit song Changes, it is easy to recognize that his intention in this song was to touch on the issues of racism that still exist in today's society. The lyrics relate directly to Lull's descriptions of hegemony, which he defines as "the power or dominance that one social group holds over others," (Lull, 61). The lyrics of the song emphasize the inequality that exists between whites and blacks and how economic status differences play a key role in how and why these inequalities continue to persist today. In the following verse, 2Pac very powerfully describes how the societal systems are set up so that the norms and stereotypes that revolve around blacks and black culture are able to persist:
"Cops give a damn about a negro. Pull the tirgger 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 and 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. Two 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 other. We gotta start makin' changes; learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers."
Like 2Pac, Lull also recognizes the problem with these perpetual processes of racism and inequality: "The dominant class sets the limits- mental and structural- within which subordinate classes 'live' and make sense of their subordination in such a way as to sustain the dominance of those ruling over them," (Lull, 62). Hegemony has unfairly caused people to become too comfortable with these racist views and actions that many claim as the norms of society. It has "allow[ed] groups privileged by norms to maintain and gain social power," (PowerPoint) and has therefore caused injustice toward minority groups. In Changes, 2Pac urges his listeners to change the way our society functions, and claims that it is essential to create more fair and equal societal norms in order to make our country a peaceful place.
While I would say that Changes is definitely successful and effective in exposing the corruption and racism within our society, I think it is important to also consider the negative consequences that this song could possibly have. 2Pac was clearly not trying to cover up the truth about his own race's negative behavior in modern society, but due to this attempt to "keep it real," (Rose) some could argue that he actually ended up endorsing some of the racist norms that he is arguing against. This is demonstrated in the line "it ain't a secret don't conceal the fact the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks."
I definitely do not believe that 2Pac would have ever intended for these lyrics to be interpreted as him dissing his own race, so this could possibly tie into the idea of critics taking lyrics too literally, (Rose, 37). When 2Pac says, "I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black, my stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch," this could be misinterpreted as him saying that he hates himself because he is black and that it is okay to steal when you're hungry. In reality, this line is meant to demonstrate 2Pac's frustrations with the negative stereotypes associated with his race.
Overall, I think Changes is an extremely powerful song that 2Pac wrote to contest the negative norms and stereotypes associated with blacks. When the song is interpreted correctly, I believe it has the ability to get people to open their eyes and their minds to the realities of the prejudices that exist in today's society in order to put a stop to them.
Citations:
Brown, Adriane. "Masculinity and Privilege." University Hall, Ohio State University. 23 June 2010. Lecture.
Brown, Adriane. "Hegemony and Femininity in Popular Culture." University Hall, Ohio State University. 22 June 2010. Lecture.
Lull, James. “Hegemony.” In Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-Reader. Eds. Gail Dines and Jean M. Humez. Sage Publications. 2003. 61-66.
Rose, Tricia. 2008. The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip-Hop and Why It Matters. Basic Civitas Books.
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