Song Analysis One Essay: "Papa'z Song" By: 2Pac

 
 

Born on June 16, 1971, in New York City, Tupac Shakur, otherwise known as “2Pac”, grew up primarily in Harlem. In 1984 his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, then again in 1988 to Oakland, California. Tupac and his family moved a lot so it was hard for him to make friends. His first breakthrough in music came in 1991 as a member of the group Digital Underground. In the same year he received individual recognition for his album "2Pacalypse now," but this album was also the beginning of his notoriety as a leading figure of the gangster permutation of hip-hop, with references to cop killing and sexual violence. In life, different people portray struggle as all different things; In Tupacs, “Papa’z Song”, he portrays his life struggle as not having a father around and growing up with loneliness.

Throughout his songs, Tupac uses his choice of words carefully, especially in this song. While being blatant and focused, he’s trying to show us his pain and struggle without showing weakness. “Had to play catch by myself, what a sorry sight” here, is where he beings to show sorrow but as you can see he is comfortable with admitting to his misfortune by saying he remembers seeing himself playing alone. “the things I wouldn’t do to see a piece of family unity” again, here, he is showing that  not having a “perfect family” that he wants or as everyone else seems to have,  bothers him. He doesn’t just want a normal family with just anybody; he wants his father to step up to the plate.

Aside from Tupac showing his sorrow, and his pain; he exhibits his anger more than anything. To him, anger is an understatement; he’s more disgusted than anything. “I heard God don’t like ugly, well take a look at my family”. Tupac knows his family is nothing special, and here he is making sure the world is aware of it too. As most people were told as children, and adults, God is supposed to be portrayed as a figure that loves all and treats everyone and everything with equality. For Tupac to say that God himself is disgusted with his family, dismisses and ignores the world‘s beliefs and idea of God.

Tupac is very descriptive in giving a sense of what he sees through his eyes growing up, and how the absence of his father effects and damages the people and their feelings around him. For example, “Look at mama’s lonely smile”  not only is he telling the world about him being lonely, here he is showing how he sees his mother putting up a smile even though it may be a lonely one, she is still trying so Tupac doesn’t the depth of her full loneliness. “Mom ignores me and avoids me like cancer, Grow up rough and it’s hard to understand stuff” now that his mother, who has been there as a secure figure in his life, is now pushing him away, starts to deepen his feeling of loneliness to a whole new level of insecurity.

Therefore, not only does Tupac portray his life struggle, loneliness and, abandonment, but he but he realizes now that his young age, kept him from having an understanding of the behavior of his mother and his own sense of loss.