Tupac Amaru Shakur: A Communicator from the Margins

This essay is a rhetorical analysis of the lyrics of, arguably, one of the greatest minds in music – Tupac Shakur. In general terms, this piece evaluates the ways in which oppressed communities manifest resistance toward the established power; issues of race, class, and power are taken into consideration. Through an examination of the lyrical component of Tupac Shakur’s Me Against the World, there is an attempt to uncover critical knowledge regarding the ways in which communication and culture are managed among the young American underclass. The essential elements are as follows: (1) the value of empathetic understanding; (2) the value of communalism; and (3) the attribute of oppression/paranoia. These rhetorical tenets are essential in the preparation and design of messages being constructed for members of the underclass and members of outside the community. Tupac is used a symbol for the disenfranchised urban voice. Through greater understanding of both the contemporary challenges urban youth face and the philosophical principles that guide their rhetoric, the academic conversation regarding communication and culture among marginalized communities is further advanced.