12/25/2023 0 Comments Things are changing tupac(ph), who changed his name to Saladin Shakur after Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965. MOSLEY: The Shakur surname came from a follower and associate of Malcolm X, James Costin Sr. And so I just sort of took it upon myself to say, I'm going to be the one that I think, you know, really needs to tell their story, 'cause I feel like there's a lot of people like myself that want to know this history, too, and can benefit from this history. But I wasn't - I was coming up against a lot of brick walls or a lot of misinformation. And so for me, I just felt like I wanted to learn more for myself about this family - this remarkable family and their history. And I just learned this rich history that I felt like hadn't been told completely. And I learned more about Tupac's stepfather, Mutulu, and his work, you know, back in the '70s and everybody else. And as I learned more about her, I realized that there was more stories to be told. So I wanted to know more about why he was so intelligent and how he learned all these things.Īnd I looked more at his upbringing, his childhood and his mother especially, Afeni Shakur, a former Black Panther. He was addressing police brutality, income inequality, and I was just blown away. And I realized how prophetic he was, how prescient he was and how intelligent he was in the things that he was talking about. But in later years, as I got older and I sort of formed a career that was writing about the intersection of social justice issues and racial justice issues and art, I began looking more closely at Tupac's lyrics. It just was more about the energy and just the raw talent he had. And, you know, when I listened to him back then, I don't think I really listened that deeply to his lyrics. I mean, I'm an old Tupac fan from the '90s. HOLLEY: Yeah, he absolutely was the spark. What got you interested in knowing more about his family? MOSLEY: Well, you know, this is not a book about Tupac, but he was the spark for you. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY: Thank you so much for having me. Santi Elijah Holley, welcome to FRESH AIR. His first book, "Murder Ballads," was published in November of 2020. He is a recipient of the 2022 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award and a 2020 PEN America grant. His essays, reviews and journalism have appeared in various publications, including The Atlantic, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and Vice. In his new book, "An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs And The Nation They Created," Holley explores the complex legacy of the Shakur family and the different factions of the Black nationalist movement in which they were a part. Writer Santi Elijah Holley wanted to delve even deeper into the family behind Tupac and what made him an electrifying presence and the voice of a generation. MOSLEY: That's the song "Changes" by Tupac Shakur. My stomach hurts, so I'm looking for a purse to snatch. Wake up in the morning and I ask myself, is life worth living? Should I blast myself? I'm tired of being poor, and even worse, I'm Black. TUPAC SHAKUR: (Rapping) Come on, come on. And over the decades, a flurry of books and documentaries have been created and written about his short life and the way he used rap lyrics to convey messages about the world around him. This week, the late rapper Tupac Shakur would have turned 52 years old.
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