The Issue (Exigence)
"Keep Ya Head Up" is a 1993 hit single on the album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., by Tupac Shakur, features R&B singer Dave Hollister. The song was dedicated to Latasha Harkins, a 15 year old women, who was shot and killed by a shop owner in LA. Her death was supposedly the cause of the LA riot in 1992 (WordPress). "Keep Ya Head Up" is a call for better treatment of women by fellow men, and a call to women, children, and poor people of color to 'keep ya head up' through inevitable tough times that arise in a system and society that make it 'hard to be legit and still pay the rent' (Wiki). Tupac Shakur’s “Keep Ya Head Up” delivers a positive message to one of the most oppressed groups in the US: poor, black women.
The Moment in Time (Kairos)
Gender inequality started in the early 1900s and still is going around today. The thinking that the power is all in the men. Tupac created and dedicated this song to a fifteen year old girl, Latasha Harkins. I feel he created this song at a time when people really needed it. I compare this to how Beyoncé sang “Formation” at the super bowl or how Kendrick Lamar rapped a song about slavery and his appearance at the awards. It was a need and is needed to be addressed in a public way because people are looking passed it like nothing is wrong. They all stood up and did something that they think is right.
The Speaker (Ethos)
Tupac is delivering the message in the song “Keep Ya Head Up”. He wrote this song because he saw something that people were trying to ignore. In his song he made a point and gave facts to back up his point. His points were personal which got him involved with the song and it was things that not just a certain people go through. The situations he addressed relates to everyone which made this song personal for a lot of people. When you hear a song that you can relate to it makes you think. I makes you wonder why things are that way and how you can change them. I feel that this song did that for a lot of people.it made them really listen to the words of the song and think about the situations involved in the song. That is how he brought awareness to the situation he was trying to address and it was a good idea. At this time he was very popular and people listened to his music.
The Occasion (Pathos)
He wrote and dedicated this song to Latasha Harkins and poor black women. Writing “Keep Ya head Up” Tupac created awareness for the mistreating and inequality given to women. This song can be relevant to all women black, white, Asian, tall, short. In the song he talks about rape, having kids, crying, welfare and many other things. I say that to say black people are not the only people that go through or participate in any of those situations. Tupac was very popular around this time and his songs got through to and motivated a lot of people. He rapped a message and put a tone to it that he know millions of people will listen to and understand. It was brilliant because at that time in the music industry it was cool to have a sick beat but the lyrics that you spoke in the songs made it something worth listening to. In his song he said “And since we all came from a woman, Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman I wonder why we take from our women Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?” he was speaking to the boys and men of his time. Asking them why they do those things to women when a woman gave you life and a woman made you who you are and really without her you would be nothing so why wouldn’t you show some respect for them. Tupac was not harsh with his words and came off in a positive way while still making important point about the things men do to women to make things hard for them. Society as a whole was the audience, the song was created and put out for everyone to hear so it involves them to. Tupac talked of money to pay rent and welfare and said it was hard, I feel that’s has something to do with society because minimum wage doesn’t support a family to where the family is stable. You can only respect him for the words he rapped because it was the truth. He was just speaking up and trying to change a few things about women were going through at that time. His message at that time is what people needed and his message is still relevant to today’s situation.
The Reasoning (Logos)
Tupac makes this song to directly ask people why we treat women with such disrespect. This may have been dedicated to 15 year old, Latasha, however this song has a much bigger meaning regarded women of this society. “Keep Ya Head Up” is trying to get people’s attention on how treating women like they are dogs is not good. It makes me think about Martin Luther King Jr and how his belief that African Americans should be treated equally to the other race being the white man. The only difference is it’s not whites and blacks, its men and women. A women is not standing up and bring the gender inequality to our attention, it’s a man speaks out about it to make a change because he knows that this is not right. In Tupac's song "Keep Ya Head Up", the intended audience is men, he is rapping to them asking them why they treat women with such disrespect.” And since we all came from a woman Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman I wonder why we take from our women Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?”, is a lyric from the song "Keep Ya Head Up" and he is directing this to men. Tupac is saying women have done so much for yall as men but yall turn around and don’t show thanks but treat women like they are beneath them. Target audience could also be society, everyone. Tupac directed this song toward men but it was put out for everyone to hear. Everyone listening is now aware of what women go through. This song was created to bring awareness to the society. Tupac wrote this song because he knew something wasn’t right about the way women were treated at that time. “Keep Ya Head Up” may have been written in 1993 but this issue is still relevant in 2016. Women are still expected to be the house wife, the one who takes care of the house and the kinds. People have still not accepted the idea of a working women. It is time for a change in a positive direction toward what women do and the equality of their life.
Conclusion
Women inequality has been an ongoing issue for a really long time. It is time that women get treat fairly and with the respect they deserve. I used “Keep Ya Head Up” by Tupac as my ad to analyze because his song was on the right track and he understood that is wasn’t right for women to be mistreated the way they are by men and by society. Tupac was very popular at the time and his words motivated and inspired people to do big things. This song brought awareness to the situation. This song was not just a catchy tone it was a message for the people to wake up and see the situations around them is not what it should be. Things have improved from 1993 but they are not where they should be. Men should not be paid more or treated better just because they are men. They should have to work for the respect and the salaries just as much as women do. Things in life should not come easier to you just because of your gender. If both a man and a women get the same education, got the same grades and excelled throughout life, one should not be paid more or accepted just because of their gender. Both people are the same and should be evaluated and given an equal chance for the same opportunity. The saying women can do everything a man can is not the create saying any more. Women will surprise you with the things they can do. Women are not your house wives anymore they are you modern working women with a form of independence and that is not going to change. It is time to accept it, absorb it and change.
Work Cited
Fed 15 - https://bizgovsoc9.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/tupacs-keep-ya-head-up/
Feb 18 - http://www.last.fm/music/2Pac/_/Keep+Ya+Head+Up/+wiki
