Simone Williams
Brad Reisinger
English 101.02
February 29, 2016
The Issue
"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 (WordPress).
The
Moment in Time
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 (Word
Press). 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
Tupac is delivering the message in the song “Keep Ya Head
Up”. He wrote this song because he saw something that people were ignoring. 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
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
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
"last.fm."
CBS Interactive. N.p., 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. <- http://www.last.fm/music/2Pac/_/
Keep+Ya+Head+Up/+wiki>.
"Let's
Get Ethical." Wordpress. N.p., 4 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
<https://bizgovsoc9.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/tupacs-keep-ya-head-up/>.
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