Noir Poets: Tupac Shakur

March 1997 Amin and Bunlay (Grade 7/8) Bonaventure Meadows Public School London, Ontario
March 1997 Amin and Bunlay (Grade 7/8) Bonaventure Meadows Public School London, Ontario, Canada

California Love (1995)

Out on bail fresh outta jail, California dreamin
Soon as I stepped on the scene, I’m hearin hoochies screamin
Fiendin for money and alcohol
the life of a west side playa where cowards die and its all ball
Only in Cali where we riot not rally to live and die
In L.A. we wearin Chucks not Ballies (that’s right)
Dressed in Locs and khaki suits and ride is what we do
Flossin but have caution we collide with other crews
Famous cause we program worldwide
Let’em recognize from Long Beach to Rosecrans
Bumpin and grindin like a slow jam, it’s west side
So you know the row won’t bow down to no man
Say what you say
But give me that bomb beat from Dre
Let me serenade the streets of L.A.
From Oakland to Sacktown
The Bay Area and back down
Cali is where they put they mack down
Give me love!

4 thoughts on “Noir Poets: Tupac Shakur”

  2. Now that I’m strugglin’ in this business, by any means/
    Label me greedy gettin’ green, but seldom seen/
    And fuck the world cause I’m cursed, I’m havin’ visions/
    Of leavi’n here in a hearse, God can you feel me?/
    Take me away from all the pressure, and all the pain/
    Show me some happiness again, I’m goin’ blind/
    I spend my time in this cell, ain’t livin’ well/
    I know my destiny is Hell, where did I fail?/
    My life is in denial, and when I die/
    Baptized in eternal fire, I’ll shed so many tears/
    – Tupac Shakur; “So Many Tears”

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  3. Hi! Tony,
    What a very interesting poem…on another one of my blog I come in contact with several poets and their poetry.

    Therefore, it’s very nice to see you, are acting like the “arms” of a “tree” and is “branching” out on your blog site too!
    (Even though in the past you have focused on poet(s) and their poems…it just seems like your blog post are now more eclectic.)

    Thanks, for sharing!
    DeeDee 😉

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  4. Nice! What has always attracted me to Shakur is his generally positive world view. He has stated in fact that for every dark day, there is a bright one around the corner. Hence, the ‘advice’ would run something like this:

    “So no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out, keep ya head up…. and handle it.”

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