"Mostly white folks started labelling it 'gangster rap.'" "I think that those of us who are hip-hop heads, folks who are committed to the culture of hip hop and the preservation of its history, understand that the term 'gangster rap' is something that was created by the mainstream media here in America," said Powell, in an interview with Day 6. While the term is often used to denote a specific brand of hip hop, people like writer and civil and human rights activist Kevin Powell bristle when Shakur is described as a gangster rapper. This week marked what would have been his 50th birthday.ĭespite legal troubles with authority, accusations of promoting misogyny and violence through his lyrics, as well as a conviction for sexual abuse that landed the young artist in prison for eight months, Ogbar and others say Shakur was a beacon whose voice advocated for social equality and the rights of Black Americans, and rallied against police brutality and the drug trade. 13, 1996 - Shakur's career skyrocketed, elevating the young man born in East Harlem, N.Y., to stratospheric levels of stardom. Over the course of the next six years - until his death on Sept. Tupac Shakur poses for photos backstage after his performance at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Ill., in March 1994.
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