Rapper Tupac Shakur died after being shot in Las Vegas. So what?

source

Whether or not you're a fan of rap music (to be honest, I'm not), you've probably heard of the rapper Tupac (or 2pac). It's been almost twenty years since he was shot in a drive-by shooting that cut short what was unquestionably one of the most popular modern music careers. So what?

Tupac Shakur is widely credited as being one of the most influential rappers in the genre's history. He came into the public eye at a time when hip hop was bringing notice to the gritty criminal underbelly of areas like the Bronx and Compton. As the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry heated up between rappers in New York and Los Angeles, Tupac was one of the most vocal champions of West Coast rap. On September 7, 1996, he was shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Six days later, on September 13, he died at the age of 25, leaving an indelible mark on the world of music and the social fabric of the nation and the world.

Hip-hop gave a voice to a people that was used to being disenfranchised. Tupac and the other early leaders of the gangster rap movement voiced the frustrations of a part of society that was used to being marginalized and kept silent. By speaking openly of the violence and crime that existed in poor minority neighborhoods, these gangster rappers resonated with the youth that had previously felt left out of the conversation. Whether it's by buying rap albums in the inner city neighborhoods of California or organizing protests in the cities of the Middle East, marginalized groups will get attention. With his violent death, Tupac's legacy was cemented as a representative for those who existed within the crime-ridden underworld of urban neighborhoods. The attention that he brought to poor neighborhoods empowered urban youth, both by giving them a voice in the world and by shining the light in previously dark corners of the social fabric. In time, this attention helped strengthen social programs aimed at helping inner city youth break out of the cycle of poverty and crime.

Tupac's legacy continues to echo through the rap world. He again made headlines in 2012 when his digital projection performed with Snoop Dogg at the Coachella music festival. Nearly twenty years after his death, his estate still makes millions a year. His message still speaks to those struggling to find a voice in a society with growing inequality.

So what? That's what.