How they (mis)use Pac?

isn't that partially just because Pac himself gave so many contradictory messages and images over the years though? I mean weren't there dozens of "Pacs" - the sensitive poet, the arts-high kid, the Death Row thug, the Digital Underground dancer in afro-centric gear, the "I Get Around" ladies man, the spitting on reporters hip hop John McEnroe, "Makavelli", etc etc? He seem like a particularly hard individual to read...

(also, this is just my impression, I have never been a big fan of the fan really so others could probably put this in better terms than I)

Michael Eric Dyson to thread.

elvis to thread.

How does Dyson (mis)use Pac!?

I Get Around is my favorite song of his by miles. He does have some great ones though.

I'm not sure I understand the question that well, but Matt pretty much nails it i think. Alot of people criticise the Tupac legacy for being overly sentimental about the continuous promotion of his senstive, conscious side, yet if you listen to the recent (and fucking amazing) Tupac Resurrection cd then you'll see there's a song to represent every facet of his rap identity; straight thug life songs, a song about Black Panthers, the balling songs, the raw paranoid pessimistic post-shooting songs, the thug passion songs etc.
Like, it's interesting that prison and the rape charge completely changed him, more so than any 'influence' Suge Knight had on him. Before 'All Eyez On Me', he was the Thug Poet and all that with songs about his mum and Brenda having a baby and how it effects his community etc; i think prison and his consequent banishing from the East Coast turned him into a real bitter cunt, though he tried to disguise it with all the songs about ridin' and i aint mad atcha and all that. The Don Killuminati album is more of a meeting point of his conscious side and the straight anti-NY thug shit, though it was released posthumously. He apparantly wanted to leave Death Row with Mopreme by then anyway. And The whole biggie beef was a minor anyway.

I think that Tupac's legend and influence is more relevant to the south now.

tupac may well have many facets to his character when spread throughout his catalogue, but unlike (to avoid the obv. big comparison) say dmx, he doesn't nail the self-contradictory thing too well imh(and not particularly well-informed)o. the breadth of moods in his catalogue (and the vast *number* of tracks) always seemed like a weak point to me - definitely best when working in a particular sphere - a kind of drunken sentimentality but still with menacing/violent overtones.

i think tupac was great tho, love the thickness of the delivery. have to say that from the stuff i've heard (definitely not as much as some of the folks on this thread) there is definitely a particular *type* of pac track that hits home more than others. (i don't think i fully understand sterling's question either)