subject: What Kind of Musical Legacy Will You Leave Behind? 3 Lessons From 2Pac Shakur [print this page] September 13th, marks the anniversary of Tupac Amaru Shakur's (aka 2Pac) death. I remember when I got the news that 2Pac had made his transition. I was heading to a KRS-ONE show in Stone Mountain, GA.
2Pac had been shot approximately a week earlier in a drive by shooting and everybody figured he would pull through as he always did time after time.
The Creator had a different plan.
In looking back at his life, I have come to realize not only did he just rap and make music. Anyone can do that. What he actually did was leave a legacy and a blueprint for others to follow.
Some people may say he was a thug and he was violent. Maybe he was. He was in fact a teacher and a guide, not only for the music business but for life in general.
Here are 3 things I learned from the life and death of Tupac Amaru Shakur:
1. Be true to your Self
2. Live life to the fullest
3. Leave something positive for others when you are physically gone
1. 2Pac never tried to be something he was not. He evolved into many different things but he always remained true to his Self. He was a lyrical genius, an actor, a tireless promoter, and an activist.
2. 2Pac lived life to the fullest. He was a great example of a rags-to-riches story. He was the American Dream. He took his words and let them make him wealthy. Even though he had his ups and downs in life, when you saw him he was always passionate about what he was doing at the moment. Sometimes I would ride by the mansion he had built in Atlanta, GA and just imagine how it must be to live such a life.
3. 2Pac not only left the world a great collection of songs to remember him by but he left some very powerful words and images as well. You can go and listen to his body of work and feel inspired to become a better person. People all over the world cried when he passed away. It was almost as if they knew him personally. He was also one of the most popular Hiphop artists to ever pass away at such a young age.
In closing, here is some simple homework for you:
Even if you are not a music artist, think forward to what people will say about you when you are physically gone from this Earth. How will you want to be remembered? Now think about what you are doing currently to leave a legacy for generations to come. If you are not working on your legacy, then you are simply taking up space on the planet and your doing nothing does not serves anyone, not even yourself.
What Kind of Musical Legacy Will You Leave Behind? 3 Lessons From 2Pac Shakur
