Drew TewksburyYesterday marked the 14th anniversary of the death of Tupac Shakur. The rapper, actor and activist died on September 13, 1996 from gunshot wounds he received six days earlier while leaving a Mike Tyson boxing match in Las Vegas. He was 25.
Every year about this time, the internet teems with remembrances and memorials to the incalculably influential artist. But this year, one memorial stood out with its simplicity and poignancy.
Yesterday, virtuoso deejay and mashup artist Z-Trip released a tribute mix dedicated to Shakur that paired his song “Better Dayz” with Marvin Gaye's “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).” It's a touching conversation between two voices that never met in life, but who can now only communicate through song. Gaye and Shakur shared so much, they both spoke out against structural inequality and espoused the power of personal change, but personally couldn't shake the shadow of trouble that seemed to follow them. They both succumbed to gun violence.
Z-Trip weaves together the sad irony of their lyrical dialogue, as Shakur preaches of hope amid hardship while Gaye gets real with a call to action.
Listen:
Better Dayz – Tupac Shakur
Looking for these better dayz
Better dayz
Heeyyy
Better dayz
Got me thinking bout better dayz
Better dayz, Better dayz, Better dayz
Heeyy
Better dayz
Got me thinking bout better dayz
Time to question our lifestyle, look how we live
Smoking weed like it ain't no thang, so even kids wanna try now
Then lie down and get ran through
Nobody watches them clocking, the evil men do
Faced with the demons, addicted to hearing victims screaming
Guess we was evil since birth, product of cursed semens
Cause even our birthdays, are cursed days
A born thug in the first place, the worst ways
I'd love to see the block in peace
With no more dealers and crooked cops, the only way to stop the beefs
And only we can change, it's up to us to clean up the streets
It ain't the same
Too many murders, too many funerals and too many tears
Just seen another brother buried plus I knew him for years
Pass by his family but what could I say?
Keep your head up and try to keep the faith
And pray for better dayz
Better dayz, Better dayz
Heeyyy
Better dayz
Thinking bout better dayz
Better dayz, Better dayz, Better dayz
Heeyy
Better dayz
Got me thinking bout better dayz
Thinking back as an adolescent
Who would have guessed, that in my future years I'd be stressing
Some say the ghetto's sick and corrupted
Plus my P.O. won't let me hang with the brothers I grew up with
Trying to keep my head up and stay strong
All my homies slanging yayo all day long
But they wrong, so I'm solo (so low) and so broke
Saving up for some Jordan's, cause they dope
I got a girl and I love her but she broke too
And so am I, I can't take her to the play she wanna go to
So we argue and playfight, all day and night
Making passionate love till the day light
Plus we bout to get evicted, can't pay the rent
Guess it's time to see who really is your friend
You tell me you pregnant and I'm amazed
So many blessings while we stressing
Looking for them better dayz
Better dayz
Better dayz, Better dayz
Heeyyy
Better dayz
(Oh, better dayz)
Thinking bout better dayz
(I'm looking for better)
Better dayz, Better dayz, Better dayz
Heeyy
Better dayz
(Oh, better dayz)
Got me thinking bout better dayz
Now me and you was real cool, hell on them square fools
Since back in high school we was true, me and you
Only part of us separated we stay faded
Affiliated with gang bangers and still made it
Up in the gym, mess with me, gotta mess with him
Still dressing like grown men, when roll-ing
Out in the dark, smoking newports, gaming marks
Gotta place in my heart, homie stay smart
Locked you up in the pen and gave you 3 to 10
I send you letters with naked flicks of old friends
Hoping you well, I know it's hell
Doing time in the cell you need mail, when you in jail
And me I'm doing cool
I've settled down had a family, working in night school
Every once in awhile, I reminisce
And wonder how we ever came to this
I miss the better dayz
Better dayz, Better dayz
Heeyyy
Better dayz
Thinking bout better dayz
Better dayz, Better dayz, Better dayz
Heeyy
Better dayz
Got me thinking bout better dayz
I send this one out, to all the homeboys down in uh Clinton, locked down
Rikers Island, all them dudes I was uh locked up with
E block, F block L I H
N I C in Rikers Island
Downstate
All the peoples I met along the way
Better Dayz is coming homeboy, keep your head up
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