What Might’ve Been: 2Pac’s Potential 15 Years After Death

Usually, when somebody we cherish leaves us for the afterlife, it’s considered pretty selfish and a little petty to wish they were still here. The same goes for when we tend to think about the possibilities for that person and all of things that someone could have been or accomplished if they had remained here for just a little longer. Because when it comes down to it, that’s not fair. And it’s better to realize that the person, whomever they are, had a set amount of time on this earth, and when they pass on, it’s for a reason.

But, of course, life and death aren’t that cut and dry. After all, we’re only imperfect human beings. We mourn. We recollect. We remember. We hold special people in our hearts and minds. The closer we grow to somebody, the more we see in him or her. The more potential we find in that person to fulfill greatness. We begin to put the pieces in place of what they could be. And even after they’ve left the land of the living, while they may have accomplished so much while they were here, we ponder the possibilities to no end. It’s not fair. But it’s how we operate.

Tupac Amaru Shakur died 15 years ago as a superstar of music. And since that time, his legend has grown exponentially. And that legend is on par with countless other notable music, pop culture and even political figures of the 20th century that left us too soon, but whose influence is greater now than it’s ever been: from Bob Marley to Jimi Hendrix to Kurt Cobain to Che Guevara. But the truth is, ‘Pac seemed well on his way to being much, much more than just his music. We all know how he was the son of two Black Panthers, how talented an actor he had been throughout his life and was blossoming into on the silver screen, and how fervently committed he seemed at times to speaking up for regular, everyday people through song, when he was really and truly focused.

So, who’s to say that ‘Pac couldn’t have gone beyond the boundaries of the entertainment industry and started affecting many more people on a higher level? Yes, people the world over have been affected by Tupac’s music. And he’s bigger now in death than he was in life. But had he lived longer, there’s no denying that ‘Pac may very well have been a force to be reckoned with, beyond just his millions of records sold and his Thug Life allegiance and image.

Maybe as a public servant or the mayor of a major U.S. city. Possibly as a prominent educator at some of the world’s leading institutions of higher learning. Or as a world-renowned activist with the ability to rally people for a cause greater than themselves. Maybe even as a successful businessman and entrepreneur. And yes, these might all seem like delusions of grandeur upon first read. But if you take a harder, longer look and listen to his music, his lyrics and the most candid statements throughout his career, there are traces of enough potential and brilliance for ‘Pac to have been any of the above. True enough, the man made his mistakes. Many of them. Even worse, there were times when he seemed to get caught up in his own hype, many times at his own undoing. But for all of his flaws and failures, ‘Pac was also the type that didn’t seemed satisfied to be confined to just one path in life. It may sound like a stretch to some folks, but the adventurousness and rebelliousness that existed within Tupac Amaru Shakur could have made for endless possibilities on his life’s’ road.

The truth is, we’ll never know what else could have been. But instead of just taking a standard look back, why don’t we imagine for just a while what Tupac could have been if he were still here with us? This year marking 15 years since Tupac’s untimely passing, as well as what would have been his 40th birthday, there will be various tributes, testimonials, interviews, rituals and reminiscence, as there should be. But we all know that, with ‘Pac, there was always more than meets the eye, always a chance to go beneath the surface. This is an opportunity to remember a figure that was and is exceedingly important to the lives of so many, while also a chance to envision the potential that he held, as well as the same potential that lies within many of us that were such big fans and followers.

To be fair, ‘Pac accomplished a lot through his art and his music, and in the span of an extremely short 25 years. Maybe more than many of us ever will. And not just in the form of platinum album sales, television show appearances, magazine covers, Billboard charts and movie roles. As complicated, contradictory, inflammatory, outspoken and maddening as he could be, Tupac did a lot to wake up many people’s consciousness, good or bad, and across generations. From Washington politicians, prominent African America leaders, esteemed educators and middle school kids, ‘Pac’s voice made a lot of people sit up and take notice. And because of that reach, it’s now even more evident that to many, ‘Pac was a whole lot more than just a rapper or a musician. He existed in us and made something arise in people across barriers and boundaries like no one before or after him could. Just like he said on “To Live and Die in L.A.”: “Every ni**a in L.A. got a little bit of thug in him.” I’m inclined to believe that every one of his fans, and maybe even his foes, had a little bit of ‘Pac in them.

Like so many of our generation, Tupac seemed to have limitless potential in various areas. Art and politics were paramount in his background, having grown up in a household with loads of revolutionary subtext and foundation in the Black Panther party and the New Afrikan Independence Movement. Hell, the man was named after a Central American revolutionary movement (do your research). Surrounded by figures such as Mutulu Shakur and Geronimo Pratt, ‘Pac was ripe for having a future where he banged and bartered for real, substantial political change. A prime example from his catalogue being how he fearlessly takes on the highest office in the land on “Letter 2 the President”:

“Heavenly Father may I holla at you briefly/ I wanna meet the President, but will he meet me? / He’s scared to look inside the eyes of a Thug ni**a/ We tired of bein’ scapegoats for this capitalistic drug dealin’/ How hypocritical is Liberty? /
That blind bi**h ain’t never did s**t for me/My history, full of casket and scars
my own black nation at war, whole family behind bars…”

And what’s most interesting about these lines? Well, if he were still here, he more than likely wouldn’t just be talking to a George Bush, a Bill Clinton, a Ronald Reagan or any other standard cliché figure holding public office. Tupac would probably have no problem calling out the man who currently holds the most powerful position in the Western World, no matter if he were proud to see a man of color in office or if he thought we still were not ready for a Black president. That being the case, maybe ‘Pac would have eventually felt compelled to seek office himself. Probably a little hard to imagine, but many of the elements were there to make a case for it: the politics and militancy he was exposed to in his youth, the celebrity and popularity he found in entertainment (lest we forget, Reagan was an actor), the charisma he would exude on the daily, and the fact that he had millions of people listening to what he said, watching his every move. True enough, there have been more than a few attempts by the Hip-Hop generation to be direct players in the political process (Wyclef and Uncle Luke are the most current examples), but something tells me that Tupac would have been one of the few that would have had a serious chance to gain public office and really make some much-needed change.

Eventually, it would become common knowledge that ‘Pac was a voracious reader and had an interest in learning, one of his most famous quotes being:

“I’m not saying I’m gonna change the world, but I can guarantee that I’m going to spark the brain that will change the world.”

So, beyond just politics and government, is it such a stretch to imagine that Tupac could have eventually become Professor Shakur in his later years, had he lived to see them? Maybe not. These days, rappers and Hip-Hop representatives from Bun B, 9th Wonder and many more have been known to make appearances in the classroom, and not just as guest speakers, but as lecturers at some of the most prominent collegiate learning institutions throughout the United States, Bun having lectured at Rice University in Texas and 9th Wonder teaching a class at the prestigious Duke University in North Carolina. There’s even a Hip-Hop archive at Harvard University.

So, putting two and two together, maybe there would have been a place for Tupac in higher education. Lord knows that the educational system in the U.S. at all levels has been in need of fresh blood and new ideas for a long time now. And as a figure that was at times insightful and inflammatory, intelligent and unafraid, maybe ‘Pac’s presence would have done some good for someone. And, if he hasn’t sparked that brain that he was talking about just yet through his music, there exists the distinct possibility that he could have done so through the avenue of academics.

Of course, let’s not forget: ‘Pac wasn’t always about standing up for the rights of others, educating the youth or improving the conditions of everyday people through politics. Essentially, his biggest achievements were in an industry that’s driven on money and material success. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The proof of this comes from a quote of Tupac from a 1996 interview with VIBE magazine:

“It’s not like I idolize this one guy [Niccolo] Machiavelli. I idolize that type of thinking where you do whatever’s gonna make you achieve your goal.”

So, if he found that his time as an artist was eventually done, could ‘Pac have been successful as an entrepreneur or businessman? Possibly by owning a record label, talent agency or something similar? And what if he didn’t feel the need to be involved in music behind the scenes? Maybe he would have or could have invested in a franchise business and had it operate in Baltimore, Marin City, CA or one of the five boroughs of NYC (all places where he lived as a young man). We’ve seen time again how artists like E-40, Roxanne Shante, Doug E. Fresh and Styles P either remain as artists and invest in their own businesses, or move on from a career as an artist to make money through other avenues. With so many opportunities for artists to do so today, who’s to say that ‘Pac wouldn’t have his hand in something that would make his money make even more money? OK, so maybe he didn’t come off as the most astute businessman. But given everything else he was on the verge of, maybe we shouldn’t take for granted this possibility, either.

And then, of course, there was ‘Pac’s rage. You heard it often on his tracks and in his interviews. Some would say that it was misplaced and misguided. Many would say that it wasn’t quite focused enough. And many more would probably say he used this rage, along with is background, as an excuse and a crutch to act out the way that he did. And they might be right. But we also saw flashes in ‘Pac every now and then where he seemed centered, organized, profound and willing to give of himself. There were instances where that rage found a tunnel, and it made people stand up and take notice. Take the following lyric from “Only God Can Judge Me”:

“I’d rather die like a man, than live like a coward, there’s a ghetto up in Heaven and it’s ours, Black Power/ Is what we scream as we dream in a paranoid state 
And our fate, is a lifetime of hate/ Dear Mama, can you save me? And f*ck peace Cause the streets got our babies / We gotta eat/ No more hesitation each and every black male’s trapped, and they wonder why we suicidal runnin round strapped/ Mista, Po-lice, please try to see that it’s a million muthaf*ckas dtressin just like me…”

The passion, power, fury and desire for a better day can be found throughout Tupac’s catalogue. And the grassroots militancy of his youth, coupled with the fame he had gained in the rap world, could very well have translated into ‘Pac becoming an important figure in the struggle of the downtrodden across the world.

Ultimately, none of this is to say that Tupac was a perfectly righteous man when he was alive. Far from it. He had his flaws, his contradictions, his problems and his demons, like we all do. And those demons were unfortunately, and at his detriment, played out under the glare of the public eye. More than that, none of this is to say that Tupac would have even wanted to be any of the things, or if he’d want to have the weight and responsibility that any of these roles holds placed on his shoulders.

But when it’s all said and done, ‘Pac was really a reflection of us and of our humanness, whether we see it, like it, admit it, embrace it, or not. And so was the potential that he carried with him. When we remember Tupac Amaru Shakur, we should do our best to remember the whole of the man, as well as the endless possibilities that were within his grasp, and that we have those same possibilities for greatness while we’re still here.

Rest in peace, ‘Pac.

Follow Ron Grant on Twitter @RonGreezy