Yesterday was the thirteenth anniversary of the passing of Tupac Shakur, musician, actor, one of the most widely-acclaimed rap lyricists and performers of the 1990s.
Ever ones for the obvious here at LJB, today we celebrate 'pac's life and work with a tribute song written by lunatic hyper-caffeinated octogenarian former NYC postal worker Bingo Gazingo (from his self-titled album, and accompanied by a song that sounds a little like the Beavis & Butthead theme tune, as played by R. Stevie Moore and various other WFMU DJs.)
It's ridiculous, of course, but it doesn't seem like a pisstake — more like an actually pretty heartfelt tribute. There's probably an argument to be made somewhere that this very unlikeliness says a lot about the universality of Tupac's appeal.
mp3: Bingo Gazingo — "Two Pack Shaker"
1 Yeh, stepfather in actuality. Whatever. You better hope you're this cool when you're 70-odd.
It's ridiculous, of course, but it doesn't seem like a pisstake — more like an actually pretty heartfelt tribute. There's probably an argument to be made somewhere that this very unlikeliness says a lot about the universality of Tupac's appeal.
And then he starts rapping. Dear lord, you have to hear this.
Rock'n'roll, the American soul
to the American dream
Hard blast to your chest
Blood all over your breast
Why didn't you wear your bulletproof vest?
You lost your left testicle
And your right lung
Why did they have to shoot yer?
And take away your future
when you were so young?
Tupac Shakur: it's a heartbreaker
It's a ballbreaker
Your mother was a Black Panther
And your father was a political criminal1
But you had a voice as sweet as a Jewish cantor
Singing from the hymnal
On a high holy day...
I remember the words you sang which
changed the English language
Friday the 13th... you lost your dream...
mp3: Bingo Gazingo — "Two Pack Shaker"
1 Yeh, stepfather in actuality. Whatever. You better hope you're this cool when you're 70-odd.
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