Panel discusses 'Resurrection,' exploring legacy of rapper

By Steve Harada
On-line Forty-Niner

The influence of Tupac Shakur on popular youth culture' was the topic of the discussion panel that was held by KJLH-FM radio at the Magic Johnson Theater in Los Angeles last Thursday night. A special pre-screening of the highly anticipated documentary, "Tupac: Resurrection" was featured following the discussion forum.

The panel consisted of Money B of the hip-hop group Digital Underground, Minister Tony Muhammad, the western regional representative of the Nation of Islam and the editor for Urban Network Magazine, Christina Alonzo. Each gave their individual perspectives on Shakur, and addressed a variety of other issues in hip-hop culture.

The objectives of the panel discussion were primarily aimed at expressing Shakur's true essence as a hip-hop artist and self-proclaimed revolutionary thug. The discussion explored his complexity as an individual, his contribution to the urban community as well as the importance of the impact that he had on hip-hop culture.

"He was our voice for our generation," Money B said of his friend and former Digital Underground member. "Everybody could feel that because he definitely came from the heart. And Tupac told me a lot of people think that he was all about being a thug or what not, but really his thing was to bring the community together and he felt that in order to do that he had to speak in the language of the community. And if thug life is the language then that's how he had to speak to get everybody to listen," he added.

The panel discussion branched off from the main topic of Tupac, to touch on more general political issues with the theater audience such as education, violence, and the overall awareness of hip-hop consciousness.

"If you remember when hip-hop really started taking off, it was really conscious hip-hop," remembered Muhammad. "It was really Public Enemy, KRS-One and it was really lifting up the community making millions of dollars educating. I'm telling all of you, it's bigger than Tupac, it's bigger than Biggie. Our hip-hop artists must be educated and must see the bigger picture. Our youth needs to be enlightened. We intend to do all we can to enlighten them," he added.

"Tupac: Resurrection" is the documentary about Shakur's life told entirely in his own words. The top-selling hip-hop artist of all time, Shakur has often been misinterpreted by the media and those who have followed him through his brilliant yet mysterious controversial career. This film takes the viewers through Tupac's ups and downs from beginning to end as he himself experienced and iterated it.

Co-produced by his mother Afeni Shakur, the film includes never-before-seen footage portraying Tupac in a totally different light than what people were accustomed to seeing.