To Live and Die in LA

How Hip Hop, Peru, and Los Angeles are Connected

There is something about how Los Angeles makes you feel like you belong even though you may not have been born here. For many, this connection stems from music. As an elementary school student, the first rapper I listened to was Eminem. Like many other kids, I was intrigued by the vulgarity of the lyrics and I was hooked for life. Naturally, it was easy to learn about the classics while listening to Power 106 every morning while riding the school bus. However, I didn’t really start listening until I was in college and it all started with Tupac.

My mom raised my sister and I alone. Money was tight and times were tough, but Tupac’s lyrics always gave me the strength to go another day. In 2008 a book titled Tupac Remembered published a letter Eminem had written to Tupac’s mother Afeni Shakur. And I have to agree with everything he said. Tupac’s lyrics also filled me with courage, hope, and pride. For those of you that don’t know, Tupac’s full name is Tupac Amaru Shakur. He was named after a famous Peruvian revolutionary, Tupac Amaru, the supposed last descendant of the last Incan emperor Athaualpa. Learning all these things filled me with great joy, knowing that my life, city, and culture are all somehow connected.

Rap and hip-hop isn’t all about cursing and violence. It’s also about hope, faith, and revolution. To me, Tupac’s music has always represented the bonds between these elements which can be a source of pride to citizens of Los Angeles.

— Cesar

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