A Musical Journey: Today's and Yesterday's Music

A Musical Journey: Today's and Yesterday's Music

When observing the CD covers and photos of Tupac Shakur, Marvin Gaye and the group called the Sugarhill Gang, you will perceive that they all have something in common. Shakur's facial expression always comes across as being a serious person that appears to have a lot on his mind. When one stares profoundly into his eyes, some may see the deep thought process that seems to be going on. He often appears to have a significant look and, that he has a lot to pronounce. Shakur wears a diamond stud in his left nostril as well as an earring in his left ear. Most of his photos or CD covers, he reveals the upper portion of his body that to most female fans find eye-catching and alluring. The image that he is projecting is that of a very confident man. Shakur also has a lot of tattoos on his body in which may be another way to convey who he really is and what he's trying to declare. There is that gangster appearance that he portrays. For instance, what the tattoos state and what they symbolize. He also sports a bandana in some of his pictures that usually match the clothing that he wears. He is always very neatly and well dressed whether he is dressed to kill or casual (Tupac Shakur Google Website).

When people look at the Sugar Hill Gang's Photos or Album covers, some will have a different perception of what the group was trying to express. There were only four album covers that show who the Sugar Hill Gang consisted of. Most of the time, the group wore informal clothing. The sugar hill Gang would always display pictures of them performing in front of a live audience. They appeared to be happy and enjoying what they did. The letters in the Title on each Album cover was always very large and colorful. The title would appear over a big city with a large population of people. Sometimes, there were children either jumping rope, laughing, socializing or sitting back and watching what ever was going on. There is one Album cover that has two hands holding microphones opposite of each other. According to the words that are written on the album cover; the Sugar Hill Gang was in competition with another group that performs the same genre of music (Sugar Hill Gang Google Website).

There are so many things that you can see when examining the photos and CDs of the late great famous Marvin Gaye. Gaye was a true performer with many talents. In the photo where he was playing the piano, one could see the joy he would present during his live performance. Most of the time, Gaye was found smiling as if he had no worry in the world. Gaye always had a peculiar look about him. He would appear to be thinking about something that required a decision to be made in a short time. When Gaye had to perform, he would really dress up in tuxedos, suits, a pair of slacks, shirt, tie and a blazer or coat jacket. There is the photo that shows that he had won a Grammy for the number one male artist album of the year. This is a major accomplishment for any musician, because it allows the artist to be recognized by people all over the world. On the CD cover "What's going on", Gaye has that inquisitive look. There were a lot of things going on in the world at the time, such as; War and riots. This is one of the reasons why he produced this particular CD Marvin Gaye Images Google Website).

Tupac Shakur, the Sugar Hill Gang, and Marvin Gay had many similarities although they lived in diverse times. All became exceedingly prominent for expressing what they believed. The unyielding depiction of Tupac Shakur as a tattooed, uncompromising thug has forced public attention on his alleged accused crimes instead of his musical dept. This lyricist raised by his Black Panther mother, in Marin City, California, is more complex than naysayer's like to admit. Shakur (also known as 2Pac) was a lyrical talent with a knack for communicating depth and inspirational support to our youth. His continual growth as a poet provided inspiration on award winning albums such as "All Eyez on Me" which collaborated with super producer Dr. Dre, (born Andre Young, February 18, 1965) and benefited tremendously from his West Coast-style productions. The overall trials and tribulations of Shakur, illustrates a reflective, mental poet whose mindset was to make peace with some of his demons. The subsequent list of positive lyrics from the "Eyez" album and 2Pac's preceding offerings certainly does not make him a saint, but it does divulge surprising emotional strength: "Life Goes On," from All Eyez on Me": In one of the most emotional moments on his latest album, the lyricist with "Thug Life" inked on his abdomen showed surprising vigor for life:

How many brothas fell victim to tha streetz

Rest in peace young n***a, there's a Heaven for a 'G'

be a lie, If I told ya that I never thought of death

my n****as, we tha last ones left

but life goes on..... (Original hip hop lyrics archive, n/d)

With respect to the early hip hop invasion, Shakur was a trend setter in his own right.

"Although the Sugarhill Gang inaugurated the history of recorded hip-hop with their single "Rapper's Delight," a multi-platinum seller and radio hit in 1979,