Essentially living beyond the grave, Tupac Shakur has recently accomplished an unprecedented feat which attests his legendary brilliance.
Just last month, the U.S. Library of Congress announced that it was preserving his 1995 track “Dear Mama,” a tribute he wrote about his enamored mother, Afeni Shakur. In order to be preserved in the National Recording Registry, one’s work must be deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” as well as being over 10 years old. In its national registry location, his song’s importance is characterized as being a “moving and eloquent homage to both his own mother and all mothers struggling to maintain a family in the face of addiction, poverty and societal indifference.” The Library of Congress has only preserved and maintained 300 works in total so far, which include selections from Louis Armstrong, The Beatles, and the Boston Symphony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcloTmvTeA
In furtherance of Shakur’s legacy, The Vatican also recently included his 1998 posthumous song “Changes” on its official playlist, which consists of 12 songs that includes selections by Mozart and Muse. Describing all of the selections on its list, The Vatican stated that “the genres are very different from each other, but all these artists share the aim to reach the heart of good minded people.” “Changes” is one of Tupac’s most distinguished songs, as it candidly describes of the lifestyles and trends that people need to evolve away from.
Fourteen years after his death, Tupac Shakur’s music is still heralded by both older and younger generations as being culturally significant. No other artist from any genre has achieved the similar recognition that Tupac has received within the past year. It should be of no wonder that his estate can still amass earnings of over $15 million every year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Y9-JlSRXw