To earn a million dollars is the stupidest idea I`ve ever heard of. This goal is as stupid as dumb as a tree. The prominent Russian designer and traveler Artemy Lebedev has just posted in his blog. I have translated the abstract for my Australian friend Dale. I kindly invite you to take a look at Lebedev`s thoughts.
Why a million – not $900K? Why dollars – not pounds? Why earn – not to find it as a treasure? All types of charlatans and business trainers, who had never laid eyes on a million themselves, usually like to talk about a million-dollar goal.
Why earn a million dollars is a bad goal? All is simple. You never know what exactly you will achieve in the future. You can accurately know only one thing: if you go forward, work hard, do not miss your chance, then you will undoubtedly achieve much more than you have now. Even a tiny bit will be a good result.
Most importantly, you never know what exactly you will get. Euros? Friends? Books? Thoughts? Connections? It is completely unknown! You just have to go ahead and analyze what works best. In a sense, a million friends will give you a lot more than a million dollars.
To cut it short, do what you have to do and let things happen as they will.
During his life this legendary rapper gained worldwide fame. In addition to a musical career, he was engaged in acting and starred in several films. Tupac Shakur acted under various pseudonyms: 2Pac, MC New York and Makaveli. His life story was very complex, and he sang about it in all his hits.
His creative contributions to the music industry, particularly in rap and hip-hop and rap flow, can really be called great. Tupac Shakur released ten studio albums, half of which was made public after his death. Over 85 million copies of his records were totally sold. It is once again proves his genius and enormous popularity.
Rolling Stone magazine put Shakur on the 86th place in its list of the most outstanding performers of all time. In addition, Tupac became the first rapper to whom a statue was erected. It is presently located in Herford, Germany.
The great rapper`s life ended tragically. Tupac was fatally wounded in a gang shootout on September 7. He could not survive after three wounds, and died at the age of 25 on September 13, 1996.
Remembering one of the greatest rappers of all time, we present you the list of the best 2pac’s Music Videos.
“Brenda’s Got a Baby”
Album: 2Pacalypse Now
Year: 1991
“Brenda’s got a Baby” is a first solo single by Tupac Shakur. It features R&B singer Dave Hollister. The track is dedicated to a twelve-year-old girl under the name Brenda who lives in a ghetto, has a baby, and is unable to earn her living. “Brenda’s Got a Baby” deeply investigates the issue of youngster pregnancy and its brutal effect on both young mothers and their families. This song draws from the dilemma of the poor. Brenda is used to characterize all young mothers in general. In such a way Shakur criticizes the low level of support from the government, baby’s father, and society in general.
The music video for this song was filmed in black and white to show the bleakness of the times in the ghetto. It starts with such lines: “Based on a true story”. Most of this music video was featured in a documentary film dedicated to Shakur titled “Tupac: Resurrection”, as well as in such video clips as “Changes” and “Ghetto Gospel”.
“Keep Ya Head Up”
Album: Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
Year: 1993
“Keep Ya Head Up” is the third single from “Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.” by Tupac Shakur. The music video to this brilliant rap song begins with the phrase: “Dedicated to the memory of Latasha Harlins”. This girl was killed by 51-year-old Korean shop trader. She was only fifteen years girl. In 2005, well-known rapper Nas performed “Keep Ya Head Up” song during his live concert. According to About.com magazine, the track took eleventh place in the list of 100 Greatest Rap Songs of all times. This single is the film soundtrack to Freedom Writers.
“Dear Mama”
Album: Me against the World
Year: 1995
“Dear Mama” music video is undoubtedly a compliment to singer`s mother Afeni Shakur. In his clip 2Pac details his childhood poor quality and his mother’s addiction to cocaine. The rapper also argues that his deep respect and love for his mother completely replaced all bad memories. In 1995, “Dear Mama” immediately topped the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart for five weeks. It also was the ninth on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Dear Mama” music video has been time after time ranked amongst the most excellent songs of its genre, emerging on many greatest” lists. In 2010, the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress officially called this great Shakur`s song in the following way:
“It is a moving and eloquent homage to both the murdered rapper’s own mother and all mothers struggling to maintain a family in the face of addiction, poverty and societal indifference”.
“California Love”
Album: All Eyez on Me (the UK version)
Year: 1995
“California Love” is a great 2Pac`s song with Roger Troutman and Dr. Dre. The song was revealed as 2Pac’s return single after he was releases from prison in 1995. There are two variants of music video. The first one can be found on the Dual Disc of “All Eyez on Me”. It was finally shot on November 10, 1995. The second video clip is located on Tupac`s “Live at the House of Blues”. It was shot twenty days after the first “California Love” music video was released. By the way, in 1996, this video brought the rapper MOBO Award for Best Video.
“Hit ‘Em Up”
Album: All Eyez on Me
Year: 1996
This song’s lyrics include cruel insults to several East Coast singers, especially to Shakur`s enemy The Notorious B.I.G. The song was recorded in Los Angeles in May 1996. After his interview with 2Pac famous journalist Chuck Philips described “Hit ‘Em Up” in the following way:
“It is a caustic anti-East Coast jihad in which the rapper threatens to eliminate Biggie, Sean Combs, and a slew of Bad Boy artists and other New York acts”.
This is also one of the most prominent 2pac1s music videos. It contains numerous impersonations of Puffy, Biggie, and Lil’ Kim. Actually, this Shakur`s song played a huge role in worsening the East Coast – West Coast rap rivalry. The disagreement surrounding “Hit ‘Em Up” owes to Tupac’s elimination in three months after the song had been released.
“How Do U Want It”
Album: All Eyez on Me
Year: 1996
This is another great rapper`s music video from his astonishing studio album “All Eyez on Me”. Here Tupac features prominent R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo. After its release, the song at once topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It samples Quincy Jones’s “Body Heat” from his 1974 album Body Heat. The clip itself contains a diss of noted Gangsta rap opponent C. Delores Tucker. In 1997, “How Do U Want It” was also nominated at Grammy for the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
“I Ain’t Mad at Cha”
Album: All Eyez on Me
Year: 1996
“I Ain’t Mad at Cha” was made public shortly after the rapper`s murder. It was the sixth single from his LP “All Eyez on Me”. The song features modern soul vocalist Danny Boy who created all vocals for the song’s hook. In the United Kingdom the music video reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video itself starts with 2Pac and his friend leaving a party at night. While waiting for somebody, a hooded man comes to them and begins shooting in their direction. What follows this scene, please watch in the video below.
“2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted”
Album: All Eyez on Me
Year: 1996
“2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” is considered to be one of the best and the most popular West Coast hip hop single. The song itself was written by 2Pac, Daz Dillinger, and Snoop Dogg. The song is a duo performed by Snoop Dogg and 2Pac.
The music video was created by 2Pac’s production partner Gobi Rahimi. The clip itself had been filming four months previous to September shooting. The introduction to the song shows a satire of Biggie Smalls and Puff Daddy in discussion with Shakur about November 1994 shooting. The start of the scene where Shakur speaks to Biggie is in indication to the movie “Scarface” where Tony Montana speaks to his supposed killer before murdering him.
“Changes”
Album: Greatest Hits featuring Talent
Year: 1999
“Changes” is a posthumous Shakur`s song. On October 13, 1998, it was revealed as a separate single on the compilation of the Greatest Hits. The original version was recorded by Tupac in 1992, but was never officially released.
In 1999, a video clip to “Changes” was made public. It consists of cuts of rare photographs and speeches of Tupac. Chris Hafner directed the music video. A few months later he made a video for The Notorious B.I.G`s song “Dead Wrong”. In 2000, “Changes” was nominated for Grammy as the Best Rap Solo Performance. By the way, at that time it was the only nominated posthumous single.
“Changes” music video has been remaining one of Tupac’s most distinguished and admired ones.
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