Keep+Your+Head+Up

=Keep Your Head Up-Tupac (1993)= By: Talia Richelieu & Ailsa Reichard

=[|Lyrics]= media type="custom" key="7917579"

=What is the [|Problem]?= Tupac makes an effort to address problems in society involving women and the poor. In the lyrics, Tupac states, "**//And if we don't we'll have a race of babies//** He is referring to the mistreatment women receive from men and how this will eventually become an ongoing cycle. In other words, he is saying that boys will grow up to treat their wives the same way that their fathers treated their mothers. //Tupac's song also touches on the difficulties of growing up in the Ghetto.// **//"They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor//** In this part of the song, Tupac is referring to the hardships faced by the poor people of America**.** He does not understand how there is money for certain things, but when it comes to feeding the poor it does not seem to be a necessity. This song is famous for its universal message of conveying the ongoing problems involving the poor people and women of America. [|"This is a rap song that builds women up and recognizes how they are often torn down."]
 * //That will hate the ladies, that make the babies//**
 * //And since a man can't make one//**
 * //He has no right to tell a women when and where to create one..."//**
 * //Say there ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is//**
 * //There ain't no hope for tha future..."//**

=What is the Significance in History?= During this time, abuse towards women was at its highest. This problem still exist today along with the problems that are present in the poor areas of America. //**"While the rich kids is drivin Benz**// //**I'm still tryin to hold on to my survivin friends."**// Tupac states in the beginning of the song, "Little somethin for my godson Elijah and a little girl named Kerim." He is dedicating this to his godson because he hopes that Elijah will grow up respecting women. The dedication to "...a little girl named Kerim", is referred to many times within the lyrics. //**"Forgive but don't forget, girl keep your head up**// //**And when he tells you nuttin don't believe him**// //**And if he can't learn to love you you should leave him**// //**Cause sista you don't need him."**// When he raps these lyrics he is trying to send a message to this little girl Kerim about keeping her head up throughout life and not letting anything bring her down. Even though life can be a struggle at times, he wants her to realize that she has to keep her head held high. Also, he basically says not to listen to people when they have nothing nice to say and when Kerim grows up not to depend on anyone because she does not "need him." //**"You know it make****s me unhappy (what's that)**// //**When brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy**// //**And since we all came from a woman**// //**Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman**// //**I wonder why we take from our women**// //**Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?**// //**I think it's time to kill for our women**// //**Time to heal our women, be real to our women**// //**And if we don't we'll have a race of babies**// //**That will hate the ladies, that make the babies**// //**And since a man can't make one**// //**He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one**// //**So will the real men get up**// //**I know you're fed up ladies, but keep your head up."**// This part of the song is significant in history because abuse towards women was at its highest, which was stated already. During this time, which was the 1990s, Tupac was trying to send a message to society in order to decrease the amount of women who were being abused by men. Also, he tried to persuade why it is wrong, unethical, and he stated the role that women play in society are important. The mistreatment towards women needs to stop or else the cycle of abuse will continuously happen. Not only did he defend women, but he also attempted to boost their self-esteem by basically saying men need women because men came from women. =[|Contemporary] Connections= [|Contemporary] connections can be defined as an aspect belonging to the same time. "Keep Your Head Up" relates to 1993, but it also relates to today. Abuse still exist towards women, there are still many families living and struggling in the ghetto (working poor), and there are many families who go hungry and are homeless. Today, abuse occurs with men and women of all races and ages. Tupac is speaking to society through his lyrics stating that abuse, physically and emotionally, cannot continue to go on because it tends to destroy certain individuals and their self-esteem. People need to appreciate one another, but he wants everyone to know that at times life is a struggle and people need to keep their head held high. This still happens today with the abuse kids/teens receive from their classmates in school (bullying and nasty statements) and abuse all ages receive from other individuals (physically and or emotionally). Eventually, this could affect an individual mentally, which may cause them to inflict harm upon themselves (suicide or abusing their own bodies in numerous ways). Abuse has a long term affect and it can lead to many other negative outcome, which is still going on today. Tupac wants this hatred and violence to stop because it takes away the enjoyment of life. All the words in this song are consequential, essential, and important. It is a productive message that __**everyone**__ should follow.

=Why This Song?= This song addresses many problems that happened in the past and problems that are still happening today, such as abuse, the hard times/struggle, growing up in the ghetto, trying to survive, and being poor. This song touches your heart and helps people realize the struggle that some people have to face everyday. Also, it helps people appreciate what they have because they realize there are people who definitely have it a lot worse than them. Many people take certain things for granted due to the fact that they do not realize there are several individuals who are barely surviving. I love this song because Tupac does not try to make people "read between the lines". Personally, I think his message was productive because he stated specifically what he wanted to say. He did not "beat around the bush", which definitely helped listeners of this song to understand where he was going with this song. This rap song provides confidence, self-esteem, motivation, and hopefulness for those who apply to what Tupac is saying.

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