Tupac Was My Father

Written by Xavier D. Prue on March 7, 2026 B.X.

As a troubled youth who grew up without his parents, I imagined the legendary Tupac Shakur as my father! Raised by the rap lyrics coming out the speakers of my boombox, I see 2Pac as my first male role model. I grew up in a violent neighborhood on the lower-income side of Norwich, Connecticut, called the West Side where Dad was just a foreign word. Immediately following his murder in 1996 on the Las Vegas strip, Tupac became the connection that my peers and I related to every time we heard him scream “West Side” in his songs. Just two simple words, but it was a statement that made us feel we weren’t forgotten. I want to touch lives in the same manner that ‘Pac did and it inspired me to develop a Creative Arts center that will help the youth turn their ambitions into reality.

I was an insecure child. Tupac’s lyrics encouraged me to believe in myself. On the song Brenda’s Got A Baby, he inserted a beautiful message into an ugly tale: “just ‘cause you’re in the ghetto, doesn’t mean you can’t grow!” His music became the soundtrack of my life. Tupac at breakfast. Tupac at lunch. On the bus ride home. His lyrics [that raised me] laid the blueprint in my mind for my future life work. My favorite albums of his are Me Against The World; All Eyez On Me; and Still I Rise. These are the albums that inspired me to not let my environment define me. My project goal is to influence a child to think greater of themselves, no matter their situation, the same way 2Pac did for me.

I came from a childhood where we didn’t have a dollar, or a voice. Hearing Tupac on radio and TV made me feel that his voice represented us. In an era where such topics of discussion were politically silenced, 2Pac exposed stories of police brutality on Trapped. He uplifted women on Keep Ya Head Up. He also shed light on the drug dealing community on To Live & Die in LA. Tupac’s tales also influenced some negativity, which is why it’s important to be mindful of what your children listen to, because the impact could be dangerous. The West Side was a rough area, and if you didn’t know how to fight, you couldn’t come outside in peace. There were times I was fighting and I’d hear his voice in my mind as I unleashed my anger against my opponent. When I read his poetry book in ninth grade, The Rose That Grew From Concrete, I instantly fell in love with writing poetry. At 14 years old, I studied that book so that I could learn how to attract girls with poetic roses. In essence, I’m saying that Tupac taught me all I imagined a father would teach his son.

Released shortly following his death, Tupac’s last single Changes was a song about shifting out of negative mindsets. My project is inspired by the vision painted within Tupac’s lyrics of turning negatives into positives. His vision of social justice reform encouraged me to pursue my project of forming a community resource center for the youth. Although I later had to unlearn some of his negative teachings, 2Pac encouraged me to pursue a career in Organizational Leadership & Change. I began pursuing my vision in 2012, with the creation of P.I.F.F. Magazine and helped over 400 youth become successful in music. The purpose for PARC will be to provide access to music recording equipment, podcast rooms, and photography tools. We will offer several programs pertaining to different avenues from acting to dance, painting to digital marketing. Each program will have a separate room; there will even be a computer lab.

I don’t know what it feels like to have a Dad. All I had to lean on until I was emancipated at 17 was a boombox and a stack of Tupac CDs. That’s why I always say Tupac was my father. I understand that much of my fascination with him stemmed from having a connection with someone who understands your struggle. This is the type of connection I’d love to make in another youth’s life. Sometimes, all a child needs to know is that someone believes in them. Through the PIFF PARC resource center, our youth will know this and they will grow in a stable community that supports their visions. Tupac once said, “I’m not saying I’m gonna rule the world or I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world!” The PIFF center will carry that flame for all youth finding their voice.

CITATIONS:

Thompson, Paul / GQ Magazine (2022). Tupac Was Always Political - https://www.gq.com/story/tupac-politics-art-exhibit-wake-me-when-im-free

Eidell, Lynsey & Pomarico, Nicole / People Magazine (2025). Tupac Shakur’s Death: Revisiting the Rapper’s 1996 Murder Amid New Bombshell Claims From Suge Knight - https://people.com/revisiting-tupac-shakur-death-11764400

Capcut (2025). 80+ Powerful Tupac Quotes That Still Resonate in 2025 - https://www.capcut.com/resource/tupac-quotes

Bickham, Dajonik L (2021). Brenda’s Got A Baby Lyrical Breakdown - https://tremg.info/2021/07/13/brendas-got-a-baby-lyrical-breakdown/

Medrut, Flavia (2024). 38 Best Tupac Quotes to Help You Face Life’s Challenges - https://www.goalcast.com/15-tupac-quotes/

2Pac.Com (2026). 2Pac Discography - 2Pac.com/discography/

Kachejian, Brian / Classic Rock History (2026). Complete List of Of Tupac Songs From A-Z - https://www.classicrockhistory.com/complete-list-of-tupac-songs-from-a-to-z/

Shakur, Tupac (1999). The Rose That Grew From Concrete - amazon.com/Rose-That-Grew-Concrete/dp/0671028456

Galindo, Thomas / American Songwriter (2023). The Painful Meaning Behind the Song “Changes” by Tupac - https://americansongwriter.com/the-painful-meaning-behind-the-song-changes-by-tupac/

Sirius Knowledge / YouTube (2016) - “I’m Not Saying I’m Going To Change The World” Interview Speech with Tupac Shakur - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tufDBOn-RB8

© XAVIER D. PRUE 2026. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.