2Pac

Released: November 21, 2000

Featuring: Malcolm Jamal Warner

Songwriter: 2Pac

Producer: Eric Rico Jamal Joseph

[Malcolm Jamal Warner]
Let me show you, the rhyme..
Excuse me - but, Lady Liberty needs glasses
And so does Mrs. Justice by her side
Both the broads are blind as bats, stumblin through - the system
Justice bumped into M'Tulu, trippin on Geronimo Pratt
But stepped right over Oliver and his crooked partner Ronnie
Justice stubbed her big toe on Mandela
And Liberty was misquoted by the Indians
Slavery was just a learning phase, forgotten without a verdict
While Justice is on a rampage
For endangered survivin black males
I mean really; if anyone REALLY valued life
And cared about the masses
They'd take 'em both to Pen Optical
And get TWO pairs of glasses

Excuse me - but, Lady Liberty needs glasses
I'm kickin asses up and down New York City
It's a pity
Brothers wanna be grimy and gritty to each other
What would your mother think, smotherin your brother?
I see you sink, into another level
Dancin with the devil
Turn up the bass, cause I'm player; also a rhyme sayer
Kind of fly, layer after layer
Why.. cause I'm blessed
Cause I've progressed
I've learned my lessons
Class has always been in session, so you better take notes
And stop chokin on negativity

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an actor and a highly influential rapper who is considered by many to be the greatest of all-time due to the revolutionary spirit and thug passion he mixed into his music. During his music career, he made appearances in movies such as his acclaimed debut in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), and Above the Rim (1994).

Born in Harlem, New York City to Black Panther Party members Billy Garland and Afeni Shakur, Tupac would later move to Baltimore before settling in the Bay Area cities of Oakland and Marin City in the late 1980s. There, he joined his first rap group Strictly Dope with Ray Luv before connecting with Shock G and Digital Underground. He was a roadie and backup dancer for the group before his breakthrough performance on their 1991 song “Same Song.”

2Pac released his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, which featured intense storytelling on singles such as “Trapped” and “Brenda’s Got a Baby.” His sophomore album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z featured one of his signature songs, the Digital Underground-assisted “I Get Around.” After working on the Thug Life group album in 1994, 2Pac released Me Against the World the following year, which is considered by many to be his best album, peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200 and receiving a Grammy nomination—all while he sat in prison.

more tracks from the album

The Rose That Grew From Concrete, Vol. 1

From the album

The Rose That Grew From Concrete, Vol. 1 (2000)

2Pac popular songs

Lady Liberty Needs Glasses2Pac

2Pac

The Rose That Grew From Concrete, Vol. 1