My name is Shonelle Blake and I'm from Oakland. I know several members of Digital Underground for many years and through knowing them, I had the opportunity to meet and hang out with them and Tupac for a while. I'm a little pissed because I've been reading these articles about him and his lifestyle. And true enough, violence laced his life, however I, unlike many of these people who are writing these articles, have sat down next to him and talked to him.

For those of you who don't know, he was mild mannered, articulate, and just an all around cool brotha with an unforgettable smile and beautiful smooth skin. That was my experience. I'm glad that I can read all this information that is being printed and actually know that he was more than this gangsta rap artist they are talking about in the paper. He was a person.

Damn!! I couldn't believe it when I read it. The news that Tupac Shakur passed away really depressed me. I mean, hip-hop is losing so many of its stars. After Eazy-E passed, I was hoping that maybe we wouldn't lose another in such a senseless way. Tupac was a talented man and its a damn shame that he couldn't find a way to escape from the violence which seemed to follow him throughout his whole life.

I am really saddened by the death of Tupac Shakur. In spite of his legal problems, I have always admired his abilities on screen and I have found that his lyrics have been more positive than negative. Although I didn't know him personally, I feel as though he was basically a good hearted person who tried to "play tough" to get acceptance. I wouldn't be suprised to find out that in private, he cried over his problems. I have read everything that I could get my hands on from the white media. Again, they choose to print stories on him that are basically negative. We all know that it is "open season" on black men. At any rate, I will miss Mr. Shakur.

I was listening to the radio on my way home when the announcement came that 2Pac had passed. Driving to my destination teary eyed and listening to the comentation on this man. Here we have another black male gone. It really saddened me to hear the thoughts of others on someone just passed. Just because one has ways and views different (but not thought of by many others) it is no reason to bash ones antics. I really think one should take a look at the overall life he had, and take a look at the life he had to make for himself.

I loved 2Pac very much. The brother was just so damm talented. I miss him already. I feel that the whole world has been cheated by the lost of this very intelligent, very articulate brother. It just makes me sick the someone could be so jealous, so selfish, and so damm stupid, that they had to end this mans life.

The black community has enough problems, and a large enough need for men like 2Pac that we well feel this lost for a long time. Brothers like him come along once in a like time. There will be no one to feel his shoe for a very long time. And at the rate black men are dying, its possible that his shoe will never be filled.

Rest in Peace 2Pac, you will be missed.

WAS 2PAC A HERO?

Why are we glorifying him in his death? Why are we making him to be a martyr?? Am I the only one who acknowledges that 2Pac sealed his own fate?? Do we as a community not realize that he WAS NOT a nice person, nor a good role model, nor a model citizen, nor a high school/college graduate????? Why has our community lost its mind????? How quickly we have forgotten that he was incarcerated for sexually abusing a woman on a dance floor at a club! What about his drug abuse and selling? What about his foul language and the way he carried himself???? Wasn't he just shot 5 times a year ago??? Obviously, he didn't learn his lesson.

I acknowledge that he has had a rough life, but haven't we all? Do we not all have our crosses to bear?? He was at the pinnacle of success and what has he done to make things better in his own community?? What about for himself??? How did he use his money and notoriety? Was it to benefit the other youngsters in his neighborhood suffering as he did???? I THINK NOT!!!!!

I have a problem with the fact that last night there was a candle light vigil at Howard University in his memory. The vigil was not to send a message about living foul, nor Black on Black crime, rather the fact that he did an untimely death. How do we define "untimely?" Where was the same outpouring of support and sadness when Ronald Brown-Former Secretary of Commerce--was killed, did our community respond in the same way? NO! Was our community torn and broken up at the fact that this great man also had an untimely death??? NO!!!! What about all the other Black men who have died in our own neighborhoods, this year, last year, five years ago!!! Where has the outcry been???

Yes, 2Pac's death was unnecessary and it is really sad. But when you live by the sword---or gun---you die by that same entity!! We should not be glorifying his death. We should learn from the mistakes he made and teach our young people why he really died. Yes, it is sad, and yes he may have had talent (acc to some) and yes, his death was unnecessary. He had beat the odds (or at least some of them) by nature of the money he made. He should have left the garbage at the dump.

So, let's learn from his mistakes. It takes a wise (wo)man to learn form the mistakes of others. Let's hope that some of us are able to do just that!

As an addendum, this is my opinion, and only that . You are free to agree or not!

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