The powerful lyrics written by 2Pac in his song “Hellrazor”
reveal the harsh realities of the world he was born into and shed light on his
frustration toward not only the LA riots, but also the flawed society.
He structures the song as a sort of letter penned to the Lord, first revealing
his adolescent days, “soakin’ up the game that was told to him”. Telling the
Lord, “I keep my finger on the trigger, Cause some nigga tried to kill me / And
mama raised a hellraiser”, 2Pac emphasizes the fact that while he was growing
up, he had no choice but to do what was necessary to protect himself in a world
that was out to get him from the start. Later, he addresses himself as what he
knew the authorities viewed him as: a fugitive that would always be wanted for
investigation. He was living in a place where just his fucking color, the way he looked, labeled him as a
threat and suspicion, and for this, he was “marked for death”. His candid words provide an
important and widely unknown perspective to the structural flaws that
intensified the division of society based on color and social status.
2Pac expresses his frustration toward the LA riots and the
stagnancy of the racist, hate-filled society. Begging “Save me, the whole world
done made a nigga crazy!”, he amplifies his desperation for any kind of
progressive change. He continues the song with questions directed at the Lord
such as “Dear Lord if ya hear me, tell me why little girl like LaTasha, had to
die / She never got to see the bullet, just heard the shot”. How she was so
young and innocent directly contributed to the frustration, rage, and tension growing
in LA after the riots. The last few lines, “And even in the darkest nights, I’m
a thug for life … That’s just life in the ghetto, do or die”, represents the
acceptance of the lifestyle in the ghetto and echoes the muted intentions of people
active in the LA riots. They made the decision to DO something to bring justice
to Rodney King and those being wrongfully criminalized and to finally see some
kind of change. Otherwise, they’d die.
-Grace Yi
1529639
-Grace Yi
1529639
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