My Block Theme and Content
In the song, “My Block,” by Tupac Shakur, one of the themes established
is that the social and political issues within a community affect each individual
and the community as a whole. This theme is effectively conveyed through the
use of figurative language and the type of diction used throughout the song,
which, in turn aid in establishing the issues faced in Shakur’s society. The
most prominent example that conveys the theme is when Shakur uses slang and
jargons to effectively communicate his ideas and relate it to his society. In
multiple areas of the song, phases, such as “They got a nigga,” the only time
they notice… us when he’s clutching a four-five,” “death for us ghetto
bastards,” “the hood,” and “life in the pen ain’t for me,” all utilize specific
words that relate to African American Vernacular English and specifically,
issues within their society. Additionally, the usage of slangs like, ‘pen’,
instead of penitentiary and ‘four-five,’ instead of 45 caliber gun emphasize how
Shakur is trying to identify with his audience and give the song a more “literal”
meaning. This literal meaning then contributes to how the theme is developed. Shakur’s
diction, as evident above, explains a political issue- how in his community the
prevalence of violence and crime is high, but “they” do not bother with the “ghetto”
unless it is to assign blame to them for a crime. This demonstrates the animosity
the artist nurses towards law enforcement agencies because of their intolerance
to the reasons behind why violence and crime are widespread in Shakur’s society.
Furthermore, the artist of the song uses external and internal rhyme, along with repetition to reemphasise specific points and highlight importance to
specific phrases. For example, in the third verse of the song, Shakur says, “Swollen
pride and homicide, don’t coincide – Brother’s cry for broken lives, mama come
inside – Cause our block’s filled with danger.” The rhyme here is important, as
it is in songs and poems, since discerning it brings the poem to life and assists
the audience in feeling connected to the topic. This specific quote above helps
identify that various problems are found in Shaku’s community and the social issues
concerned with them. Shakur’s use of repetition, especially in mentioning welfare
and welfare checks, signify one primary social issue originating in his
community. Through inference, it can be concluded that his society faces poverty,
along with financial instability and have to rely on welfare checks and turn to
substance abuse and “violent robberies” because they are starving, poor and do
not have peace of mind, Additionally, the artist of the song references to how
the people’s turn to drugs and alcohol to find solace in their troubles is “exterminating
black life” and preventing their society from becoming “close knit” again. This
palpably manifests how social issues, coupled with political indifference
affect a community critically, as the results are hazardous to not only the
individuals of the community, but the stability of the community as a whole.
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