Rhetorical Analysis Of Changes By Tupac

In 1992, Tupac Shakur wrote a song titled “Changes” in response to injustice in black communities in America, and concerning the need for some serious changes to be made in order for life in these communities to get better. He directed this song towards black youth in an effort to persuade them to be the ones to propagate this change. The desperation, frustration, anger, and fear in this piece create a very distinct and powerful tone that proves effective in helping create rhetoric. Tupac uses his song as a vessel for a powerful piece of rhetoric. The first thing one notices when listening to this piece is the tone and diction it employs. Tupac starts the song by asking if life is “worth living” (Shakur, 2) and if he should “blast [him]self” (2). Right off the bat this gives an idea of how important the issue at hand is, and it also incorporates pathos which earns sympathy and a closer ear from the listeners. This hurt tone continues throughout the text, although it does go back and forth between being more hopeless and more angry. It’s also worth noting that the words

This is the main phrase that repeats throughout the song, and it seems to encapsulate how Tupac feels about the issue. When things and concepts aren’t questioned and improved upon, nothing changes, and things are left as they are, for better or for worse. In the case of racial inequality, it is definitely for worse. By repeating this line over and over again, it makes the listener start to question why that is, and how, in fact, it should be. Through this, Tupac gives people a reason to start being proactive in the community and to start moving forward with better changes to the status quo. He specifically targets youth with his message because they are the ones with the capabilities to make this change. They aren’t set in their ways, and maybe they are the ones young enough and determined enough to make a