Outpace Muar Shaker (1971-1996) was a West Coast rapper. Rap and hip hop music was the music of the poor black. The theme wealth Topics’ music relates to tough Ghetto life experienced by the black community of America dominated by drugs murder and poverty . There was a strong hatred between West and East Coast rappers which resulted in numerous killings. Outpace was himself killed in 1996 by a shotgun wound. The song “Changes” recorded by Outpace in 1992 is about the tough life experienced by Outpace.
This song echoes Topics’ battles with drugs, poverty, racism and gang violence. During this time African Americans were also affected by the beating of Rodney King by the American Police Officers, which resulted in the Los Angels Riots of 1992. Outpace like Dry Martin Luther King wants peace and tranquility and therefore through the power words echoes out the message to the people to come together and make ‘changes’ by being united as a group. His lyrics correctly, the capitalist system that delves America Into the haves and have- onto: “I’m tired of being poor and even worse I’m black.
My stomach hurts, so I’m looking for a purse to snatch. ” In ‘Changes’ Outpace speaks of the Black Panther Party leader Hey P Newton in the first stanza (lines-10) “Two shots in the dark” In “Changes” he make use of basic slang terms such as “cops” and “crack” in the first stanza. Repetition and melodic rhythm is also employed by Outpace. This can be seen in the following lines taken from the chorus and first stanza respectively: “Come on come on That’s just the way it is Things;all never be the same awe yeah. ” (Chorus) “First ship ‘me dope and let ‘me deal to brothers.
Give ‘me guns, step back. And watch ‘me kill each other. ” (Stanza 1) The above stanza also employs imagery In which a picture of the black mans’ plight Is created. The word Niger Is used as a racial statement and not to Intimidate: “Pull the trigger, kill a enigma, he’s a hero. ” (stanza 1) The second stanza speaks ironically of a President Obama upon his election, he faced a lot of criticism for being black and having the surname Hussein indication of Muslim heritage ‘we anti ready to see a black President, uh. It anti a secret don’t conceal the fact… Stanza 2) Thus the purpose of the lyrics in “Changes” is to convey a message to the masses of racism faced by the black community, the need for equality and peace through unity. Therefore according to Outpace things will stay as they are for the black community unless they take steps for that change towards a better life. This can be seen in the third stanza in which Tuft says: ‘It’s time for us as a people to start making’ some changes. Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live and let’s change the way we treat each other. (stanza 3) IRONY great deal of irony, with which Outpace effectively displays how the world deals with the problems of the streets. He says, “Give the crack to the kids, who the hell cares? One less hungry mouth on the welfare. ” METAPHOR ‘Devil take a brother” is at once both a religious allusion and a metaphor for death SYNTAX The literary device of syntax is used to say that the black man no matter which gang he belongs to should unite: “But we can never go nowhere unless we share with each other We goat start making changes Learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers
And that’s how it’s supposed to be How can the Devil take a brother if he’s close to me? ” (Verse 1) ANAPHORA Anaphoric reference of repetition is used by using the term “changes” is littered throughout the song. Tuba’s frustration towards his community is portrayed through the use of this term, despite great figures in history died trying to change the don’t change thus it seem the efforts were pointless. COHERENCE There is coherence as the song reflects the plight faced with being black in America and how the police dealt with them as in the case of beating of Rodney King and thus exulting in the Los Angels 1992 Riots.
I’d love to go back to when we played as kids But things change… And that’s the way it is [Hook: Talent] rat’s Just the way it is yeah [Verse 2: OPAC] see no changes, all I see is racist faces Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races En under, I wonder what it takes to make this One better place, let’s erase the wasted rake the evil out the people, they’ll be acting right
Cause both Black and White are smoking crack tonight And the only time we chill is when we kill each other It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other And although it seems heaven-sent En anti ready to see a Black President It anti a secret, don’t conceal the fact: ere penitentiary’s packed, and it’s filled with blacks But some things will never change ray to show another way but you staying in the dope game Now tell me, what’s a mother to do? Being real don’t appeal to the brother in you too goat operate the easy way ‘l made a G today” but you made it in a sleazy way.