Music and Death

Aspcets of Death and Dying

1/18/02

Music and Death: The Songs and Deaths of Rockstars

That Have Shocked the World

Music as we know it today is the voice of a generation. It gives us entertainment, and

speaks out for a community of people in many ways. Most people listen to at least some sort of

music, and serves a purpose in almost every facet of society. Just about any expression can

be shared through music, including

ideas and feelings about death. Music is used in various

way when pertaining to death, including songs about how a death occurred, or songs at a

service mourning a death. Whichever way you look at it, music serves an important purpose,

and the songs about death and the death of certain performing artists has a great impact on

society, especially the youth of society. It will be interesting to think about some of these

songs and musicians, and the effect their short lives and music can have in our society.

No matter which way you turn your head, your going to hear many different kinds of

music. Many artists look to cover as many topics in their music, and death and dying is a topic

that everyone in this world will sooner or later deal with, so it is a topic that it is covered. It is

interesting when looking at Rap industry, and two artists come to mind right away when speaking

about death. The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur are two rap artists who both have died

within the last five years, and were both extremely popular. What one may look at is the fact that

both seemed to have an idea that they were going to die right before they did, and it was not

because of a terminal illness, it was in fact by being murdered.

Tupac Shakur was a very popular artist, whose talents were respected by people who

weren't or aren't even rap music fans. He was very young when he passed, at age 25, and there

are still people who listen to his music toiday, and there are even some people who question his

death even occurred. Many of his albums have thoughts of death and his lyrics represent these

thoughts, as he questions how much faith he has left, and how he seems to know his time is

coming to an end. One of his songs, titled only God can Judge me, talks about how there is death

all around him, and how it is hard to keep positive in the light of friends passing. Now, when

dealing with a popular rap artist who makes a lot

of money it is hard to judge his albums and lyrics

at face value. But indeed he even insists that it is difficult to escape your hard past, no matter

how much success comes forward. Some of his albums suggest his nature of knowing death as

near, such as his album Me against the World, and 2pacalypse now. Not being a Rap fan it is

hard for to judge what is going through his mind, but by reading some lyrics it is obvious that he

believes that he has a hard life, and that death may be the only answer.

The Notorious B.I.G. was a very famous rap star on the East Coast, and grew to

nationwide fame. His lyrics exemplify death even further, as he seemed to never give up his

gangster lifestyle. Before becoming famous he was a drug dealer, dealing Crack-Cocaine, so he

was well aware of