Tupac on Women and Gender Roles (Fragment, Source Unknown)

Original: interview excerpt · outlet, interviewer and date unknown

What is known about its origin

In 2007 a single paragraph of Tupac’s answer was posted online, with no question, no outlet and no date. Its origin could not be traced. The passage did not turn up in books, magazine archives or the other interviews in this collection. It is therefore only put into context here; the date and setting remain open.

What Tupac says

Tupac calls himself old-fashioned:

“I feel like I’m one of them old-fashioned type of guys.” Tupac Shakur, source unknown

He is looking, he says, for a woman who is fine with him wanting to lead in the relationship. Like yin and yang, there is a masculine and a feminine principle. The core problem, not only for Black people but for people in general, is that they have forgotten their roles. Because men no longer know what it means to be men, women lose their roles too. That breeds duplicity in love and sex, and many people settle for less. He grants that some people genuinely want that kind of arrangement, but says much of it is plain indifference, which he sums up in one crude line.

Context

The idea fits what Tupac told VIBE Online in 1996, where he describes himself as a “king” looking for a “queen.” It also recalls his shifting statements about women, ranging from “Keep Ya Head Up” (1993), a song about the dignity of Black women, to harsh lines on later albums. Talking to Kevin Powell in 1995 (Ready to Live), he spoke openly about his conflicted feelings toward women during his trial. Whether this excerpt dates from the same period cannot be said. Anyone who knows the source can help close the gap.