“Changes” by 2Pac was posthumously released on his “Greatest Hits” compilation in 1998, two years after he had died due to wounds caused by a drive-by shooting.

I am not into 2Pac so much, but this song coincidentally played on the radio when I was being driven to my first tuition class for the 11+. The lyrics really got into my head; things were never going to be the same from that point on. Now I actually had to study at home for an actual valid reason. I would be going to secondary school in a year and a bit. The thought of it was daunting.

The actual song’s message hits on more important topics though. They obviously weren’t written for a ten year old who was too busy thinking about growing older. I realise that I have been using the word ‘observational’ in a few recent posts, but it is another one of those songs from the point of the rapper. He questions the possibility of a black President of the United States, the treatment of black people by the police amongst other things and makes the statement that we need to make changes, but is disappointed by the fact that these ‘things will never change’.

A song with powerful meaning overall. If you haven’t heard it, listen to it now.