Donald Hicken Remembers Tupac

1. Donald Hicken Remembers Tupac What was Mr. Hicken’s relationship with Tupac? What kind of student was Tupac? What song did Tupac pick for the exercise? Why? Who was Tupac’s best friend? Describe him. Why did Hicken think this was important? How did Donald Hicken see fame effect Tupac? What did he tell Tupac? What problems did Tupac have with being “authentic” and the gangsta persona??

2. Donald Hicken Remembers Tupac What was Mr. Hicken’s relationship with Tupac? Hicken was Tupac’s teacher at the Baltimore School for the Arts. He taught drama, and Tupac was one of this students. What kind of student was Tupac? Wonderful sense of irony. Great sense of humor. Class clown, used to being funny. On probation because he didn’t take academics seriously. Didn’t have study skills, trouble paying attention. Few months, learned no class clowns, established himself as an artist. What song did Tupac pick for the exercise? Why? How? Don McLean’s “Vincent (starry Starry Night).” Related to him a lot, Van Gogh was misunderstood. Looking for something lost. Who was Tupac’s best friend? Describe him.. Why did Hicken think this was important? John Cole. White preppy guy from rich neighborhood. Visual artist. Gave Tupac clothes. Important cuz Hicken though TUpac had chip on shoulder about white people, thought tupac learned to get over it here. How did Donald Hicken see fame effect Tupac? What did he tell Tupac? Post-fame influences powerful.. You’ll sell more CDs dead than alive. Need to separate life from work. Tupac in videos and music didn’t have to be the Tupac in everyday life. Need to separate or it would eat him up. What problems did Tupac have with being “authentic” and gangsta persona? Mentality of rap world is you can’t be phony. Tupac lost the transformation, instead of acting he started living it. Tupac needed to be authentic, needed to be real.

3. Jada Pinkett Smith Remembers Tupac What was Jada’s relationship with Tupac? What was Baltimore like when Tupac was growing up? What about their Mother’s? Describe Tupac the social activist. How did Tupac see people and why does Jada think people connected to Tupac? How did prison affect Tupac? What was he like before and after? How did Jada view Tupac’s identity?

4. Jada Pinkett Smith Remembers Tupac What was Jada’s relationship with Tupac? Friends, met in high school. Last throughout his entire life. Like brother and sister. What was Baltimore like when Tupac was growing up? What about their Mother’s? Drug-infested, rundown, and dark. Not the best, school was escape. Mother was an addict. Basic survival a challenge. Where you getting food? Where you getting clothes? Pay the bills? Describe Tupac the social activist. Put information in music. Young black people had to be a community. Motivating, proactive. Schooled her about Malcolm X and the Panther party. Didn’t talk it, he lived it. Seeked truth. How did Tupac see people and why does Jada think people connected to Tupac? Tupac loved people. Understood what people went through, able to communicate in in a passionate, wholehearted way. People connected with his passion. Wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable. Made him human, though he was talking to you in the song. He connected with people. How did prison affect Tupac? What was he like before and after? Changed him. No longer hopeful. No spirit. Very angry. Felt betrayed, though no one was there for him. Became all for his self. Not who Pac was, used to be “I am you and you are me – and I can’t be without the we and the we can’t be without the me without the you.” How did Jada view Tupac’s identity? Five people lived inside of him. Political activitist. Young party boy. Artist. Fighter, Lover. Really a layered individual.