Introduction
HI! I’m Chiz
Welcome to my blog, Tupac Taught Me.
This blog is about my life, my experiences, and the music that shaped who I am.
More than anything, it’s about how one artist changed the way I see the world.
That artist is Tupac Shakur.
Hip hop is not just music to me.
It is truth, culture, and a powerful voice.
Through this blog, I want to share my story and the lessons I learned along the way.
When I Was 9 Years old
When I was 9 years old, I was bullied at school.
At that time, my parents knew that I had always been drawn to Black people.
Because of that, they taught me the word “racism” and explained what it meant.
When they explained it to me, I remember feeling confused and thinking.
“Why? They are so cool”
Even as a child, I couldn’t understand how people could judge others based on their race or appearance.
I was being bullied, but that experience gave me strength.
It made me want to stay positive and keep going everyday.
Discovering Tupac
When I was 15, something happened that changed everything.
A senior who was in Blood Gang gave me an album.
That album was All Eyez on Me.
From that moment, I started listening to it every day.
I didn’t just listen to the music.
I studied the lyrics in Japanese so I could understand what Tupac Shakur was really saying.
For me, Tupac was never just a rapper.
He became a teacher.
Falling in Love With 90s Hip Hop
After discovering Tupac, I wanted to know everything about hip hop.
I started listening to many artists from the 90s:
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- Dr. Dre
- Snoop Dogg
90s hip hop opened a whole new world for me.
Hip hop wasn’t just music.
It was storytelling, culture, and reality.
Living in Los Angeles
Years later, I went to live in Los Angeles.
That was when the music became real.
One day, I was sitting in a car with friends when I saw something I will never forget.
A police officer was pointing a gun at a Black man.
At that moment, I remembered Tupac’s song Changes.
The lyrics suddenly felt real.
Even though my friends didn’t react, something inside me changed.
I thought:
“Tupac… are things really changing while you watch us from heaven?”
Hip Hop In My Life Today
Even today, I still listen to Tupac almost every day.
Hip hop continues to be a big part of my life.
Through Facebook, I have also talked with Prophet Mocmoud, an American rapper.
We have talked about hip hop, artists like Tupac and Drake.
For me, talking with someone from the hip hop world while living in Japan feels surreal and inspiring.
My Message
Through this blog, I want to share a simple message.
Please don’t judge people by their race.
I want people to think more deeply about racism and discrimination.
And I also want to say something clearly:
Black people and Black culture are powerful, beautiful, and incredibly inspiring.
Artists like Tupac Shakur helped me understand the world in a deeper way.
That is why I respect this culture so much.
Why I Started This Blog
This blog is my journey.
From being bullied at 9 years old…
To discovering Tupac at 15…
To living in Los Angeles and seeing the reality Tupac talked about.
Hip hop has been with me through every step of my life.
And this is why I want to share my story with the world.
— Chiz
