acrylic; 16×12”
“Tupac Shakur was a widely-known rapper and actor who grew up in Harlem, New York, and had a reputation for his raw, socially considered lyrics. His lyrics are mainly focused on race, poverty, and violence. He is often called the “most influential rapper of all time.” Growing up in the way he did he made his music not only honest about real problems but also showcased his concern for the community. Even though his early death, he continues to inspire people to recognize the problems through his music. I chose this celebrity because of the genuine person he is, and he overcame poverty at a time when he could have chosen a different lifestyle. The color I plan on choosing is the color red. I chose this because he often chose to wear the color red for the blood, but despite that, he was very passionate about his music and addressing the problem through music, and with that, red is a very bold and passionate color that means love, and he loved to make music on problems that needed to be solved.”
ARTIST BIO: Lyla HASTIE is a grade 9 student at OHHS studying art under art teacher Jamie Schorsch.