Changes

## Single by 2Pac featuring Talent

"**Changes**" is a song by 2Pac featuring vocals by the group Talent. It was released as a single from Shakur's greatest hits compilation on October 13, 1998. It addresses issues within the black community, such as police brutality, racism, segregation, and poverty. He continues to hope for change, where everyone can live in harmony and peace. The Chris Hafner-directed music video compiles previous music videos, interviews, and pictures of 2Pac.

The song was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2000 Grammy Awards, and the music video was also nominated for Best Editing in a Video and Best Rap Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1999.

*Atwood Magazine* wrote in their review, "[Changes] should be observed as one of hip-hop's most successful political statements, not because it's especially radical in its words on police brutality, drugs and gang violence, but because the track was, from music to lyrics, accessible to those who needed it—people unconcerned with the politics challenged by unapologetic MCs."

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro: Talent]

Ooh, yeah (Ooh)

(Come on, come on)

[Verse 1: 2Pac]

I see no changes, wake up in the morning and I ask myself

Is life worth livin'? Should I blast myself?

I'm tired of bein' poor and, even worse, I'm black

My stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch

Cops give a damn about a negro

Pull the trigger, kill a n\*\*\*a, he's a hero

"Give the crack to the kids, who the hell cares?

One less hungry mouth on the welfare"

First ship 'em dope and let 'em deal to brothers

Give 'em guns, step back, watch 'em kill each other

"It's time to fight back," that's what Huey said

Two shots in the dark, now Huey's dead

I got love for my brother

But we can never go nowhere unless we share with each other

We gotta start makin' changes

Learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers

And that's how it's supposed to be

How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me? Uh

I'd love to go back to when we played as kids

But things change, and that's the way it is

[Chorus: Talent]

(Come on, come on)

That's just the way it is (Changes)

Things'll never be the same

That's just the way it is (That's the way it is, what?)

Aww, yeah-yeah (Hear me)

(Oh my, oh my, come on, come on)

That's just the way it is (That's just the way it is, the way it is)

Things'll never be the same

(Never be the same, yeah, yeah, yeah, aww, yeah)

That's just the way it is (Way it is)

Aww, yeah (Come on, come on)

[Verse 2: 2Pac, *Talent*]

I see no changes, all I see is racist faces

Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races

We under, I wonder what it takes to make this

One better place, let's erase the wasted

Take the evil out the people, they'll be actin' right

'Cause both black and white are smokin' crack tonight

And the only time we chill is when we kill each other (Kill each other)

It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other

And although it seems heaven-sent

We ain't ready to see a black president, uh (*Oh-ooh*)

It ain't a secret, don't conceal the fact

The penitentiary's packed and it's filled with blacks

But some things will never change (Never change)

Try to show another way, but you stayin' in the dope game (*Ooh*)

Now tell me, what's a mother to do?

Bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you (Yeah)

You gotta operate the easy way

"I made a G today," but you made it in a sleazy way

Sellin' crack to the kids (*Oh-oh*), "I gotta get paid" (*Oh*)

Well hey, well that's the way it is

[Chorus: Talent]

(Come on, come on)

That's just the way it is (Changes)

Things'll never be the same

That's just the way it is (That's the way it is, what?)

Aww, yeah (Hear me)

(Oh my, oh my, come on, come on)

That's just the way it is (That's just the way it is, the way it is)

Things'll never be the same

(Never be the same, yeah, yeah, yeah, aww, yeah)

That's just the way it is (Way it is)

Aww, yeah (Aww, yeah, aww, yeah)

[Interlude: 2Pac]

We gotta make a change

It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes

Let's change the way we eat

Let's change the way we live

And let's change the way we treat each other

You see, the old way wasn't workin'

So it's on us to do what we gotta do to survive

[Verse 3: 2Pac, *Talent*]

And still I see no changes, can't a brother get a little peace?

It's war on the streets and the war in the Middle East (*Ooh, yeah*)

Instead of war on poverty

They got a war on drugs so the police can bother me

And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do

But now I'm back with the facts, givin' it back to you (*Ooh*)

Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up

Crack you up and pimp-smack you up

You gotta learn to hold your own

They get jealous when they see you with your mobile phone

But tell the cops they can't touch this

I don't trust this, when they try to rush, I bust this

That's the sound of my tool, you say it ain't cool

My mama didn't raise no fool (*Oh*)

And as long as I stay black, I gotta stay strapped

And I never get to lay back

'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the payback

Some buck that I roughed up way back

Comin' back after all these years

"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat," that's the way it is

[Chorus: Talent, *2Pac*]

(Uh)

That's just the way it is (Just the way it is, yeah, yeah, yeah)

Things'll never be the same (Yeah)

That's just the way it is (The way it is)

Aww, yeah (Some things will never change, oh my)

(I'm tryna make a change)

(You're my brother, you're my sister, yeah)

That's just the way it is (The way it is, the way it is)

Things'll never be the same (You're my brother, you're my sister)

That's just the way it is, aww, yeah

*Some things'll never change*

## References

1. ↑ Sweeney, Sydney (May 5, 2017). "Music You Should Know: On the Necessity of Mainstream Political Hip-Hop with Tupac's "Changes"". *Atwood Magazine*.