“How long we mourn? Life goes on.”

Apparently it does, Pac.

Yesterday, I failed to put up a tribute post I had scribbled for the anniversary of the passing of Tupac Amaru Shakur because I was traveling.

He passed 12 years and 1 day ago, and I pray his soul is still resting in absolute peace.

Hoping to catch a few tributes while in the car yesterday, I lifted my ban on radio and scanned through the so-called “Hip-Hop” stations. During the several hours I spent in that vehicle, I was slightly awed not to hear a mention of his name, let alone a single track.

I figured that one of the TSS brethren might have penned something in his memory, but Lord knows Gotty™ & Co. work so hard to keep you fresh that they can’t be faulted for not peeping the calendar. Wit-E, however held it down though and dropped a timeless verse that no one picked up on. Smh.

After a quick skim through all the major blogs, still no mention of Mr. Shakur’s anniversary, save for 2 that posted a mixtape from Rain paying tribute to the legend that was Mr. Shakur.

The rest were as silent as church mice tap-dancing on thick cotton.

I found this lack of showmanship disgusting. Honestly.

Given how much Hell Pac went through for us, as a society, as a culture, as a genre, and as a misunderstood demographic in his lifetime and beyond, the least you would expect is that people would show that love back.

Not even a tribute like B.I.G or a candlelight vigil like Aaliyah. He got about a dozen blogs(out of millions) and an underground rapper or two to remember his name.

Pac’s message is still relevant, his legacy unquestionable and, if anything, more than ever we need to remember him now.

We need his revolutionary spirit to survive in this pile of political dung we’re slowly being submerged in. His courage, to tell these reckless young kids that they lack talent and as such should take a backseat on a short bus that’s about to ride off a cliff. The same courage to be able to stand up for anything that means something and stand against anything that threatens us. We need his compassion to lift up our people in these troubled times, and his voice to speak for them.

We need his guidance and his vision because the future isn’t bright.

As a kid, when people wanted to be like Mike, I wanted to be like Pac; the 20 year old at the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in the early 90′s that turned into my all time favorite rapper and easily one of my greatest role models.

We need to follow in his example, not slowly phase it out.

The first step to that, I’d think, would be to at least remember to salute him on the day he so tragically passed away, and pay homage, if nothing else.

R.I.P Pac.