Tupac Shakur Honored By Library of Congress

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Rapper Tupac Shakur's song "Dear Mama," Bill Cosby's second comedy album and rare battle sounds from World War II are among 25 recordings the Library of Congress is preserving for their cultural significance.

Selections for the 2009 National Recording Registry are being announced Wednesday. They must be at least 10 years old and be culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

The combination of Cosby - an outspoken critic of profanity and violence in hip-hop culture - with work from a rapper who was shot and killed in 1996 is notable, but organizers said Tupac's "Dear Mama" was a heartfelt homage to mothers struggling with addiction and poverty.

It's also a "relatively tame" recording, and the cultural impact of hip-hop is undeniable, program coordinator Steve Leggett said. Tupac is the third rapper inducted, following Grandmaster Flash and Public Enemy.

In announcing the registry, Librarian of Congress James Billington said the list "showcases the diverse beauty, humanity and artistry found in the American soundscape."

The new additions include performances by Little Richard, Willie Nelson, REM, Patti Smith and the 1923 recording "Canal Street Blues" by King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band for epitomizing the sound of New Orleans.

Organizers chose Cosby's second album, "I Started Out as a Child," over his first simply because they thought it was better overall, Leggett said.

The World War II recording is from the second Battle of Guam in which the U.S. forces retook the island from the Japanese.

Nominations come from a Library of Congress preservation board and online suggestions from the public. The selections for 2009 bring the registry's total to 300.

The 2009 additions to the registry in chronological order are:

- "Fon der Choope" (From the Wedding), Abe Elenkrig's Yidishe Orchestra (1913)

- "Canal Street Blues,"King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band (1923)

- "Tristan und Isolde," Metropolitan Opera, featuring Kirsten Flagstad and Lauritz Melchior, NBC Broadcast of March 9, 1935

- "When You Wish Upon a Star," Cliff Edwards (recorded, 1938; released, 1940)

- "America's Town Meeting of the Air: Should Our Ships Convoy Materials to England?"(May 8, 1941)

- The Library of Congress Marine Corps Combat Field Recording Collection, Second Battle of Guam (July 20 - August 11, 1944)

- "Evangeline Special" and "Love Bridge Waltz," Iry LeJeune (1948)

- "The Little Engine That Could," narrated by Paul Wing (1949)

- Leon Metcalf Collection of recordings of the First People of Western Washington State (1950-1954)

- "Tutti Frutti," Little Richard (1955)

- "Smokestack Lightning," Howlin' Wolf (1956)

- "Gypsy," original cast recording (1959)

- The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, Bill Evans Trio (June 25, 1961)

- "Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)," Max Mathews (1961)

- "I Started Out As a Child," Bill Cosby (1964)

- "Azucar Pa Ti," Eddie Palmieri (1965)

- "Today!," Mississippi John Hurt (1966))

- "Silver Apples of the Moon," Morton Subotnick (1967)

- "Soul Folk in Action," The Staple Singers (1968)

- "The Band," The Band (1969)

- "Coal Miner's Daughter," Loretta Lynn (1970)

- "Red Headed Stranger," Willie Nelson (1975)

- "Horses," Patti Smith (1975)

- "Radio Free Europe" R.E.M. (1981))

- "Dear Mama," Tupac Shakur (1995)

[NoExceptions]

I agree with candi 100%. What is being honored here is his TALENT and nothing else. Anyone who listened to his music knows he was an incredible poet and lyricist. As adults, we should be able to separate the artist from the art. By no means do I believe that his talents excuse his way of life, so I will not comment or attempt to rationalize his choices. I am a bit of a conservatist, so I believe there is No Excuse for it.
His music was a window into the life of the less fortunate; it was hope for those going through the same struggle and an opportunity for outsiders to understand that struggle. BUT, whether or not his words appeal to anyone's emotion is not what made him successful and worthy of being honored; his raw talent did that all on its own.

[EZ_Duzzit]

I agree with Matty, you are the people that do not live in the society we are raised in. You see our cries as complaints and believe our situations are fabricated and used as excuses. You who have never had the need to write about poverty because you know nothing about it. No matter how most of you would like to put it or rationalize your position on this matter I can see through the cloak of bashing a "thug" or "rappers" as really just the newer form of practicing racism, classification, and just plain stereo typing entire cultures and people for the works of one. Yes Tupac was troubled in many ways, but if you really paid attention there were highly valid reasons for his stress, and most of you feel like its just because he is a black "gangster rapper". So quick to call one of our people ignorant when true ignorance radiates from those who simply refuse to do the research and for the most part don't even have any level of empathy for our peoples situation to do the research... So I'll end with this, Stop hatin' because you don't have the talent to make it where he made it, stop hatin' on the fact that a black man from the hood was intelligent enough to shock the entire world and bring our hidden realities to light, stop hatin' that your culture has no significant people in it that weren't evil, stop hatin' the fact the your people need our people because most of you are just too square to get the ball rollin'... If you can't understand what I'm saying, your even more of a square and you really need to keep your comments to yourself, because you have no idea *** your talking about. Congrats to Tupac Shakur may he rest in peace, this particular song is a direct reflection of what we go through all the time, so it is a fine choice for our culture... Ain't too many real people out here and not really many thats very intelligent either so I guess thats why the meek will inherit the earth, lol... I'm surrounded by idiots!

[MattyCam92]

Quite a bit of silliness in these comments. I can tell most of the people bashing this "Thug" haven't listened to his music. Anyone reading this: if you're taking shots at an artist you haven't listened to, congrats, your old. You're the people who bashed Elvis. Even if you are right, and he was Satan, you still haven't listened to his music, and you wouldn't know for yourself, now would you?

Of course, to anyone who bothers to really listen and understand the music, it's clear why he is being honored, and it's clear why he deserved it. The man was a poet, contaminated by the terrible environment he lived in, and jaded even more by the unfairness thrown at him and those he cared about every day. Good or evil, he was an incredible artist who deserves to have his legacy unsoiled by ignorance.

And, for what it's worth, Tupac was convicted on one of the weakest cases ever brought before a court. It was, and still is, an absolute disgrace for those claiming to be "on the right side of the law". While I doubt anyone who reads this and still feels the need to attack Tupac would care enough to actually educate themselves on this topic, maybe if they looked at just how much he was put through by an uncaring system, they could maybe sympathize with those less fortunate.

[P0ST1ING_AWAY]

W H Y ???????????????????

[TimeForTheTruth1337]

This is by far the most ignorant comment I've ever seen. You're calling him a sex offender when the case had little basis. Since we're calling Tupac a sex offender we might as well say that there's no such thing as a wrongful conviction. It's not as if he had a successful lawsuit against the cops for police brutality. You're pathetic, and you're in the same legion of idiots believing in anything they see on the news.

[taxchurches]

Sorry, candicdebaca, I don't see any "racist" comments here at all, and I've looked, trying to find them. As for "elitist," maybe -- I'm certainly entitled and justified in looking down on a convicted sex offender and self-proclaimed "thug." Rightly criticizing someone doesn't make you a racist, whatever their skin color.

Interestingly, I DO think Shakur had talent, both as a poet and an actor. But he chose his lifestyle and he reaped the results. I see little worth honoring.

[pickaguitar1]

I think this is pretty cool...and I'm not much of a Tupac fan

[candicdebaca]

It's a shame that educated readers cannot acknowledge the "cultural significance" of Tupac's music/lyrics. Despite what he did in his personal life, it is his art that is being being acknowledged. This particular song speaks for itself and should be honored. These racist, elitist, responses are typical but they still baffle my mind. Tupac was a WORLDWIDE phenomenon (even in countries where televisions and radios were/are not in every home). He has been honored already by a majority of this world but it's nice to see "those who validate American ideologies" finally honoring his contributions in a small way.

[candicdebaca]

It's a shame that educated readers cannot acknowledge the "cultural significance" of Tupac's music/lyrics. Despite what he did in his personal life, it is his art that is being being acknowledged. This particular song speaks for itself and should be honored. These racist, elitist, responses are typical but they still baffle my mind. Tupac was a WORLDWIDE phenomenon (even in countries where televisions and radios were/are not in every home). He has been honored already by a majority of this world but it's nice to see "those who validate American ideologies" finally honoring his contributions in a small way.

[GTR5]

A thug is honored? Can it get any worse than this?

[TimeForTheTruth1337]

Hi there, mindless elitist. We can honor something more suitable to your bland tastes.

[bradkt1]

I see no reason to honor Tupac Shakur like this. He is not culturally significant. At best, he is an example of what's gone wrong with the culture.

Conservatives are going to have a field day with this.

[EZ_Duzzit]

No your people is what went wrong with the culture. If we weren't enslaved then segregated and oppressed afterward and given the opportunity to go your schools and be taught with fair treatment many of our families will be in the same position as yours. We wouldn't have needed to use radical actions and harsh words to get your attention. The man mentioned just put it in your face so your people could stop hiding what they were doing to us off the record, which of course is the reason you believe Tupac is the downfall of black culture... lmao... Do you know how ignorant that sounds? Do research and even with that being said, since you don't care for our people research the facts of what your people have done to my people and hopefully God will give you a heart human enough to have sympathy. Its crazy that you are all so evil still, even after you've murdered or imprisoned all of our leaders and defamed them amongst each other as some sort of criminal when they were really the only ones we had that could have taught our people to rise in the system... But you are afraid of that, because once we rule, it will be for a very long period and you will be the oppressed ones... Thats what scares you the most, so its important for you to continually bash young black men and women from the ghetto that your people created for us to dwell in that way you can hope we stay there... But woe to you who are so evil, we will continue to rise because our journey hasn't ended yet... And people like Tupac just made you upset because he actually pushed us forward, he didn't hold us back, your grandfathers did...