Jhené Aiko’s cover of 2Pac’s 1993 song “Keep Ya Head Up” illustrates how problems of violence against women still persist over time.
Aiko has voiced her admiration of Tupac throughout her career:
“I think he’s a global icon for speaking [his] mind, being controversial, and just having something to...
[Verse]
Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
I say the darker the flesh, then the deeper the roots
I give a holla to my sisters on welfare
Aiko cares, but don't nobody else care
I know they like to beat you down a lot
When you come around the block, brothers clown a lot
But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up
Forgive, but don't forget, girl, keep ya head up
And when he tells you you ain't nothin', don't believe him
And if he can't learn to love you, you should leave him
‘Cause, sister, you don't need him
And I ain't tryin' to gas you up, I just call 'em how I see 'em
You know what makes me unhappy?
When brothers make babies
And leave a young mother to be a pappy
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women — do we hate our women?
I think it's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
So will the real men get up?
I know you're fed up, ladies, yeah, but keep ya head up
[Outro]
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh, child, things'll get brighter
Keep ya head up (uh)
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh, child, things'll get brighter
Keep ya head up
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh, child, things'll get brighter (aye)
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh, child, things'll get brighter
Keep ya head up
Keep ya head up
Things'll get brighter
Keep Ya Head Up was written by Stan Vincent & Roger & 2Pac.
Keep Ya Head Up was produced by Bryan Grone.
Jhené Aiko released Keep Ya Head Up on Wed Feb 28 2018.