Tupac Shakur's Machiavellian Philosophy

When the name Machiavelli is brought up there are two major connotations. The first being Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian historian, politician, diplomat, and writer. The second being Makaveli, which is the late rapper Tupac Shakur’s pseudonym. Shakur chose this alias based on the Renaissance Italian philosopher. Machiavelli’s writings were said to have inspired Shakur in prison. Shakur’s adoration for Machiavelli is from the philosopher’s writings that partly spoke upon the thought that a leader could eliminate his enemies by any means necessary. Which is sadly true within the hip hop community. The same principle was prevalent during the renaissance. Machiavelli is one of the most influential philosophers of all time.

Machiavelli was a civic humanist from Florence, Italy. Machiavelli was a …show more content…
A major tenet Machiavelli states is “the leader should always wear a mask.” Gilmore and Reif say that Machiavelli meant that “No leader should show his true self to his people.” A successful leader does not reveal his or her true intentions or true personality. A mask or persona is important in order to lead while commanding respect. This tenet is greatly portrayed by the comedian and political satirist Stephen Colbert. He holds a character in his show “The Colbert Report” which is not his true self. His antics have gained him a loyal following showing the tenet in practice by a leader.
A second major tenet Machiavelli states is “the prince must be prepared to act against charity, humanity, and religion.” This is where the Machiavellian thought of being ruthless and cunning is taken to the next level. No matter what value stands in the way, if one wants to maintain leadership he or she must act against said value. We see this in sports today. Seasoned Veterans are willing to commit a foul in order to maintain the momentum and to maintain a