13. Tupac Shakur
The legacy that Tupac left after being murdered in 1996 will be engraved in the lives of us all as well as those to come. His ability to speak about personal as well as social issues which could easily affect us all meant that his work could go beyond that of the stereotypical hip-hop fan and reach any and all who would listen. Most recently, there has even been a Broadway musical entitled Holler if You Hear Me which utilizes 21 of his songs and speaks about struggles on both the individual and systematic level to give the audience a glimpse into the reality of others. Tupac has been referred to as a wordsmith on multiple occasions and it’s easy to see why. Due to his love of literature, he was greatly influenced by people like William Shakespeare and his command of the English language is a direct result of that. Lyrics of any kind can be poetry but it is only those who can convey emotion and thought that can be considered poets and he proved himself to be just that when The Rose that Grew from Concrete was published. Being someone who speaks about humanity, compassion, empathy and dreams of a better tomorrow makes him relevant no matter the times and, in one way or another, it can be assumed that this all stems from his less-than-perfect past. Tupac Shakur may have had his own struggles but maybe, just maybe, that’s where his genius stemmed from. Being from a hard past that he just could not escape from, the hope was real but here’s to hoping that this dream can one day become a reality for one and all.
12. George Lucas
George Lucas is just one of those masterminds in the entertainment industry who can do absolutely anything that he sets his mind to, thus shaping him into a role model for us all. It’s funny to think that if it weren’t to be for an accident that he had back in high school he may not have gone into cinema at all! Since working in the entertainment industry, however, he has merged the wonders of cinema and technology together in ways that others could have only dreamed of. The willingness to take risks meant that he not only has full creative control over Star Wars but opened doors that weren’t even there to begin with. For example, when he couldn’t find a company to do the special effects for Star Wars he decided to found Industrial Light & Magic which eventually even found a way to get a camera to simulate the appearance of flight! On top of that, this company even branched out and brought the world Skywalker Sound which deals with audio post-production. LucasArts Entertainment is also in his name and is responsible for the release of video games and the like. Simply put, once George Lucas immersed himself in the film industry there was no going back and the entertainment business just wouldn’t be the same without him.
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