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The late Tupac Shakur has made the cut for The Vatican’s Playlist.

Tupac’s song “Changes” is one of 9 entries on the MySpace page for Pope Benedict XVI’s album “Alma Mater: Music From The Vatican.”

He joins the ranks of offerings from Nour Eddine, Mozart, Muse and Fleet Foxes.

“This playlist is a perfect mix of classical, world and contemporary music,” reads the description on the playlist page. “The genres are very different from each other, but all these artists share the aim to reach the heart of good minded people.”

“Changes,” a plea for the end of racial injustice and self-improvement, originally appeared in 1998 on his posthumous “Greatest Hits” album.

Father Giulio Neroni, artistic director of church publisher St. Paul’s Multimedia, helmed the list,  CNN reports. He also compiled the songs for the Pope Benedict XVI’s featured Alma Mater album.

Some might question the Vatican’s use of a song from such a controversial artist. The jailed rapper ultimately succumbed to violence when he was fatally shot in Las Vegas in 1996.

However,  Neroni looked beyond Tupac’s troubles to recognize that he also made positive contributions to pop culture.

Tupac countered his dramas with songs with powerful, uplifting messages. “Brenda’s Got A Baby” addressed teen pregnancy. “Keep Ya Head Up” encouraged young girls. “Dear Mama” paid tribute to his mother.

There are also several other hip-hop artists with strong social messages who would have been great for the list. But Tupac is a good choice, a solid, honest representation of the art form.

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