This photo was taken in Cabanjal, a neighborhood in Valencia that used to be considered one of the poorer areas. Now, Cabanjal is slowly being taken over by wealthier people, drawn by the old Cuban-style houses, the cheap real estate prices, and the beach just a stone’s throw away. The original residents are being gradually pushed out of the neighborhood.
Tupac is the hero of the poor and the oppressed, which is why he fits so well in this area. I can’t place the man on the right, and the man on the left is wearing a balaclava. It can also get grim in Cabanjal. The entire image radiates resistance—resistance against a society that you cannot participate in without money, one that even takes your neighborhood away from you. It’s called gentrification.