The authorized biography of the legendary artist, Tupac Shakur, a
“touching, empathetic portrait” (The New York Times) of his life
and powerful legacy, fully illustrated with photos, mementos,
handwritten poetry, musings, and more
Artist,
poet, actor, revolutionary, legend
Tupac
Shakur is one of the greatest and most controversial artists of all
time. More than a quarter of a century after his tragic death in 1996
at the age of just twenty-five, he continues to be one of the most
misunderstood, complicated, and influential figures in modern
history. Drawing on exclusive access to Tupac’s private notebooks,
letters, and uncensored conversations with those who loved and knew
him best, this estate-authorized biography paints the fullest and
most intimate picture to date of the young man who became a legend
for generations to come.
In
Tupac Shakur, author and screenwriter Staci Robinson—who knew Tupac
from their shared circle of high school friends in Marin City,
California, and who was entrusted by his mother, Afeni Shakur, to
share his story—unravels the myths and unpacks the complexities
that have shadowed Tupac’s existence. Decades in the making, this
book pulls back the curtain to reveal a powerful story of a life
defined by politics and art—a man driven by equal parts brilliance
and impulsiveness, steeped in the rich intellectual tradition of
Black empowerment, and unafraid to utter raw truths about race in
America.
It
is a story of a mother and son bound together by a love for each
other and for their people, and the relationship that endured through
their darkest times. It is a political story that begins in the
whirlwind of the 1960s civil rights movement and unfolds through a
young artist’s awakening to rage and purpose in the ’90s era of
Rodney King. It is a story of dizzying success and its devastating
consequences. And, of course, it is the story of Tupac’s music, his
timeless, undying message as it continues to touch and inspire us
today.