
Tupac Shakur’s Unpublished Childhood Poetry is Up for Auction
Tupac Shakur wrote a booklet of haikus when he was 11 for his imprisoned Black Panther godfather, Jamal Joseph, and that booklet is now up for auction at Sotheby’s. His childhood poems dealt with Black liberation, masculinity, and other themes that he explored in his adult work. He signed the booklet, “Tupac Shakur, Future Freedom Fighter.”
Tupac Shakur is one of the most influential rappers of all time. He died in 1996 at 25 years old from a drive-by shooting.
The auction, titled The Art and Influence of Hip Hop, includes items from many well-known hip hop artists, and also includes love letters from Tupac Shakur to high school sweetheart Cosima. The poetry booklet is estimated to sell for $300,000.
Find out more at Forbes.
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