2Pac’s Childhood Poetry Book Expected to Go for Up to $300,000 at Auction
Sotheby’s has announced it is auctioning off an unpublished poetry booklet written and illustrated by a young 2Pac.
According to the auction house, the late rapper created the book at the age of 11, making it the oldest piece of writing on record. The auction house says 2Pac gifted the book to four detained Black Panther members, including his godfather Jamal Joseph, who was convicted in 1981 for his role in the deadly robbery of Brink’s armored vehicle.
The booklet apparently consists of haikus, who is interested in the subjects pac will later explore in his music. It also includes a self-portrait in which Pac imagines the Black Panthers coming out while he sleeps with a pen in his hand. He signed “Tupac Shakur 2pac, The Freedom Fighter of the Future.”
2Pac’s Collection Seems Pretty Full
The public can bid on the piece on Wednesday as part of Sotheby’s second auction dedicated to hip-hop. Forbes reported that the article is expected to reach the range of $200,000-$300,000.
The collection will also include: Pac’s letters to a 17-year-old high school sweetheart; Chuck D’s original Tour-Worn silver Raiders Starter jacket was signed by the artist; Original concept art for the Beastie Boys’ License to Ill album cover; and a special sable fur coat and hat worn by the late Biz Markie.
“Following the success of Sotheby’s historic first Hip Hop auction in 2020, our second sale in this series expands on the generational, geographic, and artistic scope of Hip Hop’s creative narrative,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Global Head of Science and Popular Culture, said in a press release. “From the ’70s to the present, from the East Coast to the West, The Art and Influence of Hip Hop seeks to represent and honor the voices and visionaries who continue to move the crowd and redefine culture.”
Read More Cardi B Loves Rosalia’s Album
