Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography

***Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography*** is a 2023 biography written by American novelist and screenwriter Staci Robinson on the life and career of American rapper Tupac "2Pac" Shakur. It was published on October 24, 2023, by Crown Publishing Group, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House. The audiobook, narrated by Jamal Joseph and Staci Robinson, has the duration of fourteen hours and six minutes.

## Blurb

**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.

## Background

The author attended the same high school as Shakur, Tamalpais High, in Northern California. Later on, Shakur would call Robinson and her roommates to stay at their place for a while in Los Angeles. Several years after the rapper's death, Afeni Shakur would reach out to Robinson to write his life story. In 1999, Robinson purchased an eMachine personal computer and began researching extensively, conducting interviews and compiling information. Around eight months, she handed in the manuscript, though the project was put on hold. In 2017, Shakur's estate reached out and eventually the manuscript was brought up and revised.

## Critical reception

Sheldon Pearce of *The New York Times* wrote, "a touching, empathetic portrait of a friend. Even familiar stories achieve new intimacy at closer range. And small moments help clarify longstanding narratives, coloring in the outlines of this well-known tale of the actor-rapper-activist who died at 25. The book attempts to contextualize the sadness and paranoia beneath the charisma." He concluded, "Robinson does not stand at a historian's distance. Her writing radiates admiration, and at times she even speaks on Tupac's behalf. Even so, this is far from hagiography. At its best, the book feels like a plea to re-examine the world that made Tupac Shakur so angry." *The Washington Post*'s Jesse McCarthy felt that "Robinson perfectly captures these everyday moments. Strangely, on balance, you almost feel like you're reading about the life of an ordinary person."

Hua Hsu of *The New Yorker* noted, "It's a reverential and exhaustive telling of Shakur's story, leaning heavily on the perspective of his immediate family, featuring pages reproduced from the notebooks he kept in his teens and twenties." *Publishers Weekly* penned, "Avoiding speculation about the circumstances of his unsolved murder, Robinson instead sets out a faithful and detailed portrait of an artist dedicated to helping 'others achieve freedom from oppression.' Enriched by invaluable excerpts from the rapper's notebooks and sketch pads, this will have hip-hop devotees enthralled."

## Chapter list

The book is divided into five parts, where each is titled in relation to his whereabouts, geographically. The chapter titles are named after his songs or poems; underneath are quotes corresponding with each art piece.

## References

1. ↑ Pearce, Sheldon (October 21, 2023). "Tupac Shakur's Volatile Life, Delivered by Friendly Hands". *The New York Times*.
2. ↑ McCarthy, Jesse (December 1, 2023). "‘Tupac Shakur' Captures an Icon's Spark and Decades of Black History". *The Washington Post*.
3. ↑ Hsu, Hua (October 23, 2023). "Why Tupac Never Died". *The New Yorker*.
4. ↑ "Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography". *Publishers Weekly*. August 17, 2023.