The Rose That Grew From Concrete

Rating:
Summary: Sweet and Innocent
Review: Tupac has inspired many lives with his words of wisdom.. his words to the wise, and words to the weak. Tupac is a true person.. this book helps you understand my meaning.. I wish i could be as true as he.

Rating:
Summary: the rose that grew from the concrete
Review: This book shows Tupac as he was before the fame, before his soul was twisted by lies, and his name tarnished by rumors. It shares his most sacred thoughts before the anger within in him surfaced to make an ustoppable revolutionary. It proves that Tupac was not heartless, and he did care. But he did not care about the smaller things in life, instead he focused on the really important things. I think that this book shows that he cared, but once he entered the rap game, he was forced to mask these cares so he would succeed and be able to make his dreams despite the color of his skin. He wrote most of these when he was 19, and they clearly show different levels of thought, feeling and understanding, and also show that even after his mother got addicted to crack that he was not filled with hate. That two years after he moved to Marin City, that he had still hung on to the hopes and dreams within his heart for a better world, especially for blacks. I beleive that this book proves that fame can twist souls and break hearts without slower down and without care. That nothing, not even Tupac's hero being defeated could fill him with rage, until he discovered fame. The book shows his mind develope and see the world around him different than anyone else could. Tupac was the rose that grew from the concrete and despite the murder, drug dealings, and everything else that tried to keep him from greatness, his pedals were still spread wide and were a bright red, full of life and love. When fame came along it caused the pedals to turn dark read and close in tightly to protect itself. He survived like that, closed off, and safe from emotions that would be looked upon as weak, for years, and still had a light than shined brighter than the sun. Finnally, even the stronger will and the most determined soul lost the battle. the battle was finally lost on September 13th, 1996. Much love to Tupac, may he rest in peace. It's time for someone else to follow in his footsteps and continue the fight against prejudice.

Rating:
Summary: Tupac is tha Realest
Review: if ure a tru pac fan and u luv his work than this book of poetry is for u...

Rating:
Summary: This Thugs Life
Review: Tupac Amaru Shakur has been without a doubt one of the most influential and controversial personalities of our time. And although he was often mis-represented by a media who thrived on portraying the negative aspects of Tupac's life, this compilation of his early work, produced before his attainment of super stradom as a gangsta rapper and actor, reveals a side of the man which popular media didn't care to address. This book represents Tupac as he was before the music and conveys a whole plethora of thoughts and feelings which can be appreciated by anyone regardless of their culteral background or musical preferences. This collection of early poetry is essential for anyone who loved Tupac.

Rating:
Summary: The rose that grew from concrete
Review: This is a very disappointing book of Tupac's work. Be reminded that these poems were written when tupac was nineteen. It doesn't account the events tupac encountered in the highlights of his career. I was expecting to see more of his feelings towards other rap artists. I also thought that as a poet, Tupac limits himself but as a rapper, he has exposed his lyrics to a higher level. There are a few poems that are worth reading tho' but they're already all over the net and plus they're all super short. Maybe he put a romantic or sorrow connotation to poetry. Besides that, just "don't believe the hype."

Rating:
Summary: HIS MOST HONEST WORK
Review: TUPAC WAS A GREAT POET PERIOD.THis Book Reflects His thoughts on How He Saw The World&wanted things to be.How he felt.He Was A Proud Brother GOing Thru Life Trying to FInd Himself&Make Sense of the World Around Him.The MAN Has Alot OF Depth In this Book.It's A Shame we will Never Know How this Brother Would Have turned Out.but one thing is for sure he Left his Work&His Words Will never be FOrgotten.

Rating:
Summary: Art Imitates Life
Review: In a time of increasing violence and desperate poverty it is difficult for many of us to picture a brighter tomorrow. And as an outsider myself, never having to deal with the "ghetto," it is even harder for me to imagine living in the midst of it all. I wonder how a person can look to the stars when all the smoke blurs his vision? How he can dream when the gunshots don't allow him to close his eyes? And how a rose can find a way to grow when it has to plant itself in concrete? I would imagine that, more often than not, the stars are never seen and the dreams are never dreamt in these neighborhoods. But the rose that can find the light of tomorrow will also find a way to grow from a crack in the concrete. In Tupac's poem "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" we find art imitating life. But this is not a new idea. Throughout history, poets and writers alike have centered their works on the beauty of roses, using contrasts and comparisons with this seemingly simple flower as metaphors for their themes. In fact, Shakespeare once wrote, "Would not a rose by any other name smell as sweet". And in Shakespeare's time it seems that there would probably be nothing more beautiful. But Tupac writes, "Long live the rose that grew from concrete." In affect, beauty is no longer focused on the rose alone, but rather beauty is a rose and the concrete it has grown from. It prompts us to ask, what is beauty? Is it a common rose found in our backyards or a rose standing on its own in the middle of the sidewalk? In one situation we have a rose planted in a rich soil, away from weeds, and with plenty of water and sunlight. In the other situation we have a rose in the direst of circumstances, amongst the weeds, lacking soil and water. Indeed both are roses and beautiful in their own respects, but there is something even more beautiful about a rose flourishing against all odds. Ironically, Tupac titles one of his later albums "Me Against the World." It would prove not to be the first piece in which Tupac writes more or less an autobiography. Looking closely at his life, and then analyzing the poem, it is clear that Tupac is the rose and his neighborhood the concrete. Like a rose that many don't imagine could grow within the confides of concrete, no one ever imagined Tupac to grow within the confides of his neighborhood to reach success. He points out how he overcame the odds by saying, "Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams/ it learned 2 breathe fresh air." Though specifically referring to the poem, it is evident that it speaks metaphorically to the struggle he endured and overcame "when no one else even cared!" And we must not overlook the fact that Tupac wrote this piece at age of 19 before all of his success, when he was yet to be tainted by the money and the fame. This adds more to the poem, increasingly its authentic effect. Tupac didn't write it after he had achieved his success. Rather, he wrote it when he was still envisioning his glorious future. It is thus easier to connect with the idea drawn from the poem, to believe that a rose can grow from concrete since Tupac, unknowing to himself, actually accomplished it. He didn't write the poem looking back at his life and then drawing the parallel between his life and that of a rose. Instead of imagining that something as frail as a rose could grow within something as lifeless as concrete, he actually lived it. He wrote it before he, the rose, found space to grow outside of the concrete. Almost predicting his successful future, Tupac's poem was ironically true. Considering this fact when reading the poem, "The Rose the Grew From Concrete" takes on a new, more profound light. "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" is arguably Tupac Shakur's most profound piece in his collection of writings. Many poets have attempted to depict the harsh realities of the inner city, but many have fallen short. What sets Tupac apart from other poets is his raw style. Although reflecting a harsh reality, it is complemented by the complexity of his thoughts. In a sense, it is not what he writes but how he writes it. His words evoke images that we ourselves can internalize. But most importantly the poem allows us not only to peer into a part of ourselves, but into the poet as well.

Rating:
Summary: thugz life: a true hero
Review: tupac shakur is a man who inspires people. He was some-1 who wasn't afraid 2 tell it like it is and he deserves respect and recognition for his dedication and focus on trying 2 make this hate-filled world a better place and shedding some light on the fact that even as individuals we all share the same feelings and emotions. Tupac is my mentor and my hope...and i hope this world will never forget his talents and his breif, but beautful life.

Rating:
Summary: great poems
Review: i think tupac's poetry was great to be such a young age at the time the poems was written. I enjoyed all of them.

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Summary: TUPAC IS THE MAN
Review: AS I WAS READING THIS I FOUND MYSELF LAUGHING, CRYING, MAD, SMILING AND MOST OF ALL UNDERSTANDING LIKE TUPAC SAY IN 'SOMETIMES I CRY' THE WORLD ESPECIALLY THE MEDIA DIDN'T STOP TO THINK THAT HE WAS A MAN THAT LIVES AND BREATHS LIKE THE REST OF US HE WAS A TRUE ARTIST BUT FIRST HE WAS A MAN AND NO ONE TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION THAT HE CRYS TOO. THIS BOOKS SHOWS PEOPLE A SIDE OF TUPAC THAT THE MEDIA CHOSE NEVER TO AIR. THEY WERE TO BUSY WORRY ABOUT HIS RAP SHEET. SO TO TUPAC WHERE EVER YOU MAYBE KEEP YA HEAD UP BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TRUE FANS THAT KNOWS THE REAL PAC.