Tupac Shakur

Rating:
Summary: An excellent biography
Review: "There is nothing more tragic than a life cut short-one that has not been allowed to bloom to its fullest potential. The tragedy of Tupac is thats his untimely passing is respresentative of too many young black men in this country. Two and a half decades, 25 years of age...that is how old Tupac was when we lost him. Who knows what he could have gone on to? If we had lost Oprah Winfrey at 25, we would have lost a relatively unknown, local market TV anchorwoman. If we had lost Malcom X at 25, we would have lost a hustler nicknamed Detroit Red. And if I had left the world at 25, we would have lost a big-band trumpet player and aspiring composer-just a sliver of my eventual life potential." - From the Foreword of Quincy Jones

these 160 pages revealing the life and death of the late rapper/actor tupac amaru shakur changed my view completely about the man. "live by the gun, die by the gun" was exactly what he did. whether he was rapping about his mama or making xxx music videos, you had to love him. there was something about his booming personality, large brown eyes, distinct voice, and smooth yet anxious flow that made you want to search for the real him. this book, loaded with information and photos, reveals the tupac that you are searching for. a DEFINITE get for true 'pac fans.

"I believe that everything you do bad comes back to you. So everything that I do that's bad, I'm going to suffer for it. But in my heart, I believe what I'm doing is right. So I feel like I'm going to heaven." - Tupac

RIP nigga 1971-1996

Rating:
Summary: This book has it all: pictures & words...
Review: First and foremost, this is an excellent book. In pictures and in words, the life of the (arguably) late Tupac Shakur gets documented and commemorated in 157 glossy pages. The best part about all of this, is that VIBE magazine was (and still is) a major player in the hip-hop music industry - the reader's letters and articles on these pages are as real as it gets. Read on:

"This is my last interview. If I get killed, I want people to get every drop. I want them to get the real story." - (VIBE, "Ready To Live" - April 1995)

Writer Kevin Powell really gets to the heart of things in this interview with 'Pac from Rikers Island.

"When you do rap albums, you got to train yourself. You got to constantly be in character. You used to see rappers talking all that hard [stuff], and then you see them in suits and [stuff] at the American Music Awards. I don't want to be that type of [person]. I wanted to keep it real, and that's what I thought I was doing. But now that [stuff] is dead. That Thug Life [stuff]...I did it, I put in my work, I laid it down. But now that [stuff] is dead."

I can't help but wonder...would Tupac still be alive had he stuck to this quote back in 1995? Would the Notorious B.I.G still be alive? Would they be friends?

There were so many facets to Tupac. He was hard...perhaps the 'realest' rapper to ever live. To say that Tupac Shakur was charismatic is an understatement - his sheer presence had the power to electrify a room. His lyrics were insightful, and his visual package had his female fans in a trance. He was truly a legend.

I (like many others) practically grew up on Tupac. I remember when he landed the role of "Bishop" in 'Juice' (he was still a relative unknown that fall of 1991); how he got to star opposite Janet Jackson (lucky dude!) in 'Poetic Justice'. In music, "I Get Around", was the joint in the summer and fall of 1993 - and it is now a classic.

Then in 1994, the trouble really started. He got shot up; sent to Rikers Island on a sexual assault charge, yet released a new album anyway. Tons of stars turned out for him to shoot the "Temptations" video (dang, Pac had a lot of friends, huh?). Then the infamous Source Awards of 1995 happened - the real powder keg of the Bad Boy/Death Row feud. The letters back and forth - the finger pointing...(I'll leave that at that).

That whole East Coast/West Coast rivalry proved once and for all that hip-hop (as DMX says) is not a game. On that note, all the shadiness, all the unsettling moments, and the unsettling quotes are documented on these pages as well. Read it, and draw your own conclusions - I just hope we never return to that state of affairs. It was most likely a very tenseand scary time to be a music journalist in hip-hop...from the outside looking in.

That being said, I'd say that this is a great place to start finding out more about Tupac. He seemed to be an extremely lovable guy. He was engaged to Quincy Jones' daughter - and he was friends with classy ladies like Jasmine Guy and Jada Pinkett-Smith. Obviously, Tupac had class...but like everyone else has been saying, he must have just turned into his "thug-life" image...and just like his character "Bishop", he died way before his time. Gone too soon.


Rating:
Summary: Finally, a book worth reading!
Review: Hey wusup!?!?! I bought this book when it first came out. Everything from what I already knew, to what I had no idea about, is in this book. It is awesome. What it really is, is a compilation of all the important articles that Vibe put in their magazine. It also has a complete disography, and a sort of time-line of his life. It includes things such as the rape case, when he got shot in the recording studio, other people's points, and basically his life up to, and a little after his death. It focuses more on his life, and celebrates that, than mourning on his death, although it does mourn a little. If you are trying to deside whether to buy this or not, take my word for it, and do buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Tupac HUH???
Review: Tupac... What can say about him. A man of a thousand words, whonever forgot his roots, childhood and was not a front, or fake. Hegave it to you like he saw, and belivied and if ypou didn't likeit....So what...This book, goes over his life, but brings to much BSinto his life about that Eastcoast westcoast crap. It's by VIBE, whatdo you expect ya know?? Anything to make a dollar. I've read alot ofbooks on tupac. He was a kind guy...He lived to worlds and it madpeople MAD..In this world, your not supposed to live like a thug andhave riches..People would do anything to assisinate his charactor andexpected the worst from him. He was a educated thug who loved to overcome struggle, set new goals, be in touch w/ others, and was anexcellent poet who could give you his feelings and have youthinking--i feel it, i know..... Many never took the chance to to feelhim, but who did, are those that feel this..

Rating:
Summary: best fan
Review: i believe that this was good book butit didnt exactly tell his story the way i could have and it didnt really show tribute to my boo let me get a pin and paper and hook it up dont get me wrong i liked it and all good pictures to.

Rating:
Summary: I got ripped off
Review: After paying $60 for the hardcover version ($60=Australian exchange rates) i was pretty PO to find that an updated edition was released. I have read the updated version though and it is really good. It also is a great book to read if you want to find out about the life a PAC.

I wish somebody would make a really good video or movie about his life.

Rating:
Summary: He was and still is an inspiration
Review: I bought this book to learn more about Tupac when he was alive, concerning his music and his lifestyle. This book gives you a real insight on his personality and after reading it you feel like you know him well. You learn about his mother, Afeni and how Tupac felt jealous of other children with fathers supporting them. You also discover his and Biggies versions of the shooting which later caused rivalry between them and resulted in tragedies for them both.

Tupac will always be an inspiration to people all over the globe, his work was incredible and his music is still played today, four years after his death and will carry on playing. You cannot help but wonder what life would be life today if Tupac was still with us. Although we may have lost a great rapper we have gained his perspective on life, "Keep ya head up."

Rating:
Summary: VERY IMPORTANT BOOK
Review: THis Book is SOlid from start to finish.Tupac was a Very Important Artist that Left This Earth way Too Soon.It WOuld Have Been Interesting to see how his Life Would Have Turned Out in Time.THis Book Shows All The Highs&Lows In the Life Of This Brother.Though I was Mixed with His Music Career I think He was A Great Poet When He Wrote Good Stuff.Also He was GOnna Be a Great Actor I Believe.He was A VOice that effected America&The World.

Rating:
Summary: What I Think of This Book
Review: I think "Tupac Amaru Shakur 1971-1996" was a great book. I really liked how they used all the previosly published articles on him to tell his story. That format gave you many different veiws of his story. Also, the book contained many great pictures. Anybody half way interested in 2Pac should give this book a try.

Rating:
Summary: Mad Luv 4 Pac
Review: The book was very good, it has mad clippings from VIBE mag all put together to make a descriptive book. It seemed that the book never left anything out, it has good details and the best pictures i have ever seen in a book. ( i bought another book just for the pictures ) The one thing that was dissapointing to me was that the book was not quoting Pac's lyrics correctly, if you are going to make a Tribute to Pac by writing a book, you should get the Lyrics down properly, I first noticed this in the Preface where it reads... "Laugh Now, Cry Later" Tattooed on Pacs back when in actuality Pac's Tattoo reads "Smile Now, Cry Later" this may not sound like a big deal now, but when all of the mis-quotes add up together from Pac's songs and words, i got pissed. That is the only thing i had a negative outlook on this book, on the real, the book is one of the best books i have read and had tight pics as i have said before, i would definately recommend this book to any Pac fan out there! Keep You'r Head Up.