Back in the Day : My Life and Times with Tupac Shakur

Rating:
Summary: Missing You Tupac
Review: "Back in the Day" is a must read for friend or foe of Tupac. Prior to my reading the first page Tupac held a special place in my heart I reserve for celebrities. Upon turning the last page and digesting Darrin Keith Bastfields' words, Tupac Amaru Shakur became my friend and brother. A loss that was magnified ten times after finishing the book.

The author takes us on a trip down memory lane of his school days and neighborhood times in Baltimore with Tupac, with mentions of Jada Pinkett now Jada Pinkett Smith and Dana M. Smith a.ka. Mouse the human beatbox. In the prologue Darrin Keith Bastfield says "And it is my intention that all of you have this firsthand experience, and be duly affected by it." I can attest that I have been affected and will remain so for a long time.

I want to thank the author for validating my thoughts regarding Tupacs' personality. Behind his eyes I knew lived a beautiful genius who purred like a cat, but the media promoted him as a untamed bear. We miss you Tupac and again thank you Mr. Bastfield.

Reviewed by Missy
APOOO Bookclub

Rating:
Summary: A straightforward yet emotional remembrance
Review: Back In The Day is author Darren Keith Bastfield's informative and intrinsically fascinating memoir of the time he spent with controversial rap musician Tupac Shakur, before Shakur was murdered at the age of twenty-five. Recalling seven years of friendship; touching upon Shakur's incredible demonstration of talent; a wild senior prom; Shakur's surprising love of Shakespeare; the Baltimore neighborhood in which he grew up, and so much more, Back In The Day is a straightforward yet emotional remembrance of a young black man destined to make his mark before meeting a tragic and untimely end.

Rating:
Summary: A different view of Tupac (RIP)
Review: I liked this book quite a bit.

Mainly because it offered a different perspective than most other books about Tupac.

This book was written by a teenage friend who experieced the same things Tupac himself experienced. They 'shared the struggle' of trying to better themselves in a very harsh environment.

This book shows the almost relentless passion Tupac had to try and influence the world around him in a positive way. And the internal struggle he had with some of his actions. He knew of the contradiction and was trying to evolve. Too bad he was cut short in his quest.

One of the most telling insights to the basis of Tupac's personality is the answer to the question one of his earlist teachers asked. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

For those who haven't ever looked too deeply into Tupac's more intellectual and compassionate side, there is a surprise in store, Tupac's heart. For those of us that knew he was much more than a thug, you'll see more and more of his depth.

An easy read that kept me flippin pages..

Rating:
Summary: Much better than I expected.
Review: This is a good book, insightful and well written by Mr.Bastfield, it was clearly written as a labor of love and a need to document an intense kinship, that ended before it had a chance to mature in the later years of life. Since Tupac Shakurs untimely death there have been many people trying to capitalize on his memory, however this author and book do not fall into that category. For those who are interested in the somewhat awkward but always smooth teenager, who would one day become Rap musics greatest legend, this is a heartfelt account of the building of the man behind the myth, the carefree but yet fiercely determined ghetto kid, who had the right stuff to overcome the enormous odds stacked against him. Few have the courage to dream big and then pursue those dreams at all cost, this is a story and observations of a young man who did just that. The book falls short in some areas but overall is well worth reading, and a job well done by Mr.Bastfield.

Rating:
Summary: DEFINITELY WORTH CHECKING OUT
Review: THIS IS IN NO WAY A BIOGRAPHY OF THE LATE GREAT 2PAC. THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN BY DARRIN KEITH BASTFIELD, A GUY THAT WENT TO SCHOOL WITH PAC DURING THE YEARS THAT PAC WAS LIVING IN BALTIMORE. THE BOOK REALLY EXPLORES THE FRIENDSHIP THAT DARRIN HAD WITH PAC BEFORE HE SKYROCKETED TO FAME. THE BOOK IS PRETTY GOOD. THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THAT YOU GET TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW 2PAC HAD GOT INTO ACTING. THIS IS DEFINITELY WORTH READING. JUST GIVE IT A CHANCE.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book Ever
Review: Tupac Shakur has always been interesting to me. A fellow book club member read, reviewed and praised this book, so immediately I was intrigued. Throughout the years I have read snippets of Tupac's life that also piqued my curiosity. Much of what was written and portrayed prior to his death was the life of a thug rapper and little was written about his intelligence, his mind and his childhood. Darrin Bastfield's book, Back In the Day: My Life and Times With Tupac Shakur is the book to read if you want a fresh perspective on Tupac, the child and the man he became.

Bastfield does an excellent job of portraying his life with Tupac and other friends during their days at the Baltimore School for the Performing Arts. Through his portrayal we see a child raised in poverty literally; a child raised by a mother both weak and strong and a child forced to become a man much too soon. Bastfield is mesmerized by Tupac's intelligence and his excellent skill at acting and so was I. He is surprised at Tupac's love of Shakespeare and so was I.

There is one additional book written about Tupac Shakur by a writer that I highly respect but Back In the Day is the beginning and is necessary because it sets the stage for all others to come. Who better to write about Tupac's childhood than a childhood friend? One more note: this brother can write!

Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
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