A book of poetry written by the late Tupac Shakur is being auctioned off by Sotheby’s. As per the auction house, the rapper created the book at age 11, in 1983, and gifted it to four incarcerated Black Panther members. The book consists of haiku poems and a self-portrait of 2Pac. It is signed “Tupac Shakur, Future Freedom Fighter.”
This is Sotheby’s second auction on hip-hop, (the first was in 2020), and this book is expected to sell in the $200,000 – $300,000 range. The collection is also said to include a “selection of love letters from 2Pac to a cherished sweetheart” written at the age of 17.
Other items in the collection include Chuck D’s original Tour-Worn silver Raiders Starter jacket, signed by Chuck D; the original concept art for Beastie Boys’ License to Ill album cover; and a custom sable fur coat and hat sported by the late Biz Markie.
The public can bid until March 30.
Via press release: “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,” said Sotheby’s Cassandra Hatton. “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.”
“Haiku”; autograph manuscript signed (“Tupac ♥ Shakur, Future Freedom Fighter”), ca. Spring 1983.