The Rose that Grew from Concrete

Category: Non-Fiction. Shakur, Tupac. The Rose That Grew from Concrete. New York: Pocket Books, 1999. Print. ISBN-13: 978-0671028442. Paperback. $14.93.

This short book contains 72 poems written by rapper/actor Tupac (“2PAC”) Shakur before be gained widespread fame. He was born in 1971 in Harlem, but moved to Baltimore and then Marin City, California where he attended high school. His rapping career took off in the early 1990’s. Shakur had a difficult childhood and lived from an early age with people who were struggling and who were imprisoned. Both of his parents were members of the Black Panther party, an African-American revolutionary leftist organization. The urban environment with poverty and problems that he and others faced highly influenced the content and tone of his poems. His poems are highly personal and focus on such themes as poverty, justice/injustice, race, freedom, love, hope, and peace. This volume contains Tupac’s original handwritten poems (including many doodles) presented on each left page and the printed version shown on the right. Tupac’s life and career was cut short in 1996 (age 25) due to gang violence, but he remains one of the best rap artists of all time by many estimates.

I would recommend this book for any older young adults seeking insight into the life of this prolific rap artist and actor. Most young adults will listen or download his music from iTunes, but this volume sheds light on his roots and early influences – from famous people like Nelson Mandela to Marilyn Monroe to his early love “Jada” (Jada Pickett Smith). Tupac was not perfect. He spent some time in jail (reading Shakespeare and Machiavelli while he was there!) and paid the ultimate price for his involvement in the deadly warfare between East and West Coast gangsta rappers. Still, despite his anger and racial views, many of his poems are about love contain a hopeful message for a future that could be a better place. I would include this book in a public library collection.