Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The Rose that grew from Concrete by Tupac Amar Shakur

Shakur, T. The Rose that grew from Concrete. New York: Pocket books: 1999. ISBN: 0-671-02844-8. 149 pgs. $7.67 (from amazon.com)

After Tupac’s death in 1996, this book of poems was introduced in 1999. Tupac’s writing is on the left side of the page (sometimes with illustrations) next to a typed version of the same poem on the right hand side of the page. There are 4 sections of this book described below.

1^st section: “The rose that grew from concrete” These poems show a spiritual side to Tupac. He dedicates several poems to God, his friends, family or other celebrities. Tupac was never willing to quit achieving, reaching, striving for his goals even when it was tough.
2^nd section: “Nothing Can Come Between Us” Many of these poems he dedicates to someone close to him and even signs the bottom of the page. He writes about heartache and passion, faithfulness and unfaithfulness, kisses and tears, and a love that will last forever. Maybe he wasn’t just a gangster rapper.
3^rd section: “Just a Breath of Freedom” In this section he dedicates poems to Nelson Mandela, fallen friends, stars or heroes. He writes about topics like unemployment, drugs, poverty, pain, teenage mothers, and racism. He writes with a sense of pride and dignity that he will make it through despite all odds against him.
4^th section: “Liberty Needs Glasses” His poem titled “Liberty Needs Glasses” is clever and sheds light on injustice in our world. This section of the book also contains several of his most difficult poems to read – about the dangers in his life, how he felt alone, confused, and abused in no-win situations with days and nightmares filled with anger and hate.

My recommendation: This is a must read for 2pac fans, for adults and for teens alike – get to know this talented rapper Tupac on a personal level! In the mean time, keep your head up!

Here is an interview from youtube on 2Pac's thoughts on