An unpublished book of poems written by an 11-year-old Tupac Shakur will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s on Wednesday (March 23), and it’s expected to be sold for a lot of money.
As part of Sotheby’s second auction focused on Hip Hop paraphernalia,Forbes previously estimated the collection of haikus, drawings and poems from the late legendary rapper will sell between $200,000 – $300,000. The collection will also feature letters Pac wrote to a high school crush when he was 17, as well as Chuck D’s original Tour-Worn silver Raiders Starter Jacket.
The auction house will also sell off a custom sable fur coat and hat formerly worn by Biz Markie and sketches of the original concept art for the Beastie Boys License to Ill cover.
“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,” Sotheby’s Global Head of Science and Popular Culture Cassandra Hatton said in a statement. “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.”
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The collection will highlight Pac’s earliest writing on record, with Sotheby’s reporting the booklet also features a crude drawing of Pac sleeping and dreaming of the Black Panther’s release. The auction house claimed 2Pac gave a copy of the book to his godfather Jamal Joseph and four other imprisoned Black Panther members. Joseph was convicted in 1981 for his involvement in robbing an armored truck. 2Pac reportedly signed the piece, “Tupac Shakur, Future Freedom Fighter.”
People have begun coveting Pac mementos of all forms over the last few years. Nas, who was actually friends with Pac, was sued earlier this month by photographer Al Pereira after he posted a 1993 picture of him and the “All Eyez On Me” MC to his Instagram without Pereira’s consent. Pereira claimed the worth of the photo diminished after Nas posted it on Instagram, so he’s suing for damages plus an injunction against Nas for using his work.
