The auction house Sotheby is auctioning off an unpublished booklet of poems written by the late rapper 2pac.
According to Sotheby, the poem booklet was written by 2pac when he was 11-years-old, making it the earliest piece of his writing.
The bidding for the book began on Wednesday as an addition to Sotheby’s second auction inspired by hip-hop. According to Forbes, the booklet is expected to be sold for anywhere between the $200,000-$300,000 range.
“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,” says Sotheby’s Global Head of Science and Popular Culture. “From the ’70s to the present, from the East Coast to the West. The Art and Influence of Hip Hop seek to represent and honor the voices and visionaries who continue to move the crowd and redefine culture.”
Sotheby states that the rapper gifted the book to four incarcerated Black Panther members. The book consists of poems with topics 2pac discuss later in his career. It also includes a self-portrait drawn by 2pac of him dreaming about the Black Panthers’ release. In addition, the auction will have Pac’s letters written to a high school sweetheart at age 17; Chuck D’s original Tour-Worn silver Raiders Starter jacket signed by the artist; the original concept art for Beastie Boys’ License to Ill album cover; and a custom sable fur coat and hat worn by the late Biz Markie.
