Tupac Shakur's Material To Be Showcased At Temple University
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) — Tupac Shakur's material has found a new home at Temple University Thursday.
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Some materials from the slain rapper's estate were gifted to the university's Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection since they offer a course about Shakur titled "Tupac Shakur and the Hip-Hop Revolution." The 3-credit course studies the influential rappers impact on the culture and music of hip-hop and the community.
Most notably, Temple will acquire the bullet-dented gold and diamond crown medallion Shakur was wearing during a 1994 shooting in New York City.
"For a hip-hop head, this is truly a dream come true," said Aaron Smith, a professor of Africology and African American Studies who teaches a Shakur-focused class at Temple.
The school will also receive the diamond earring Shakur wore on the cover of his critically-acclaimed "All Eyez On Me" album.
Jewelry plays a significant role in Shakur's story, according to Smith.
"There is a lot of mystery around Tupac and his jewelry," Smith said. "To have some of (it) here means a whole lot."
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Diane Turner, the collection's curator, said Thursday that the Blockson Collection will increase its focus on hip-hop culture with the addition of Shakur's items.
"This is just the beginning of a long journey to collect and preserve hip-hop culture," Turner said.
Other items that will go to the collection include handwritten lyrics to songs like "I Ain't Mad At Cha" and "It Ain't Easy"; track lists for unreleased albums "Street Fame," "Troublesome," "The Young Thugz" and "Nuthin' Gold;" and other related handwritten lists and lyrics.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
