Tupac Shakur

Courtesy the recipient

“THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH U…SO DON’T LET THEM BRING U DOWN.”

17-YEAR-OLD TUPAC SHAKUR SENDS WORDS OF SUPPORT

Rumors swirl around the halls of Talampais High as a worried Tupac writes to Cosima in the present short note, now secure in his role as compassionate protector of his younger friend. “R U O.K.!”, begins Tupac, the rare usage of all-caps communicating his burning concern for his friend’s well-being. “I’m sorry if what I said disappointed u that was not my intention. It really took a lot 2 tell u because I don’t want 2 bring u anymore pain.” Never one to sugarcoat, the future star finds himself conflicted about the side effects of his total candor. While he can “c [sic]” Cosima’s obvious distress each time he shares a new piece of gossip, Tupac also cannot allow her to remain oblivious. “I don’t want u 2 think something [sic] wrong with u because of the way or who u have sex with. There is nothing wrong with u,” he soothes. In a move that anticipates his future as an oft cited lyricist and poet, Tupac quotes his own words from a letter he sent Cosima sometime earlier (see lot 78) “‘When no cares 4 u, I will be there 4 u.’"

Quoting himself under a line break, Tupac flaunts his nascent facility with verse—remixing his past phrasing, flexing the skills he’s currently developing in The Microphone Sessions. Desperate to console and connect, Tupac ends this letter with a flurry of anxious questions—“What r u doing tonite? R u alright! Honestly? Is there anything u need 2 talk 2 me about? Honestly?” 

In the summer of 1988, 17-year-old Tupac Shakur and family moved from Baltimore to Marin City, California. There, Tupac attended Tamalpais High School in nearby Mill Valley, where he poured his creative energies into the award-winning, student-run Ensemble Theatre Company, and perhaps most importantly, The Microphone Sessions, a poetry workshop run by Leila Steinberg. Steinberg quickly recognized the future superstar's talent, and took him under her wing, mentoring his progress as a writer, and even welcoming Tupac into her family's home for a time. Their relationship would prove to be pivotal for Tupac's career—not only did Steinberg help Tupac hone his writing skills, but she would also become his first manager, organizing a concert for his rap group Strictly Dope, with whom Tupac recorded under the stage name MC New York. Steinberg helped broker Tupac's signing with Atron Gregory, manager of Digital Underground, and in 1990, Tupac joined the group as a roadie and back-up dancer, before going on to debut with them in 1991, under the stage name 2Pac. The rest is history.

Cosima, the recipient of the present letter, was a Sophomore and fellow member of the Ensemble Theatre Company at Tamalpais High. The pair shared a profound connection at this time, just before and in the beginning stages of Tupac's rise to fame, from their first meeting on Cosima's birthday in October 1988, and lasting for approximately 7-8 months. This, and the other letters offered (see lots 71-73 and 75-76) reveal a tender-hearted, fiercely passionate young man, dedicated to clear communication who loved people deeply, and expressed emotions without fear. Tupac’s ability to love so deeply, and to plainly express this love continues to explain the indelible mark he left on the hearts of those who knew him and devotees around the globe. These letters capture Tupac at a seminal juncture—an adolescent on the edge of true maturity, a natural wordsmith evolving into a lyricist and poet.