The Rose That Grew From Concrete

Tupac loved a lot of women. I've known teenage girls who have had fewer true loves. That being said, this is probably the most unique book of poetry I've ever read. It really does take a very personal look at the life of Tupac. How often do you get to look at a piece of writing that is essentially the diary of someone famous? Most memoirs and biographies are cut down and edited for content. This is raw writing from the artist himself.

I would recommend this to to anyone who was a fan of his music, but also to anyone who says they don't like rap music just so they can see that there is a story behind the words.

First of all, thank you goodreads for an arc of "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" by Tupac Amar Shakur. I was excited to see this book and thrilled when I received a copy. "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" is a collection of poetry written by Tupac from the time he was nineteen years old. The "To Our Children", Acknowledgments, Preface, Foreward: Tupac, C U in Heaven, and Introduction sections definitely added to the book and understanding of Tupac's short-lived life. In my opinion, his first poem in the book, "The Rose That Few from Concrete", sums up Tupac's life and his beliefs. A great title to this amazing book. I also liked how Tupac's handwritten poems were included, along with the typed versions. His writing and the show more illustrations that were included, gives the reader a personal insight. The poems cover numerous topics of his life. The one that is the most emotional for me is "In The Event Of My Demise". I've read it so many times and it brings tears every time. A life cut too short. As a fifth-grade teacher that teaches a unit in poetry, I'm looking forward to sharing some of these poems with my students. A definite must read! show less

These sad prose-like poems (why prose?) they fill a terse conviction of what leaves of feeling void like. Tupac Amaru Shakur builds a scaffolding for his tense bars / a rhyming that is consistent with street journalism. Not to gloss over the empathic but show the cut of the parallels of culture in conflict. Shakur has much to lecture in his short book that asks of us each what would we have accomplished in these similar circumstances…. Perhaps, Tupac went to the finest schools but we see him in the throes of something otherworldly. A final eulogy to Amuru whom needs no further mention…. I CRIED SO I
HATE IT

First of all, thank you goodreads for an arc of "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" by Tupac Amar Shakur. I was excited to see this book and thrilled when I received a copy. "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" is a collection of poetry written by Tupac from the time he was nineteen years old. The "To Our Children", Acknowledgments, Preface, Foreward: Tupac, C U in Heaven, and Introduction sections definitely added to the book and understanding of Tupac's short-lived life. In my opinion, his first poem in the book, "The Rose That Few from Concrete", sums up Tupac's life and his beliefs. A great title to this amazing book. I also liked how Tupac's handwritten poems were included, along with the typed versions. His writing and the show more illustrations that were included, gives the reader a personal insight. The poems cover numerous topics of his life. The one that is the most emotional for me is "In The Event Of My Demise". I've read it so many times and it brings tears every time. A life cut too short. As a fifth-grade teacher that teaches a unit in poetry, I'm looking forward to sharing some of these poems with my students. A definite must read! show less

This book is a fascinating look into Tupac, because it is far from what you might expect. Reprinted here a reader finds fairly traditionally styled poems Tupac wrote before becoming the rap legend he turned into. While you can still feel his voice if you're a fan of his music, and see the same symptoms of dreams and disgust, these poems are also obviously from a younger mind, adolescent, and the beginnings of an artist finding a voice. What makes the book even more of a treasure is the choice to include not only typed versions of the poems, but photocopies of the poems torn from looseleaf written in his handwriting. If you're skeptic, of a fan of his music, just take a look. These are NOT simply reprints of lyrics as poems as seems to show more have become the fashion with musicians lately--these are original poems that came before the songs, and which the family chose to print after his death. They tell a deeper picture of Tupac, and have some memorable sweet language in the process. show less

This work collection of Tupack Shakur's poetry that was published after his death by his mother and his manager. The poems are presented in four sets: "The Rose that Grew From Concrete", which focuses on his upbringing and background as well as his struggles and his search for self; "Noting Can Come Between Us", poems to and about the women he loved; "Just a Breath of Freedom", an intermixing of poems about growth, disappointment, and family; and finally, "Liberty Needs Glasses", which again reflect issues of growth and struggle, but also look at social and political issues.

Each individual poem is presented as it was first originally written--handwritten on scrapes of paper or small notebooks; these handwritten poems have been show more reproduced in the book so you get to see Tupac's penmanship, his mistakes, the X-ing out of words, and doodling; it's almost like seeing his thought process as some of the poems were written. Then each poem is typeset on the facing page. Interestingly, as I found myself reading the book, I noticed that I was reading the hand written versions without looking at the typeset version at all unless a word on the handwritten version was unclear (but that was very rare).

I would recommended it because it's a wonderful look into his thoughts--the complexity and the intensity of them--and it's very well written and presented. It really is a wonderful read. show less

I won this book on Goodreads.

A super fast read of the poems of Tupac Shakur. Some of the poems are simple and rhyming...most are his heart on his sleeve or dedications in attempts to understand the cruelty of the world around him.

I have not been a listener of his music, but I deeply appreciate a look into his soul via his poems in this book.