Numerous items that belonged to late rapper Tupac Shakur have been acquired by Temple University’s Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection.
The items, which include a dozen handwritten documents and two pieces of jewelry, were donated by Ken Goldin, CEO of Goldin Auctions, who said he offered them due to the prestige of the Blockson collection, the Philadelphia university’s course about Shakur, and its proximity to his New Jersey-based company.
“He’s a hip-hop icon,” said Blockson curator Diane Turner. “This is a significant, contemporary addition to our already impressive collection of music items, ranging from African instruments to material from John Coltrane, Grover Washington Jr. and Natalie Hinderas. We are thrilled.”
Shakur, a prominent voice of 1990s hip-hop and one of the most influential artists of his generation, was the victim of a drive-by shooting on Sept. 7, 1996, in Las Vegas and died six days later at the age of 25.
