Tupac's earliest recordings will be released Sept. 13 as 'Shakurspeare'*

Break out the sheer linen collars and the Alizé -- "Shakurspeare," a collection of Tupac Shakur's earliest known recordings, will see a digital release on Sept. 13, exactly 13 years to the day of the lionized rapper's death in Las Vegas. Masterminded by Darrin Keith Bastfield -- Born Busy Records' chief executive and partner with a 16-year-old Shakur in the company -- the album sheds light on the gangsta rapper's pre-Digital Underground days, when he rapped under the sobriquet "MC New York."

"I was there when Tupac heard himself for the first time rapping on a recording. As he sat in the cafeteria of the Baltimore School for the Arts, it was as if he couldn’t believe that he was listening to himself,” Bastfield told AllHipHop.com. “I want people to hear Tupac as a young artist in his very first recordings ever having fun, rapping about issues that concerned us and most importantly giving a cautionary and timely ‘Message of Peace’ in his own voice as if he was already a big rap star with a reputation to uphold.” 

The project is Bastfield's second dedicated to the legacy of his fallen friend, following on the heels of his 2002 memoir, "Back in the Day: My Life and Times With Tupac Shakur." According to Bastfield, the "Shakurspeare" title stems from the thug life legend's original desire to be a Shakespearean thespian. 

The vocals for "Shakurspeare" were originally recorded a cappella on cassette in 1988 and have since been digitally mastered and paired to contemporary beats crafted by Baltimore producers. Its cover will feature a Bastfield painting portraying Shakur as Shakespeare.

Though the 25-year-old rapper had yet to realize his theatrical aspirations when he was shot in 1996, it's safe to say that he would've made for a pretty awesome Julius Caesar.

-- Jeff Weiss

UPDATE: The original version of this post referenced Tupac Shakur's year of death as 1995; it was 1996.

Portrait courtesy Obey Giant Art

Comments

[Danielson]

he was shot in 1996 when he died not 1995

[paisley]

i am convinced he's alive in cuba recording new music

[Amaru4ward]

LORD KNOWS THE REAL Gs,ONE LOVE CONTINUALLY SOLDIER PAC....**=STRUGGLE NEVER STOP.

[Amaru4ward]

REAL SOLDIER NEVER DIES,LORD ALWAYS MAKE A WAY FOR HIS PEOPLE...JEALOUS NIGGAZ AND FAKE Gs NEVER STILL DO IT THE WAY YOU DID IT IN DA RAP COMMUNITY TILL TODAY.SOLDIER PAC IS THE KING OF RAP.....NOUGH RESPECT AKA MAKVALI THE DON

[Amaru4ward]

SOLDIER PAC..YOUR TRUE Gs STILL REMAIN THE SAME,ITS ALL GOOD,I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT WE WILL MEET SOMEDAY EITHER ON EARTH OR IN HEAVEN...THATS MY TRUE WORDTO MY FELLOW SOLDIER....ONE EVERLY.

[Tupac]

Yo dawg i'm still alive,but my clothes are missing....

[jack corgi]

i kind of doubt he is recording much NEW music these days,but we were all lucky enough to have been blessed with many unreleased tracks in original form(not remixes of remixes by eminem,etc...)some of which were unknown by most(ie:if theres a cure(i dont want it),stranded on death row ft danny boy) ).
i do believe he could be alive(some hillbilly faked his death for 18 years to avoid child support,and only lived 150 miles away from where he died)and we are talking about tupac/makaveli whose family were ranking black panther party members(do your research folks)there are so many ways he could have faked his death and many legit reasons.
loving the unheard music,keep it comming