The month of April is celebrated as National Poetry Month, and the arbiters of the Tupac Shakur's estate are calling for all poets to submit their work for a contest. While the lyricism, style, and wit of the slain rapper has been admired since he was gunned down on the streets of Las Vegas in 1996, at the heart of his artistry, Shakur was a poet.
Pac was often criticized for his "Thug Life" exterior and vulgarity expressed in his songs, but he was multi-layered as he was misunderstood. His cultural and social-consciousness made him an activist and voice for marginalized communities, and aside from the chart-topping hits that he is remembered for, the creators of this contest hope to continue his legacy through an art form that he loved so dearly.
Those interested in the contest must write a piece about how Tupac has inspired them. There are also a number of guidelines that must be followed:
Submissions cannot:
• Be sexually explicit or suggestive; derogatory of any ethnicity, race, gender, or religion; or profane or
pornographic;
• Promote alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing), or any
activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous;
• Defame, misrepresent or contain disparaging remarks about Tupac Shakur (the “Artist”), the
Sponsor, or any other people and/or companies;
• Contain any use of trademarks, logos, copyrighted materials owned by others as determined by
Sponsor (except for those of Sponsor), or contain any personal identification;
• Communicate messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or goodwill to which
Sponsor and/or Artist wishes to associate.
Submissions must:
• Be original and solely created by you. It is your responsibility to obtain, prior to submission, the
approval and rights to use any content that you did not create;
• Not have been previously published, submitted, or otherwise used for any other commercial
purpose;
• Be in the English language
Winners received merchandise inspired by the rapper's poetry. Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg has been keeping Pac's name in the headlines lately by sharing a vintage photo of the rapper and by poking fun at a McDonald's employee who shared a striking resemblance to Makaveli.
