Post by Emerald City on Apr 20, 2005 16:38:19 GMT -5
Afeni Shakur, mother of slain rap star, Tupac Shakur, has announced that in addition to a spoken word project, there will be one more album of previously unreleased material from the late rapper. The untitled project will be released next year. MTV.com reports that Shakur is currently renovating the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation's Peace Memorial Garden And Visitors Center in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Shakur said, "When Tupac died, the first year and afterward, we thought the way to celebrate him was to have concerts and events every June in Georgia. And after we spent so much money and only affected the people right there, we decided we'd build a foundation and work with young people on an ongoing basis."
Each summer, the foundation hosts a performing arts camp for children from troubled homes. The foundation, which sits on nine acres, is slated to reopen on June 10 -- six days before what would have been the rap star's 34th birthday, June 16.
Shakur, who plans to add a life-size sculpture of Tupac to the foundation's garden next year, added, "This year, Tupac would've been 34 years old. He died when he'd just made 25. I perceive a crisis in young people and I want to share my concern. The most important thing for young people is to stay alive."
Shakur explained how she would like her son remembered. She said: "I would like for them to remember him as a complete artist. I would like for them to be touched and moved by his music and by his art. "
Shakur added: "I would like for them to appreciate him as an artist, to judge him by the totality of his work, the way all artists are judged. If they do that, it is sufficient for me. I would be quite satisfied by that."
A film on Tupac's early life and a traveling play are also in the works.
