LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Legendary rapper Tupac Shakur has been one of the most extensively researched figures in pop culture ever since his untimely death in 1996.
'Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography,' released on Tuesday, October 24, might include further shocking revelations for individuals who are still keen on learning the specifics of Tupac's life.
One of the most startling disclosures concerns Tupac's attempted suicide. Following a terrifying 1994 incident in which Tupac was shot five times, the rapper plunged into a profound state of depression.
Though Tupac's mother Afeni talked him out of ending his life that day, author Staci Robinson, a childhood friend of the rapper said that Tupac had prepared for his suicide the following day, per The Daily Beast.
Tupac Shakur desired the help of his family in ending his life
The 350-page book presents a fragmentary picture of a young Black guy who was passionate about his work and his neighborhood, motivated by well-intentioned but imperfect instincts, but who was also hindered by a string of legal issues.
Robinson also emphasizes the rapper's lifelong feeling of dread and paranoia, which was confirmed when he was killed at the age of 25.
Tupac suffered from acute depression after being hospitalized in 1994 following a frightening incident at New York's Quad Studios when he was shot five times and suffered serious injuries.
Tupac was found by his family "with a shotgun in one hand and a .45 millimeter in the other" and with the words "F*** The World" inscribed across his forehead as he was visiting friend and actress Jasmine Guy in her Manhattan apartment.
Tupac Shakur didn't 'want them touching my body'
Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, was successful in talking her son out of ending his life that day. However, the following day, he revealed to his loved ones and friends his intentions of ending his life with their help, acting "like he was directing a movie."
Robinson writes in 'Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography': "He wanted them to drive to the woods, where he would share one last blunt with Yaki, Mutah, Katari, and Malcolm."
"Then they would leave him there with his shotgun. ‘When it happens,’ Tupac said, ‘don’t let them touch my body. I don’t want them touching my body. Y’all take my body.’"
Tupac eventually got over his desire to die, mostly because it would have taken another person to kill him. Tupac reportedly stated, "I just felt all around suicidal. I couldn’t kill myself. I just wanted somebody to kill me for me."
The release date of the biography coincides with fresh insights into Tupac's murder.
According to court records obtained by The US Sun, Tupac sought to warn fellow rapper E.D.I Mean, also known as Malcolm Greenidge, of gunshots in his final words in a selfless manner.
Moreover, in September, a grand jury in Las Vegas decided to charge Duane "Keefe D" Davis with Tupac's slaying.
Author Robinson weaves together the most inspirational and ugly threads of Tupac's life, from his 1994 sexual assault conviction, into an epic and painfully tragic story.
