Tupac Shakur allegedly wore a cheerleader’s skirt with pom-poms and kissed boys at events throughout his highschool years at a Baltimore arts faculty, in keeping with a brand new biography that explores the late Hip-Hop icon’s life intimately.

Author Jeff Pearlman, recognized for his deep-dive biographies, interviewed almost 700 folks for his upcoming ebook Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur.

The ebook attracts from years of analysis and tons of of latest interviews, together with uncommon insights from Tupac Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa.

Pearlman’s reporting uncovers a lesser-known model of Tupac Shakur —one formed by theater, experimentation and creative freedom on the Baltimore School for the Arts.

Among the revelations is that the real-life “Brenda” from his music “Brenda’s Got a Baby” truly had a baby, a element beforehand unknown to the general public.

Another is Shakur’s expressive style and openness throughout his teen years.

“People who knew Tupac in high school love the way he dressed, especially at the Baltimore School for the Arts,” Jeff Pearlman told AllHipHop. “He would show up with nail polish on his fingers. He had a peroxide yellow strip, running through his hair. He spray-painted on his jeans. And he would show up most days drinking water out of a baby bottle. He was just really eccentric and artsy.”

Former classmates described Shakur as daring and uninhibited, usually pushing boundaries in each type and conduct. During Spirit Week in 1988, he walked by way of the cafeteria in a full pink, white and blue cheerleader uniform—skirt, sneakers and pom-poms included.

“I asked around—’excuse me, who is this crazy boy?’” classmate La Donna Bonner recalled. “‘And what has he been smoking?’”

Tatiana Bliss, one other peer, remembered Shakur as one of many few boys sporting pink eyeshadow, black nail polish and bleach in his hair. His look was formed by necessity and creativity, usually spray-painting his personal garments as a result of monetary hardship.

One of Shakur’s closest buddies on the faculty was Seth Bloom, a homosexual theater pupil from suburban Baltimore. Bloom recalled their friendship as intense and experimental, noting the college’s sexually open setting.

“It was a pretty f###### horny school,” Bloom mentioned. “We were artistic and experimental.”

At a category social gathering, Bloom mentioned Shakur kissed him throughout a sport of reality or dare.

“So he did,” Bloom recalled. “He kissed me. We kind of vamped it up, our lips touched. I know I wasn’t the only boy Tupac kissed. When we were alone I always felt a thing. You know that sexual tension where you hold a glare a second or two too long, or you touch someone longer than normal? That was Tupac. My belief is he was somewhere between heterosexual and bisexual.”

Pearlman doesn’t see Shakur’s sexual exploration as controversial.

“As for his sexuality, I would say there was some experimentation at the school for the arts,” he advised AllHipHop. “Anyone who makes it a big deal or thinks it’s some type of indictment of his character is being an idiot. He was an artsy kid surrounded by artsy kids. It wasn’t a big deal then, and it certainly shouldn’t be a big deal now.”

Pearlman emphasised that whereas some readers could deal with these revelations, they’re solely a small a part of a a lot bigger story. “I know people like gossip and innuendo about the stuff, but to me, it’s one of the least interesting parts of his fascinating life,” he mentioned.

The ebook additionally delves into Shakur’s capability to adapt to completely different environments, a talent that started in Baltimore and continued to evolve when he moved to Northern California. His capability to shift his persona relying on the place he was and who he was with turned a defining trait all through his life.

Pearlman’s biography goals to current a fuller image of Shakur past his public picture as a defiant Hip-Hop icon.

It portrays a younger man formed by poverty, creativity and private contradictions. The ebook additionally consists of tales by no means earlier than made public, providing a deeper understanding of the person behind the music.

Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur was revealed on October 21.

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