 With less then one month to go people here out west are getting set for the upcoming 2Pac Youth Conference. The event is scheduled to take place on December 4th at McClymonds High School in west Oakland. This event is being put together by a number of grassroots organizations with the purpose of trying to bridge the generation gap between the young Hip Hop generation and adults who have often maligned the culture. There will be a workshop that shows who 2pac was and how and why he was so relatable to many within the community. There will be a number of workshops focusing on youth issues including police brutality and the upcoming controversial juvenile crime bill which force 14 year olds to be tried as adults and make it a felony for 400 dollars worth of graffiti. There will be a workshop on Male Hood led by activist/poet Marvin X. There will another workshop called Predators To Nation Builders. 2pac's mom Afeni Shakur as well as former political prisoner and Black Panther Geronimo Pratt will be on hand..Rap stars Digital Underground and Mac Mall will also be in the place. For more information regarding the conference call 1-510-879-4519 In other 2Pac news. His new album And Still I Rise is set to drop..and his new book 'The Rose That Grew From Concrete' is already making waves. For those who aren't up on it.. This new book by 2pac is actually a collection of poems that he wrote before he blew up in the rap game. He was part of a writer's circle with his former manger Leila Steinberg and former rapping partner Ray Luv. These poems caught everyone's attention and caused quit a stir when they read on the air the day Pac was killed. Some of the poems were released and folks went out and sold t-shirts, posters and other items with the poems inscriptions. After 3 years of legal hassling and back room drama, the poems were released in what is terrific book. Many of the poems are in 2pac's hand writing and for the most part absolutely incredible... Here's an example of one poem entitled "U R Ripping Us Apart- dedicated 2 Crack" Before u came the triangle never broke we were bonded and melded as one But as the 2 pushed u away The one got weak and embraced u and now u R ripping us apart
The worst feeling of helplessness
My Hero has been defeated by you
I know the worst is here
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