Rare ALS signed “2Pac,” one page, lightly lined, 8 x 10.5, no date but postmarked August 22, 1995. Letter to Simi Chouhan, written while incarcerated in the Clinton Correctional Facility in New York, in full: "Here R some photoz 2 keep my reflection in your Heart. I'm still waiting 4 more from U." Shakur adds a smiley face and a brief postscript: "Waiting 2 Hear from u, Dieing 2 C U!" Includes one of the aforementioned photos: a color glossy 3.5 x 4.25 Polaroid of Shakur in a crouched full-length pose with his cousin "K-Dawgz," their right hands in embrace and their left hands both flashing 'West side' hand signs. Shakur has annotated the white borders in various colored inks, and has signed his name twice: "2Pac" and "Thinkin' of u, 2Pac." In addition to identifying his "Lil" cousin, Shakur dates the photograph to "Aug 20," writes his nickname "'Mr. Troublesome,'" and adds the name of his hip-hop group, "Outlaw Immortalz." In overall fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope addressed in Shakur's hand, incorporating his full name, "Tupac Shakur," in the return address area, and adding below in red ink: "Please Don't Bend, Picture enclosed." Shakur had begun serving a sentence at the Clinton Correctional Facility in February 1995 after being convicted in a sexual assault case. His album Me Against the World was released a month into his sentence and made an immediate impact on the charts, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. Tupac's confinement proved an important period in his artistic development as he took the time to read philosophical works including many by Niccolo Machiavelli, which inspired his pseudonym 'Makaveli.' Handwritten material from Tupac is very scarce and highly sought after, with this letter, photo, and envelope combination—featuring a total of four signatures—being especially desirable due to the inclusion of two variations—"2Pac" and "Tupac Shakur"—and the mention of his post-release group, Outlawz. Exemplars of authentic Tupac handwriting are scarce and, as a result, our third-party authenticators are unable to render an opinion. However, based on our experience with Tupac items, and this item’s strong provenance, we fully support this piece.
