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One of the earliest known audio recordings of Tupac Shakur is heading to auction, offering fans and collectors a rare glimpse into the formative years of a hip-hop legend.
On Thursday (Jan. 15), music collectibles marketplace Wax Poetics launched an auction featuring a cassette tape recorded in the late 1980s when Tupac was just 16 years old. The recording captures a pre-fame Tupac—then going by the name MC New York—rapping with his early group Born Busy while living in Baltimore. The tape includes acapella verses, freestyle sessions, sampled beats, and candid moments of conversation and laughter between Tupac and his bandmates.
Described as informal and deeply personal, the recording preserves an unfiltered snapshot of Tupac’s early artistic development, long before he became one of the most influential voices in hip-hop history. The cassette alone is estimated to be worth up to $150,000.
In addition to the audio tape, the auction features handwritten lyrics, rare photographs from Tupac’s time in Baltimore, and a signed graduation banner, further documenting a pivotal chapter in his life. Bidding for the collection is set to close on Feb. 11, making this one of the most significant Tupac-related memorabilia auctions in recent years.
