Tupac Amaru Shakur Collection Opens for Research at Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library

ATLANTA, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library announces the opening of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Collection on the fifteenth anniversary of the platinum recording artist, actor and poet's death. The Shakur Collection represents a partnership between the AUC Woodruff Library and the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation to make available for scholarly research the manuscript writings and other papers of Shakur.

Spanning a period from 1969 to 2008, the collection includes song lyrics, poems, track lists and video treatments, as well as manuscripts by Shakur family members and members of the rap groups Dramacydal and the Outlawz. Memorabilia, correspondence to and from Shakur, fan mail, media clippings and publicity materials are also included.

Born in East Harlem, New York, Shakur first came to prominence in the early 1990s as a featured rapper for the vocal group Digital Underground and went on to become one of the most significant cultural icons of the hip hop generation. Prior to his untimely death at the age of 25, Shakur released five record albums and appeared in four motion pictures. Ten albums, numerous compilations and four feature films have been released posthumously, including Tupac: Resurrection, which received an Academy Award nomination for "Best Documentary (Feature)" in 2005.

"We're honored to have partnered with the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation to preserve the artistic legacy of Tupac Shakur through this collection," said Loretta Parham, CEO and Library Director. "He transformed the landscape of hip hop culture and was one of the most compelling voices and talents of his generation. As an academic library, we feel privileged to be the stewards of the Shakur Collection and to promote scholarly research of Shakur's work."

For inquiries about researching the collection, e-mail [email protected] or call 404-978-2052.

About the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation
The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation is home to the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, just outside of Atlanta in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The Center is dedicated to providing youth and the community with educational programs in the arts. The Center's programs have served youth of all social and economic backgrounds, giving countless young people the courage to get off the streets and learn vital skills that have the potential to positively impact their communities. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.TASF.org.

About the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library and Archives Research Center
The Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library serves the collective information and resource needs of Clark Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College and Spelman College. The Woodruff Library's Archives Research Center is the repository for historical materials documenting the AUC institutions, as well as manuscript collections and organizational records, including the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection. To learn more, visit www.auctr.edu.

SOURCE Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library