Leila Steinberg and Afeni Shakur Plan a Tribute Album

On August 2, 1998, the Los Angeles Times reported on an unusual project. Tupac’s former manager Leila Steinberg and his mother Afeni Shakur were seeking musicians from all genres for a tribute album. They were to re-record his lyrics in their own style, most of them sung rather than rapped. The album was scheduled for release in the spring of 1999 on Amaru, coinciding with a major Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibition covering two decades of rap.

From Ziggy Marley to Roberta Flack

Ziggy Marley, Smash Mouth, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Meshell Ndegeocello, Roberta Flack and former Motown producer Lamont Dozier had committed. According to Steinberg, Madonna and the Wallflowers showed interest, while Sting, Prince, Alanis Morissette and Seal were being courted.

The idea arose from an educational curriculum that Steinberg had developed in Berkeley using Tupac’s lyrics. She cited Dear Mama, Papa’z Song and Life Goes On as examples of songs that appealed to young people of all backgrounds. Later projects featuring his lyrics: The Rose That Grew from Concrete.