News of December 1, 2003
2003 Review: Tupac's Estate Earns More Than Bob Marley's According to Forbes
Twelve million dollars in a year, plans for Broadway, fashion and an arts center: Rolling Stone reviewed Tupac's estate in December 2003.
In early December 2003, Rolling Stone took stock of the year: apart from 50 Cent, no rapper had had a better year than Tupac Shakur, who had been dead for more than seven years. Cited as evidence were the documentary film Tupac: Resurrection and its soundtrack, which had entered the album charts at number 2.
Twelve Million Dollars in One Year
According to a Forbes tally cited by Rolling Stone, Tupac’s estate took in twelve million dollars between June 2002 and June 2003, more than the estate of Bob Marley. For the same sum, the New York Daily News cited the period from September 2002 to September 2003 and number 8 on the Forbes list of top-earning dead celebrities. This business was driven by Afeni Shakur and her company Amaru Entertainment. The company’s attorney, Dina LaPolt, spoke of “years of intellectual property” that could be drawn upon, and emphasized that the goal was to preserve a legacy.
What Was Planned for 2004
For the following year, further projects were on the horizon: a Broadway show, the Makaveli fashion line, an MTV television movie about Tupac’s youth, and an authorized biography. In early 2004, what was allegedly the final album with unreleased material was also scheduled to follow.
A portion of the proceeds was earmarked for the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia, featuring a museum, gallery, theater, and classes for young people who wanted to enter the music business. The model was Tupac’s time at the Baltimore School for the Arts, LaPolt said. More on this: Foundation and arts center.