News of December 19, 2024
Estate and Actively Black Launch Tupac Collection
On Christmas Day 2024, “Tupac X Actively Black” drops: apparel featuring archive motifs and Tupac’s poem in his own handwriting.
On Christmas Day 2024, the first drop of the “Tupac X Actively Black” line arrives. Sportswear brand Actively Black announced the collection together with the Estate of Tupac Shakur, as Billboard reported on December 19, 2024. The unisex hoodies and T-shirts combine co-designed motifs with images from Tupac’s archive; the apparel is available exclusively on the brand’s website.
Tupac’s Handwriting on Gray Fabric
The centerpiece of the collection is a gray hoodie: it features a graphic rendering of the poem “The Rose That Grew from Concrete” in Tupac’s own handwriting. The estate explained that the collaboration honors Tupac’s enduring influence on culture, creativity, and art, and aligns with the brand’s goal of empowering the Black community. This is intended to help the poem reach a new generation.
Moved Even Before Understanding
Brand founder Lanny Smith said he grew up with Tupac’s music. Even before he understood the content, the nature of his delivery moved him. The same poem also shapes the title of Tupac’s poetry collection, see Poems.