Customer Reviews

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

He died when he was 25..... He wrote these words when he was 19.

This album is so real and although most of the tracks do not have the feel of a 2Pac album-- the "lyrics" by Pac certainly do. Although I've enjoyed other articles by Dalton Higgins (the guy who wrote the amazon.com official review for this CD) I think he kind of missed the whole point of this album-- AND Tupac's life in general. For Dalton to say that Tupac's "thugged-out constituency" will vomit when hearing the songs about love is totally ridiculous. Dalton!!: That "other side" of Tupac is what attracts people to him over you everyday thug rapper, like DMX (who is basically a Tupac without this depth.)

Fans!!: If you buy this CD, understand there will be songs you don't like. But there will be songs you love. For me the best songs are the interpretations by Dead Prez, Mos Def, Outlawz, Quincy Jones and Mac Mall, 4th Avenue Jones' and K-ci, Nikki Giovanni, Danny Glover and Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur. And all who enjoyed Tupac's words, clarity and eloquence will love this album and cherish the brilliant mind that was destroyed by this "dormant and uncaring society." Tupac would be proud of this CD and as you listen to it you remember the whole time that these are Pac's words.

This is the perfect Christmas gift for friends and family who have admonished you for listening to Tupac's music because of it's vulgarity and profane lyrics. It may convince them to start listening to his wonderful music, even if they don't like rap.

The media and white America were very confused when it came to Tupac------------------> to anyone that thinks "outside of the box" when it comes to life, and dreams of a better world, Tupac is nothing less than a true hero. They say a dead man tells no tales, but through this CD Tupac still talks to the masses. His memory lives on; heed his words.

Back in about September of 2000, when I heard a new Tupac album containing 25 tracks would be coming out, I nearly jumped for joy. However, when I found out it was a CD of celebrities reading Tupac's poetry, and ESPECIALLY after learning there was only a few rap tracks, I was very skeptical about buying it. The truth is, the only reason I bought it was just so I could have all of Pac's albums. When I got home, I put it in my CD player, skimmed the album, and just placed it back on my shelf. However, the other day, for the first time, I just decided out of the blue to sit down and listen to it. And I loved it.

This isn't the type of CD you can bump in your car (with the exception of a few hip-hop tracks, but even they're not hardcore). It's the type of CD you sit down, listen to, and take in. It's certainly not for everyone, so don't be discouraged if you love Tupac and don't feel this album. It's completely different from any other Tupac CD. Gone is the hardcore beats and menacing voice of the greatest rapper ever. But that's not a bad thing at all.

Each performer truly gives it their all to make this album as powerful as it's turned out to be. Whether it be poetry, singing, rapping or even chanting, it's like heaven to listen to. This album also contains some of the most beautiful instrumental music I've heard in my life.

So whether you like Tupac or not, this album can appeal to everyone. You just need an open mind. Give it a shot. I can't wait to see how the other "Rose That Grew From Concrete" albums turn out. But I'm not going to get my hopes up. Amaru records would have to pull off a miracle to surpass the greatness of this wonderful album.

Most people know 2pac for his banging beats and hardcore gangsta rhymes. But there are a certaine number of us that really hear what 2pac is saying is his albums, he is talking about the struggles he has gone through in his life, and his ideas of life in prodomonently African American neighborhoods around the US. This album, "the rose that grew from concrete" shows the true side of tupac at his best. The poetry on this album is a great example of his concern about important issues that surround america. His poems, although spoken by other individuals hit hard. My favorite ones on the album are, Pride of the panther, tears of a teenage mother, the rose that grew from concrete, and if there be pain. Go pick up this new album if you really want to hear what 2pac has been trying to say in his songs, it is a great cd, and should not be avoided.

It seems like that anything tupac touches becomes gold...this project from amaru records on tupac poetry is another must have for pac fans everywhere....thanks to guest appearances from the outlawz, mos def, q-tip, mac mall, etc this cd is not as boring as you might think by just reading what this cd is about....the tracks from this cd is not just about poetry reading, there are also singings and rapping included and the beats are pretty good too...the best tracks in this cd are "in the event of my demise" (great performance by outlawz, nice beat), "starry night" (QD III once again produced another dope track for us), the title song(r&b singing), and "family tree"....overall a good album but if u only like rap think twice about buying it

This album wasn't as good as I was hoping for. Tupac was a legend and reading his poetry helps see deeper inside his soul. It is basically a cd you might listen to once or twice and thats about it. My two favourite tracks are Wife for life and In the event of my demise!! I would only recommend this to true tupac fans who just really love anything related to tupac!! Its nice to have in a collection is all!!!

One of the things that made the late, lamented Tupac Shakur so compelling was that, at his best, he was able to expand the boundaries of what was possible in hip-hop; he was in a unique position to connect the dots between gangsta culture and the defiant, culturally aware tradition of '60s black radicalism. He may have ran with Suge Knight's thugged-out Death Row stable, but his background -- he was raised by his mother, former Black Panther Afeni Shakur -- helped him transcend hateful materialism and, occasionally, achieve the kind of honest, emotionally charged street poetry that resonated with listeners everywhere.
In the years since his untimely death in 1996, Tupac's legend as hip-hop's "shining black prince" has multiplied and his mother, Afeni, has stepped in as custodian and fiercely articulate guardian of his memory. On The Rose That Grew from Concrete, she enlists the help of everyone from Quincy Jones to Babatunde Olatunji to bring Tupac's words and vision back to life.

Those expecting a strict, hip-hop re-reading of Tupac's work may be a little disappointed. There's top-shelf talent here, no doubt -- Reverend Run, Q-Tip, Mos Def, Dead Prez, and Tupac's protégés the Outlawz all make appearances. But the project is based on Tupac's early attempts at poetry, written between 1989 and 1991, and the focus is on remembering him as an artist whose aspirations were bigger than the ghetto (remember, he attended the prestigious Baltimore School of the Arts). Accordingly, there are all sorts of unlikely guest appearances from the performing arts community, including memorable contributions from Afeni Shakur with Danny Glover and (believe it or not) the cast of the Lion King, as well as the IMPACT Repertory Theater Group, and actors Malcolm Jamal Warner and Jasmine Guy.

Sadly, all this talent is ultimately miscast. Tupac, even at the height of his prowess, was never really a powerhouse lyricist in the first place. What made him so special was his earnest delivery, his confident flow, and his magnetic charisma. While the impulse to commemorate the positive aspects of his life and art (and steadfastly ignore the many negative ones) is understandable; his early juvenilia just can't bear the weight of the project. Even though we all miss him, this one is for hardcore Tupac fans only.

No one can deny that Pac was a great poet, but this album wasn't all that great. It would have been better if he were reciting the poems. Although the readers do an okay job, no one capture Pac's emotions like Pac. This would have been a better book because the reader can imagine Pac's voice reciting it. That is what you have to do with this album. If you can, listen to the words, but imagine Pac's voice saying them. Hard to do right? The album is good, but as a Pac fan, it doesn't feel like a Pac album.

this Man spoke of a world around him that painted many different pictures.it's Fantastic that so many Great People are contributing to this Project.you feel the words&meaning in there full depth.2Pac was a Great Poet.he felt many things.a must have.

Have u ever read a book that you think is just great? Well this book is one of them books. Tupac Shakur was just amazing with both his poetry and his music sometimes his music what you would call the cleanest but he had a point for what he was saying in all of it. This book is one of the best poetry books that i've ever read, If u like to listen to Rap music or are a Tupac Shakur fan then you will deffitaly like this book. Tupac in this book is just amazing he says things that will just stop and make you think about what is really going on in life and how much bad things there is that goes on in this world. Tupacs' poetry is a must read tho.

To say that one album can sum up the career of an artist can be applied to most today. As far as hip-hop goes, Biggie was a lyrical genius, Nas is a story teller, Snoop can always get a party started, etc. But when it comes to Pac, there is no category to put him in. He had the potential to do it all, and all of it he did. This album is a testimony to that fact (especially since he wrote these thoughts when he was 17!!!). Of course it would have been more satisfying to hear his voice recite the poems, but at the same time it shows the connection that Pac had with other artists and people through the power of his words. This album is a collection of deep and heart-felt poetry from one man to his race, the human race. Yet, it is only the tip of the iceberg, there are about 60 more that are in the book that are just as good...