One year ago, California-based emcee, award winning educator and spoken word poet, Karega Bailey made the extensive trek from Washington, D.C. to Oakland to begin his work as the Director of Special Education at Roses in Concrete School. As students finished their inaugural year, Bailey beautifully captured their experience in the video for “Hope Dealer” along with his SOL Development family.

Featuring SOL Development artist Lake Stovall, “Hope Dealer” is a source of healing for the many broken hearts around the world. It takes the viewer through a day in Bailey’s life, where educating and inspiring the next generation through music is his life’s work.

Bailey is a founding member of the Roses in Concrete school, a K-8 school in East Oakland. According to its website, it functions as a center of health within the neighborhoods surrounding it, providing wrap-around services in education, health, housing, and job training.  The long-term goal is to create a model for urban education that prioritizes the needs of youth and families as the pathway to building healthy and sustainable communities across the U.S. and around the world.

Students experienced classical ballet, education on the Black Panther Party (including visits from former Panther leader Erica Huggins and Minister of Culture Emery Douglass), robotics, and gardening. With dual emersion in Spanish and English programs, “Hope Dealer” provided the soundtrack to their unforgettable year.

Roses in Concrete was co-signed by Tupac Shakur’s mother, the late Afeni Skakur, who sadly passed away in May 2016. Before she died, Afeni visited the school and gave them her blessing. It’s an important part of Tupac’s long-lasting legacy.

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The post Afeni Shakur Affiliated Roses in Concrete School Gets Immortalized in Karega Bailey’s “Hope Dealer” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

In the wake of the sudden passing of Tupac‘s mother Afeni Shakur, it easily left many with the million dollar question, “What will happen to Tupac’s music?” Afeni made sure to properly protect her son’s music legacy and fortune. According to a rep the paperwork is flawless. His entire estate is protected and sealed like ziploc. His music catalog is in an air tight trust to control his music rights, reports TMZ.  She named Tom Whalley, a former head of Warner Bros. Records as executor of Tupac’s catalog.

Named heirs are Afeni’s daughter, Sekyiwa Shakur, her sister Gloria, and a few selected charities. Afeni made sure not to include her estranged husband, Gust Davis, in her final will, which shuts him out of any rights to Tupac’s fortune.

Afeni was smart enough to enlist attorney, Howard King, who worked with Prince in the past. Oddly enough, King said Prince hated dealing with paperwork and rarely listened to advisors.

So we guess that answers that question. No matter what, Afeni Shakur had her son’s back.

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Yesterday morning, we reported that Afeni Shakur, the mother of the late Tupac Shakur, passed away the night before at age 69. While the possible cause of death is reported as cardiac arrest, the real issue is still being investigated. Jada Pinkett Smith, who was a long-time close friend of Tupac, took to her Facebook page to post an open letter in the wake of Afeni’s death. Tupac’s hit song “Dear Mama” is noted as his shared experience with Pinkett, who’s mother also battled drug addiction. Their mothers were the reason that caused the two to forge a friendship.

Read Jada’s heartfelt message below:

“Today I woke up to the news that Afeni had passed. My first thought was of Sekyiwa and the entire clan that loved Afeni. Then I remembered that I was in NY to attend a Mother’s Day event named after a song written about Afeni, Dear Mama. My heart tightened and then all kinds of memories flooded in. I quickly remembered how calm Afeni was especially during any crisis. She always had a way of making me believe all would be well. But my fondest memories of Afeni was spending time with her at Jamine Guy’s house as Jasmine was writing Afeni’s book. Tupac had passed, and now I was a business woman, wife, and a mother and we could talk real and I mean really real. I got to see where Pac got his passion, his ideals for equality and justice but most of all his depth of thinking. Afeni was a giant in her own right. Today she is reunited with her son and Sekyiwa has two majestic angels to look after her. One for each shoulder. Rest in peace Afeni, and give Pac a hug and a kiss from me.”

Jada

RIP Queen Afeni Shakur

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We are sadden to report that Afeni Shakur, mother of the great rap legend Tupac Shakur is dead at 69.  Afeni was the subject matter of her son’s 1995 popular song, “Dear Mama.”

According to Daily News Marin Count deputies responded to Shakur’s home in Sausalito, Calif., Monday night after she suffered from a possible cardiac arrest.  Tuesday morning the sheriff’s office said she was taken to a local hospital where she died just before 10:30 pm.  The Marin County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will lead the investigation to determine the cause and manner of Shakur’s death.

Shakur, born Alice Faye Williams, changed her name when she moved to New York City and joined the Black Panther movement. She and other party members were arrested in 1969 and charged with conspiracy to bomb multiple, busy city landmarks.  In May 1971, she was acquitted on all charges, and she gave birth to Tupac just one month later.  After the fatal shooting that lead to her son’s death in 1996, Afeni oversaw her son’s entire estate, that reportedly earns $900,000 each year.  In 2014, Shakur co-produced Holler If Ya Hear Me, a Broadway jukebox musical featuring her son’s works. A movie about Tupac’s life, All Eyez on Me, is set for release in November, with Danai Gurira cast as Shakur.  Shakur served as an executive producer for the film.

“There’s no way I can pay you back/but the plan is show you that I understand/ you are appreciated.”

RIP Afeni Shakur

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Producer/filmmaker Quincy Jones III, known for his work on The Carter documentary, is hoping to shed some more light on the life and story of Tupac Shakur with a six-part miniseries.  It is Jones’ hope that the inclusion of Afeni Shakur (Tupac’s mother) will provide an avenue through which to delve more deeply into 2Pac’s personal life.  The miniseries will break up its focus to better cover the artist’s past, but rest assured a portion will be devoted to 2Pac’s relationship with Notorious B.I.G. No word on what station will get to air this project, but RESPECT. will keep you posted as news surfaces.

Read more on the upcoming project HERE.

The post Tupac Shakur Miniseries: A Work In Progress appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.