No you did not read that wrong! Tupac Shakur is on Broadway! Not literally in the flesh but yes his music has been turned into a play on Broadway. The play entitled Holler If Ya Hear Me is a strong and direct reflection of the lifestyle that Tupac portrayed and ultimately experienced in his music.

Written by Todd Kreidler and Directed by Kenny Leon. It stars legendary rapper and poet Saul Williams.

Holler If Ya Hear Me is currently running on Broadway at the Palace Theater. Its a raw gritty play that would not be a normal Broadway musical fan's cup of tea. Many reviews have said that the show has a slow start but it well worth the wait. Its not a musical the director, writer, and producer stress that. Writer Todd Kreidler wrote the play to incorporate Tupac's lyrics instead of simply using his music as a backdrop. Many critics were very happy with the end result of the play and are encouraging people from all walks of life to see the play.

Tupac was a visionary in his time and many people to this day still debate if he or Biggie Smalls are the greatest rapper of all time. Tupac's music was timeless. Although at times it was vulgar and violent. It was real. His depiction of life in the ghetto was not far off my own experience growing up in the projects. Drugs, sex, teen pregnancy, violence, deaths, gangs, too many horrors that we were exposed to as children and adults. The only way some people could escape was through music.

Tupac was a very intelligent man. He attended the Baltimore School for the Arts where he studied acting, jazz, ballet and poetry. When he moved to California took poetry classes in high school. He was very talented and its a shame that his life was cut so short. Tupac's birthday was June 16th, he would've been 43 years old.


Holler If Ya Hear Me is available to view on the following dates:


Opening Date: June 19, 2014
Closing Date: Open Run

Ticket Price: $59-$139