Presented here are Tupac Shakur’s hand written lyrics to the song “As the World Turns”, released with the Outlawz on the album Still I Rise. This album was one of several released after Tupac’s tragic shooting death in 1996. Although Tupac’s lyrics for these songs were recorded in 1995 and 1996, the Outlawz finished and released the album in late 1999, and it went Platinum by February of 2000.

     Tupac provided the first verse and part of the chors for “As the World Turns”, with Young Noble, Napoleon, E.D.I. Mean, and Yaki Kadafi tagging in to finish off the classic West Coast banger. Tupac’s lyrics are grim, and begin with the lines “Though I walk thru the valley of Hell / The Shadow followz me”, a stark reminder that despite his fame, his lifestyle could, and did, catch up with him. Tupac finished his verse with a series of boasts, culminating in the line “Lyrically fatally driven reported missin’ / My competition either dead or in prison”.

     Tupac wrote this verse in blue pen, which he used to infrequently scratch out several lyrics in this draft. He ended the lyrics by scrawling “Az the World Turnz” beneath his writing. “793 P.O 0580” is written in gray pencil on the bottom of the page. This page is in very good condition, with slight toning present around the edges for the only imperfections. It is accompanied by a LOA from JSA (Z42117).

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