Description
In 1993, Franco-Algerian photographer Michel Haddi conducted a rare and intimate photo shoot with Tupac Shakur, who was 22 years old and at the height of his artistic transformation, at his home in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, while the rapper was filming Poetic Justice. Commissioned by The Source magazine, the session revealed an unexpected side of Tupac: elegant, introspective, and profound.
The images alternate between powerful black and white portraits and more casual color shots, such as Tupac smoking a cigar in jeans and a Nike jacket. Although the original negatives were stolen, surviving Polaroids and contact sheets have become treasured visual relics of an unrepeatable moment. These portraits expose the duality of Tupac: the charismatic performer and the thoughtful, politically aware young man.
In 2023, Haddi compiled the photos into a collector’s book titled Tupac: The Legend, released in a limited edition, with some copies including signed prints. The photographs, paired with Tupac’s quotes throughout the book, reflect his inner strength and his desire to rise beyond the limitations of the ghetto. A timeless, human, and unfiltered portrait of a true cultural icon.
