Inside a Thug's Heart

In 1995, legendary rapper and actor Tupac Shakur was briefly incarcerated in New York City's Rikers Island prison. During his stay, Angela Ardis acted on a bet with her friends, sent him a letter, photo, and phone number. . .and soon found herself answering a phone call from Tupac himself. Remarkably, their near-daily contact grew into a complex kinship of souls that neither could define--one that touched both in unexpected ways. Now, in letters and original poems--some available nowhere else--here is Tupac as never before. Playful, sensual, and serious, he gives insightful observations on music, prison, and life's uncertainties--and his dreams for a future that would soon be tragically cut short. In this heartfelt, one-of-a-kind tribute, Tupac lives on through his words--giving every fan an unforgettable look into the mind and unbroken spirit of a passionate, unpredictable musical icon.

Inside A Thug's Heart

"A primary resource for things 2Pac. . .delivers insight into Tupac's private thoughts and evidence that even a successful rapper with "thug life" tattooed on his body had gentle and introspective feelings as well as smoldering resentment and rage." --Booklist

"Gives us a glimpse into the heart of Tupac Shakur." --The Rawsistaz Reviewers

Rikers Island is the centerpiece of the New York City Department of Corrections, a sprawling prison city of concrete and steel with housing for more than 16,000 inmates. Early in 1995, it was also the temporary home of legendary rapper and actor Tupac Shakur, incarcerated for a crime he swore he did not commit. And it was there that Angela Ardis, acting on a late-night wager among her friends and coworkers, sent a letter, along with a photo and her phone number. To her utter delight and amazement, Angela's phone rang a short while later. Tupac Shakur was on the line. Over the next several months, Angela and Tupac shared a near-daily exchange of letters, poems and phone calls, and their relationship quickly grew into something neither of them could quite define, a kinship of souls that touched each in unexpected ways. Those original poems and letters, many of them written after Tupac's transfer from Rikers to Dannemora State Prison, are presented here, along with the increasingly passionate and personal phone calls that touched on every subject imaginable. Far from the media spotlight, Tupac was by turns playful, sensual and serious, offering sharp observations on prison, music and the uncertainties of life. His letters to Angela reflect how he felt about being shot five times and left for dead one terrible night in New York in 1994, and his heartfelt verse encapsulates his dreams for the future -- a future that would be so tragically cut short just over eighteen months after their correspondence began. Tupac Shakur was shot on September 7th, 1996 and died a week later from his injuries. His murder remains unsolved, an ending as enigmatic as his life. But while Tupac may be gone, his words live on here, giving every fan a rare glimpse inside the mind and unbroken spirit of a passionate and unpredictable musical icon.