Tupac Shakur Musical Eyes Broadway; Late Rapper’s Mother Gives Blessing

Holler If Ya Hear Me, a musical featuring the songs of late rapper Tupac Shakur could be headed to Broadway after getting approval from Shakur’s mother, Afeni Shakur, according to TMZ.com. After seeing a rough preview of the forthcoming musical, Afeni Shakur was reportedly “ecstatic” about the material. Directed by Tony nominee Kenny Leon, the new production will begin casting next week. No start dates or potential theater have been announced.

The forthcoming musical is not based on Shakur’s life. Set in an industrial city in the Midwest, Holler If You Hear Me is a fictional story about two childhood friends.

Leon has directed Stick Fly, The Mountaintop, Radio Golf, Gem of the Ocean, A Raisin in the Sun and Fences, for which he earned a Tony nomination. Shakur’s hit songs included “Keep Ya Head Up,” “Dear Mama” and “Brenda’s Got a Baby.” As an actor, the rapper appeared in Bullet and Poetic Justice. Shakur was murdered in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1996.