Atlanta University Center Opens Tupac Amaru Shakur Collection

On the fifteenth anniversary of his untimely death, Atlanta University Center's Woodruff Library has opened up a special collection in honor of 2Pac.

Back in 2009, the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library announced that in conjunction with the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, it had begun amassing the writings and personal works of rapper Tupac Shakur for a special educational collection. Now, on the fifteenth anniversary of Shakur's death, the two years of extensive research and collection has paid off with the official opening of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Collection for Scholarly Research.

According to a recent press release, the Woodruff Library has assembled over 30 boxes of handwritten song lyrics, poems, tracklists, video treatments, manuscripts and pieces of memorabilia from Pac's friends, family and collaborators. Some noteworthy pieces include a handwritten songbook featuring cuts from 2Pacalypse Now and original drafts of poems from The Rose That Grew from Concrete.

“We’re honored to have partnered with the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation to preserve the artistic legacy of Tupac Shakur through this collection,” said the CEO and director of the Woodruff Library Loretta Parham. “He transformed the landscape of hip hop culture and was one of the most compelling voices and talents of his generation. As an academic library, we feel privileged to be the stewards of the Shakur Collection and to promote for scholarly research.”

The total amount of materials featured in the collection spans between the years of 1969 to 2008, totaling over 11 linear feet in total. The collection will serve area universities, including Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse University and Spelman College.

50 Cent Loses Suit Against Nigerian Author Over Movie Title

A famed Nigerian author won a recent legal battle against 50 Cent to court over the title of his film "Things Fall Apart."

It looks like things are falling apart rather quickly for 50 Cent's upcoming football flick Things Fall Apart. After being sued for $200,000 for unpaid services on the film, the Queens rapper recently lost a major legal battle against famed Nigerian author Chinua Achebe over the movie's title.

According to BroadwayGhana.com, 50 Cent was recently forced to change the name of his upcoming film Things Falls Apart over a copyright dispute involving the title. Upon learning of the film's title, Chinua Achebe, who wrote the iconic 1958 novel of the same name, threatened to sue Fiddy and the film's backers over a violation his celebrated book's copyright.

50 and company attempted settle out of court with the African author's foundation, offering them $1 million to use the title. Ultimately, the Chinua Achebe Foundation refused the offer, and the film's producers persuaded the G-Unit general to change the title to All Things Fall Apart to avoid a more serious legal battle.
"The novel with the said title was initially produced in 1958 (that is 17 years before rapper 50 Cent was born), [is] listed as the mostly read book in modern African literature, and won’t be sold for even $1 billion,” Achebe's legal representatives said.

All Things Fall Apart, which was written by Brian A. Miller and 50 Cent, follows the story of a college football player whose sports career is cut short by cancer. The film was directed by New Jack City maestro Mario Van Peebles and stars Peebles, Ray Liotta and 50 Cent in the lead role.