Tupac Shakur Musical: Broadway Show with Rapper's Music Featured in 'Holler If You Hear Me' [VIDEO]
A Broadway musical is being planned featuring the music of Tupac Shakur, according to a Monday report by The Associated Press.
The musical is called Holler If You Hear Me and features an original story set to Shakur's music. Kenny Leon (Fences, The Mountaintop) is directing a workshop for the musical in New York, attempting to produce it by the 2013-2014 Broadway season.
The premise of Holler If You Hear Me is two childhood friends living in a Midwestern industrial city who "struggle to reconcile the challenges and realities of their daily lives with their hopes, dreams and ambitions," said producers Monday. It takes place in the present and features Shakur's rap songs throughout the show.
Todd Kreidler, who was the dramaturg for such plays as Radio Golf and Gem of the Ocean, wrote the musical's book. Wayne Cliento (Wicked, Sweet Clarity) is the choreographer for the musical. Shakur's mother, Afeni, is a producer for the show.
Shakur died in 1996 at the age of 25 from a drive-by shooting. During his life he released four studio albums, including 2Pacalyse Now and All Eyez on Me. Six studio albums have been released posthumously. Shakur became known for such singles as California Love, which hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks, as well as songs like Changes and Dear Mama.
Shakur was an influential rapper in the '90s and has continued to be popular nowadays.
"He made you feel like you knew him. I think that , honestly, Tupac was the greatest songwriter that ever lived," rapper Eminem said. "He made it seem so easy. The emotion was there, and feeling, and everything he was trying to describe. You saw a picture that he was trying to paint."
Shakur made headlines in April 2012 when a hologram of the rapper appeared on stage at the Coachella music festival.
Watch Shakur's hologram performance here: