A Rare Tupac Shakur Demo Cassette From 1988 Is Up for Auction at Wax Poetics
A historic collection from producer Ge-ology offers an intimate look at the hip-hop icon’s formative Baltimore years.
Summary
- Wax Poetics is hosting a landmark auction of the GE-OLOGY Collection, featuring a rare 1988 demo cassette — one of the earliest known recordings of Tupac Shakur (then performing as MC New York) alongside his group, Born Busy
- The archive includes a curated selection of unrecorded handwritten lyrics, a 1986 Jada Pinkett birthday invitation, and a signed graduation banner from the Baltimore barbecue held just before Ge-ology’s move to New York
- Bidding for the collection officially opened on January 14, and is scheduled to close on February 11
Wax Poetics has launched a landmark auction featuring an extraordinary archive from the personal collection of producer and artist Ge-ology. This selection centers on one of the earliest known recordings of Tupac Shakur, captured around 1988 when the artist was just sixteen years old. Recorded at Ge-ology’s family home in Baltimore, the cassette features Tupac, then known as MC New York, performing acapella alongside his Born Busy group members.
The collection serves as a preservation of hip-hop history, documented before Pac achieved global recognition. Beyond the rare demo tape, the auction includes handwritten lyrics and a series of photographs capturing everyday moments like backyard parties and school gatherings. One notable artifact is a signed 1988 graduation banner from a barbecue held shortly before Ge-ology moved to New York City.
Ge-ology, who maintained a private bond with Shakur for decades, describes these items as historical documents rather than mere memorabilia. “This wasn’t meant to be a performance or a release. We were recording acapellas so I could learn the rhymes and build the beats around them,” he added. “That tape is one of the earliest moments of Tupac being documented, before the world knew who he was. I’ve protected it for decades, and now it feels right for it to be shared properly, as history.”
“When it comes to music collecting it doesn’t get much bigger than Tupac. The fact that this tape and these items are from Tupac’s pre-fame years, and directly from his childhood friend Ge-ology, makes them even more special and incredibly rare,” said Alex Bruh, CEO of Wax Poetics. “It’s an honour to be able to present these items and shine a light on another less-documented part of Tupac’s story.”
The auction is currently live and will remain open for bidding until February 11.
