I still remember the day Tupac died. I grew up in the middle of the Tupac and Biggie rivalry. I was excited to read this and it was great to get more information.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this. I loved Tupac in the 90's and cried when he was murdered. His young life is an intruiging story, and good history. I learned so many new things, and I loved this!

This book was incredibly, incredibly well researched and written. That said, it is not a memoir. It is (and is written as) a biography of Tupac Shakur. I walked away knowing so much more about Tupac and being even more interested in watching the murder trial in Las Vegas as it progresses.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an advance readers copy of this book.

***Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this upcoming book***
As someone who grew up during the heyday of the East Coast/West Coast rivalry that consumed hip-hop music in the 90's, this book is like being a fly on the wall for Tupac's view of things. This book is so much more and is a wonderfully written deep dive into the short life and times of the enigma that was Tupac Shakur. This is a must read for all hip-hop/music fans and I can't recommend it enough.

This is my second Pearlman book (the first being "The Bad Guys Won!) and I will definitely be checking out his other works in the future!

Book Review!

First and foremost, I want to thank @netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Gosh, I honestly have no clue where to start.

If you are a fan of Tupac Shakur, this is a must read.

I was hooked from the very first page.

I wish I had the right words to describe this masterpiece. I'm not even exaggerating when I say if I could give this book a million stars, I would. In a heartbeat.

This was an incredible and excellently written book about the life of Tupac. So much detail, so much emotion, and so much information.

And I loved it so much.

Unfortunately, y'all have to wait! This book comes out October 21. If you love Tupac at all, preorder it now!!

#momlifewithcandace #themomlifecollaborative #bookreview #advancedreaderscopy #onlygodcanjudgeme #tupacshakur #jeffpearlman #netgalley #fivestars #amillionstars #netgalleyreader

When thinking of Tupac Shakur he’s quite a mystery. Nearly 30 years after his murder, Tupac Shakur is still a topic of great cultural relevance and conjecture. He was scrutinized in life and mythologized in death. A lot of Tupac's tale is still unknown and unclear despite a ton of books, documentaries, and even a motion picture. The conflicting agendas around Tupac's legacy have long veiled him, sanding down his edges and numbing his complexity, much like many other icons who passed too tragically young.

Over 700 interviews. That’s the kind of research Jeff Pearlman did for this book, and it was very evident in how the book was written.
I found this book to be very fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of these aspects of Tupac’s life. The truth was presented in an unbiased way, and it allowed me to formulate my own opinions. If you like reading biographies and want to know more about a talented and loving but deeply troubled and flawed man, I suggest this one.

It seems there will never be a DEFINITIVE book on Tupac Amaru Shakur, that is, until he himself pens it. This book, like every other one of its ilk, still manages to stoke the faintest flame of conspiracy that 'Pac is alive and well somewhere in Havana, Stockholm, or Sydney.

The greatest section of this book for me was the come up. Tales of Tupac's youth and teenage years in NYC, Baltimore, and Marin City. I was definitely surprised that the author, Jeff Pearlman, undertook this subject. Most of his other books are about sports celebrities. It is a well done work on an impossibly difficult to trace individual. Based on his public persona it's astounding that Tupac is described as "effeminate" innumerable times in this book. Tupac was so misunderstood and sadly allied with the wrong people/person.

I hope Tupac is resting wherever he is and at least we have the brilliance of his music to keep us. Pour one out and pump the tune "Check Out Time." Rest in power, legend.

I really liked this biography, and the layout was easy to follow. I wish there were pictures of the legend, and his life throughout. That would’ve made it better.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
I went into this book knowing very little about Tupac Shakur, hip hop music has never been terribly appealing to me but from what little I knew of him Tupac always struck me as a fascinating figure. Jeff Pearlman’s biography certainly reinforced that notion, he gives a full picture of Shakur’s artistic talents and his compassion and sensitivity while at the same time laying out his flaws and poor decisions that got him in trouble. I can whole heartedly recommend this book fans of Shakur as well as anyone who just enjoys an engrossing biography.

Thank you NetGalley for the early read.
It felt more like watching a documentary than reading a book, the content was very matter-of-fact and unfiltered. It lays out Tupac’s life in a raw way, it gave a deeper understanding of Pac beyond the headlines and rumors.

Book Review – Only God Can Judge Me by Jeff Pearlman
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early.

Only God Can Judge Me offers a detailed, well-researched look into Tupac Shakur’s life—from his rise in music and acting to the chaos surrounding Death Row and his untimely death. Jeff Pearlman clearly put in the work, and it shows in the depth of interviews and insight.

While I appreciated the thoroughness, the book didn’t fully pull me in. It felt more like a report than a story at times, and I found myself wanting more emotional connection or narrative flow. Still, for fans of Tupac or hip-hop history, there’s value here.