Tupac Shakur is remembered, especially in the media, for two things: his rap career and his tragic end. But music journalist and author Dean Van Nguyen believes there’s more to his story. His book, Words for My Comrades: A Political History of Tupac Shakur , takes a very different look at the rapper’s life and that of his mother, Afeni Shakur, a former member of the Black Panther Party who was a fierce advocate for the deconstruction of American imperialism. It’s a passion both shared. Van Nguyen recounts Shakur’s childhood and how it informed his activism In his book, Van Nguyen explores the influence Afeni’s activism and involvement in the Black Panther Party had on the rapper. The author chronicles Shakur’s childhood, which was spent among communists and Marxists, and how it influenced his music. Shakur’s family was made up of revolutionaries, including members of the Panther 21, a group of community activists who oversaw drug treatment facilities, and prominent figures in the...