Tupac Shakur’s Baltimore Home is For Sale
For those interested in seeing where Tupac Shakur lived at a pivotal part in his life, his Baltimore home has been listed, and quickly sold. The iconic rapper and actor spent his important formative years in Charm City, which he credited with creating the artist he became.
Inside Tupac Shakur’s childhood home in Baltimore, that’s for sale
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse that Tupac spent years in at 3955 N. Greenmount Ave. went on the market on Nov. 2. Located in the Pen Lucy neighborhood of Baltimore, the property was listed for $179,000. ”Purchase a piece of Baltimore history,” the real estate listing read.
At the time of the listing, the home was a legally zoned 2-unit building with separate utilities and meters operating as an apartment building. The first-floor tenant resided in the unit for over 10 years and prefers to stay. They were currently paying $750 a month plus utilities. But the entire property was sold with an estimated monthly mortgage payment of $1,119.
Tupac moved into the home with his mother, Afeni, and his younger sister, Sekyiwa, when he was 13. They lived in the small complex. The neighborhood was in a rough part of town, and many knew of his struggles, but he remained a bright student. He lived in Baltimore until 1986 before moving to Marin City, California, amid his mother’s struggle with drug addiction.
The 3900 block of Greenmount Avenue later became known informally as “Tupac Shakur Way.” No other notable names have lived in or owned the home since. Per the listing, the seller has a buyer, and the property is currently under contract.
Baltimore helped to mold Tupac into the creative genius he became
Tupac was always open about how his years in Baltimore were the most impactful on his adolescence. He attended the world-renowned Baltimore School for the Arts alongside his longtime friend Jada Pinkett Smith, where he thrived in Shakespeare. He also took ballet and honed his acting skills.
“He talked about Baltimore a lot,” journalist Kevin Powell said in an interview with the Baltimore Sun after Tupac’s death. Powell added that his time in Baltimore “foreshadowed Tupac Shakur the rapper, foreshadowed Tupac Shakur the amazing [actor]. It would not have happened — any of that — without Baltimore.”
Tupac told Powell that he began writing rap lyrics while attending the school. Until then, his focus was on acting and poetry. In fact, his friends and teachers from the school were shocked to discover that he became a rapper. “[The rap persona] was nothing like the person that I knew,” Becky Mossing, his classmate, told Baltimore Sun. “I honestly believe he was playing a part that he probably was made to play.”
He later becomes a prolific performer
Tupac is lauded as one of the greatest lyricists of all time. His records have sold millions, in both life and death. But it was his acting that many peers felt showed the most promise. In fact, some say he would have retired for a career as an award-winning actor.
Before his death, Tupac starred in five films. His acting was critically acclaimed as Bishop in Juice. He showed a more sensitive side as Lucky as Janet Jackson’s love interest in Poetic Justice and showcased he could be grimy in Gridlock’d.
