Tupac's Writings Donated for Research

The mother of late rapper Tupac Shakur donated a collection of his writings to the Robert W. Woodruff Library at the Atlanta University Center. The items donated include rough drafts of lyrics, poems, and a photocopy of his contract with Suge Knight and Death Row Records. The items will be part of the archives at the library on the campus of the Atlanta University Center and will be available for research in the fall of 2010.

Death Row Records Auctioned

Death Row Records Company was auctioned for $24 million, which had released albums by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Tupac Shakur in the past. On June 24^th, Global Music Group Inc. purchased the music label and its black catalog and its current artist contracts because the company had gone down due to debt and mismanagement.

Financial problems came to Death Row Records recently when a former couple, named Lydia and Michael Harris, took the company to court and stated that they had helped found the label. They won a judgment of $107 million and tried to collect it in 2006. The label was not able to pay the amount and filed bankruptcy in April of 2006 and claimed debts of over $100 million. Also in 2006, a federal judge ordered for a bankruptcy trustee to takeover Death Row Records and said that the label had gross management. The decision to file bankruptcy saved the company from the decision of the court to appoint someone to take control of the record label and its assets.

Elvis named as Forbes’ Richest Dead Celebrity

Elvis was recently named as Forbes’ Richest Dead Celebrity. He earned about $49 million dollars this past year and last topped the list back in 2005. This past year, Charles M. Schulz made $35 million, George Harrison made $22 million, Albert Einstein made $18 million, Andy Warhol made $15 million, Theodor Geisel made $13 million, Tupac Shakur made $9 million, Marilyn Monroe made $7 million, Steven McQueen made $6 million, James Brown made $5 million, Bob Marley made $4 million, and James Dean made $3.5 million.

Even though Elvis died in 1977, his estate still makes millions of dollars through music royalties, DVDs, licensing deals, and tourism at Graceland. Graceland is Elvis’ mansion in Memphis, TN.