The Hate U Gave

By Andrea Torres

Tupac Shakur’s fearless irreverence inspired actor and playwright Meshaun Labrone Arnold to write "The Hate U Gave: The Tupac Shakur Story,'' a play about the struggles of the iconic 25-year-old multimillionaire rapper, actor and poet.

Engulfed in cigarette smoke, the actor tries to capture Tupac's haunting demons while serving time in prison in 1995 for sexually molesting a woman in his hotel room - a charge he denied. Tupac died on Sept. 13, 1996 after a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

The thought-provoking script's in your face style includes profanity. "Y'all come to this conference dressed up in your double-breasted suits, $300 alligator shoes, trying to speak properly when you ain't saying nothing,” Arnold says in character. "I don't care if you call yourself a black man, Afro-American, African American - them motherf***ers don't care nothing about your ass. And they never will.''

Vividly staring at the audience will be a gigantic spray painted portrait of Tupac by local artist Claudio Picasso, whose murals can also be seen at the Fillmore in Miami Beach and at SWEAT Records in Little Haiti.

The play will take place at the Byron Carlyle Theatre, 500 71st St., Miami Beach at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 24, Saturday, April 25 and Friday, May 1st.

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $40 for VIP seating. For more information call 305-358-5885.