Seven Arts Entertainment Inc. today announced a joint venture partnership between its subsidiary Seven Arts Entertainment Music and Television and The Makaveli Music Group. Details of the partnership include exclusive worldwide rights to over 150 hours of previously unseen 2Pac footage including live performances, interviews, and family videos. Seven Arts and The Makaveli Music Group will be producing a full length documentary on 2Pac Shakur utilizing the rare footage.
In addition, the project includes a 5 volume CD containing previously unreleased material featuring performances by 2Pac Shakur and his friends Heavy D, the Outlawz, Scarface, Bone Thugs-n- Harmony, and other special guests. The 5 Volume CD set will also be available as a box set and will include a special edition of the new documentary as a bonus DVD. The Tupak Amaru Shakur Foundation (“TASF”) was established in 1997 by Afeni Shakur, mother of 2Pac Shakur and Kendrick Lesane, one of the board members for the foundation and CEO of the Makaveli Music Group.
It was originally called the Shakur Family Foundation. TASF provides community outreach through the arts, with a variety of performing art camps, local development projects, workshops and scholarships for the youth.”I was thrilled when I first spoke to Peter Hoffman of Seven Arts Entertainment and since meeting Vince Vellardita and Anthony Barlo I now see that we have the same vision and I feel like this project can’t get kicked off fast enough!” stated Kendrick Lesane, CEO of Makaveli Music Group.”It is a rare opportunity to be able to work with new unreleased recordings from a landmark artist like 2Pac as well as a library of unreleased video footage. There are only a few iconic artists who transcend their time and resonate with people from all walks of life throughout the world.
This is a monumental find of previously unreleased video footage and recordings featuring a great American artist, 2Pac Shakur. It’s an honor to be able to work with the Shakur family and the TASF to preserve 2Pac’s legacy,” Anthony Barlo, President of Seven Arts Music.”2Pac Shakur is one of the top-selling music artists of all time. He has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, and eleven of his releases have gone platinum.
In his lifetime, Shakur earned six Grammy nominations and three MTV Video Music Award nominations. I am pleased to be working with Anthony Barlo and Kendrick Lesane to see this project take off,” stated Vince Vellardita, Chairman/CEO of Seven Arts Music and Television. Shakur’s hit, “Dear Mama”, was added to the National Recording Registry in 2010 and “California Love” has sold over 20 million copies The National Recording Registry, a branch of the Library of Congress, selectively honors recordings that “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.”David Michery brought the Shakur opportunity to Seven Arts Pictures, Inc. and Seven Arts Music and Television, Inc. negotiated and closed the deal.
Mr. Michery will continue to serve as a consultant on this project.