Eddie S.’s review of Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur > Likes and Comments
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We’re pretty much the same age. I’ve been a Tupac since I was about 11. Your review is the best one I’ve read of Jeff’s book so far.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review. I appreciate your compliment.
You're welcome. I don't always agree with Jeff but he did something difficult, which is teach me things I never knew about Tupac. A lot of things some people won't believe and don't want to hear.
On point review, brotha. Couldn't agree with you more.
This is Jeff Pearlman’s Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, which was just published on October 21, 2025. It currently holds an average rating of 4.52 on Goodreads (based on hundreds of reviews) and is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and in-depth biography of Tupac ever written. Drawing on nearly 700 original interviews and a wealth of previously unpublished details, Pearlman peels back the myth to reveal a real, contradictory, and deeply layered Tupac—from his turbulent childhood and the influence of his mother Afeni, to the rise of West Coast hip-hop, the inner workings of Death Row Records, his acting career, and the self-destructive impulses that coexisted with his undeniable genius.Your review perfectly captures the heart of this book: it’s not gossip, but a psychological deep dive into how Tupac performed his identity, how he shifted personas depending on his surroundings, and how he built the “Thug Life” persona as both armor and advertisement—only to end up trapped by it. Pearlman doesn’t shy away from his self-destructive tendencies (the impulsiveness, the violence, the entanglement with Suge Knight), yet he also reveals his vulnerability, his hunger for love, and the cultural context of the era, allowing readers to truly feel the weight of the human being behind the icon.That line you wrote—“not because they’re evil, but because they’re lost and reacting to environments that reward hardness over vulnerability”—aligns perfectly with how the book portrays Tupac. He wasn’t simply a “thug”; he was a complex individual shaped by trauma, childhood wounds, and the pressures of the industry. What makes this book so powerful is exactly what you said: it brings Tupac back from legend to man. His contradictions are what keep him eternal. Even in 2025, nearly 30 years after his death, we’re still talking about him—and this book proves that his story will never truly end.
Great review! You touched my only problem with the book. He kept saying Pac wasn’t a gangster or thug but Pac always said he wasn’t a gangster and by white America’s definition he was definitely a thug. But he was more than that and that was the point. Great read tho!
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Michael
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Oct 24, 2025 05:27PM
We’re pretty much the same age. I’ve been a Tupac since I was about 11. Your review is the best one I’ve read of Jeff’s book so far.
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Thanks for taking the time to read my review. I appreciate your compliment.
You're welcome. I don't always agree with Jeff but he did something difficult, which is teach me things I never knew about Tupac. A lot of things some people won't believe and don't want to hear.
On point review, brotha. Couldn't agree with you more.
This is Jeff Pearlman’s Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, which was just published on October 21, 2025. It currently holds an average rating of 4.52 on Goodreads (based on hundreds of reviews) and is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and in-depth biography of Tupac ever written. Drawing on nearly 700 original interviews and a wealth of previously unpublished details, Pearlman peels back the myth to reveal a real, contradictory, and deeply layered Tupac—from his turbulent childhood and the influence of his mother Afeni, to the rise of West Coast hip-hop, the inner workings of Death Row Records, his acting career, and the self-destructive impulses that coexisted with his undeniable genius.Your review perfectly captures the heart of this book: it’s not gossip, but a psychological deep dive into how Tupac performed his identity, how he shifted personas depending on his surroundings, and how he built the “Thug Life” persona as both armor and advertisement—only to end up trapped by it. Pearlman doesn’t shy away from his self-destructive tendencies (the impulsiveness, the violence, the entanglement with Suge Knight), yet he also reveals his vulnerability, his hunger for love, and the cultural context of the era, allowing readers to truly feel the weight of the human being behind the icon.That line you wrote—“not because they’re evil, but because they’re lost and reacting to environments that reward hardness over vulnerability”—aligns perfectly with how the book portrays Tupac. He wasn’t simply a “thug”; he was a complex individual shaped by trauma, childhood wounds, and the pressures of the industry. What makes this book so powerful is exactly what you said: it brings Tupac back from legend to man. His contradictions are what keep him eternal. Even in 2025, nearly 30 years after his death, we’re still talking about him—and this book proves that his story will never truly end.
Great review! You touched my only problem with the book. He kept saying Pac wasn’t a gangster or thug but Pac always said he wasn’t a gangster and by white America’s definition he was definitely a thug. But he was more than that and that was the point. Great read tho!
