Tupac's Pre-Fame Rap Group Born Busy Rare Recording Set to Auction
- Ash Brown
- 17 hours ago
- 4 min read
Wax Poetics launches an unprecedented Tupac auction illuminating Tupac Shakur’s pre-fame years including one of his earliest known recordings, original
lyrics, archive photography, and signed graduation banner, from the personalarchive of his school friend and fellow ‘Born Busy’ group member Ge-ology
New York, NY (January 15, 2026) – Following the record-breaking auction of Mariah Carey’s ultra-rare 1988 demo tape, Wax Poetics kicks off the year with the launch of its next landmark auction featuring some of the rarest Tupac items from his years before any commercial studio work existed.
The auction is part of the Ge-ology Collection which offers unprecedented access to the personal archive of producer, DJ, and visual artist Ge-ology and is centered around one of the earliest known surviving recordings of Tupac Shakur, previously referenced in Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, the acclaimed biography by New York Times bestselling author Jeff Pearlman, alongside handwritten lyrics, original archive photographs, and artifacts documenting a formative chapter in music and hip-hop history.
The auction goes live January 15th at 3 PM ET / 8 PM GMT and will remain open through February 11th.
Recorded around 1988 at Ge-ology’s parent’s home in Baltimore, the cassette captures Tupac (aka MC New York) alongside close friends and fellow Born Busy members Gerard ‘Ge-ology’ Young (aka DJ Plain Terror), Darrin K Bastfield (aka Ace Rocker), and Dana ‘Mouse’ Smith (aka Slick D), then approximately 16 years old, rapping acapella. The recording was made so Ge-ology could later learn the verses and build beats around them, reversing the production process that would later define professional hip-hop recording. The tape has been preserved privately for decades and has never been commercially released. Here’s the chance for someone to take the original tape from those sessions home!
Ge-ology met Tupac Shakur as a teenager in Baltimore, before Tupac had released any records or achieved public recognition. Their bond grew through shared immersion in hip-hop culture, including school cyphers, rap battles, freestyle sessions, parties, and after school hangouts. For decades, Ge-ology chose to be quite reserved about speaking publicly about Tupac, viewing their relationship as deeply personal rather than mythic. This collection marks the first time he has chosen to share these artifacts in full, framing them as historical documents rather than memorabilia.
Coinciding with the collection’s launch, Wax Poetics shares an accompanying interview in which Ge-ology revisits his formative years with Tupac.
Reflecting on the origins of the tape and the decision to share it now, Ge-ology says, “This wasn’t meant to be a performance or a release. We were recording acapellas so I could learn the rhymes and build the beats around them. That tape is one of the earliest moments of Tupac being documented, before the world knew who he was. I’ve protected it for decades, and now it feels right for it to be shared properly , as history.”
In addition to the cassette, the collection includes handwritten Tupac lyrics written in Ge-ology’s family home; offering a rare glance into Tupac’s creative process before fame. A series of preserved photographs provides a glimpse into everyday moments from their Baltimore years, including backyard house parties, school friends, DJ sessions, alongside a signed 1988 graduation banner capturing Tupac’s presence at Ge-ology’s graduation barbecue shortly before Ge-ology moved to New York City. Together, these materials form a cohesive narrative of Tupac’s Baltimore years, a chapter often overlooked but significant in his extraordinary legacy.
Beyond the Tupac material, the collection traces Ge-ology’s broader creative legacy across music and visual culture, documenting his multidisciplinary practice. Highlights include the official reverse-board printed proof of Ge-ology’s original artwork created for the iconic “Body Rock” release with Mos Def, Q-Tip and Tash (an early Black Star / Lyricist Lounge / Rawkus era artifact), and the only existing full-format print of “Ge-ology Plays Ge-ology” CD album artwork on canvas, which is packaged alongside a framed CD and original artwork print proof from the same album.
Ge-ology describes the collection as an act of preservation, emphasizing that stories should be told by those who lived them and safeguarded in contexts where they are respected, protected, and historically understood. The release reflects a broader philosophy that physical artifacts, including tapes, lyrics, and photographs, carry meaning and presence that digital files alone cannot replicate.
“When it comes to music collecting it doesn’t get much bigger than Tupac. The fact that this tape and these items are from Tupac’s pre-fame years, and directly from his childhood friend Ge-ology, makes them even more special and incredibly rare,” says Alex Bruh, CEO of Wax Poetics. “It’s an honour to be able to present these items and shine a light on another less-documented part of Tupac’s story.”
Wax Poetics Collections curates auctions of authenticated collectors items and memorabilia direct from artists, and connects them with stories and editorial. Each collection is designed to preserve musical history and offers collectors a rare opportunity to own original pieces of cultural heritage, presented with the utmost care, context, and reverence.
Auction Information
Auction opens: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Bidding window: 01/15 - 02/11 3PM ET/ 8PM GMT
