An official Tupac Shakur biography is finally on the way, now that hip-hop writer Kevin Powell has inked a deal with Simon & Schuster to pen the long-awaited book.

Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, has given Powell -- a former writer at Vibe magazine -- the green light to narrate her son's biography, which will be titled 'Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography.' "Kevin Powell is doing this Tupac Shakur biography with my full blessings," Shakur said in a statement. "I trust him and his history of documenting my son's life, and I know he will do the book from his heart."

Powell reiterated the sentiment, explaining that he understands the importance of the new project, "It is an honor to write what will be the definitive biography on the life and times of Tupac Shakur, one of the greatest icons in hip-hop and pop culture history," Powell said. No release date has been issued for the book as yet.

Other upcoming releases centered around the late rapper include an Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic and the documentary, 'Uncensored and Uncut: The Lost Prison Tapes,' which is set for a Jan. 26 release. The documentary will be based on unaired footage of an interview Pac did during his stint at the Clinton Correction Facility, where he served time in 1995. The interview dates back to his pre-Death Row affiliation.

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