Name: Tupac Cassette Tape
Brand: GE-OLOGY
SKU: NYC_GEO_002
Price: 17000.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Tupac Cassette Tape

AUCTION HAS ENDED

End date: 02-11-2026 - 08:30:00 PM

Winning bid: $17,000.00 ()

Amount	Date
$17,000.00	02-11-2026 - 07:50:38 PM
$16,500.00	02-11-2026 - 03:54:17 PM
$16,000.00	02-02-2026 - 12:22:54 PM
$13,500.00	01-31-2026 - 04:21:17 PM
$11,000.00	01-31-2026 - 06:44:21 AM
$10,000.00	01-30-2026 - 09:42:45 PM
$7,500.00	01-30-2026 - 09:42:40 PM
$5,000.00	01-25-2026 - 11:07:58 AM
$3,000.00	01-23-2026 - 09:15:16 AM

Product variants

This cassette represents an extraordinary and irreplaceable opportunity to acquire one of the earliest original recordings of Tupac Shakur from his pre-fame rap group, Born Busy, captured years before any commercial studio work.

Recorded in 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.

These recordings were made as part of an early creative process in which Ge-ology captured acapella performances so he could later learn the verses and build beats around them, effectively reversing the production workflow that would later define professional hip-hop recording. The sessions were informal, personal, and rooted in a tight-knit creative circle, preserving a candid snapshot of Tupac’s earliest artistic development. The tape features a collection of song acapellas, samples, freestyle sessions and laughter.

Tracklist:

"We Work Hard" - (c) July 12, 1988

What elevates this first-hand recorded cassette beyond an exceptional early document is its unbroken chain of custody and absolute rarity. Retained, protected, and personally archived by Ge-ology since its creation, it represents one of the earliest surviving Tupac recordings to date. This singular artifact now offers one collector the rare opportunity to acquire the original cassette from one of the earliest periods of a generational artist’s creative life. Never commercially released, this decades-old preserved tape from Ge-ology's personal archives with Tupac could soon be yours.

Key Details

Original home-recorded cassette captured at Ge-ology’s family home, Baltimore
Features Tupac Shakur (performing as MC New York) alongside Born Busy members
Recorded in 1988, when Tupac was 16 years old
Acapella recordings made as source material for early beat construction
Original cassette retained by Ge-ology, never commercially released

Collectibility

Provenance: Direct from Ge-ology, with first-person documentation of the tape’s origin, purpose, and timeline
Rarity: Exceptionally high — an original copy from one of Tupac’s earliest known creative period
Historic importance: A foundational pre-fame document from one of hip-hop’s most studied and mythologized figures

Pairs well with

Provenance

Disclaimer: Use of Recorded Material or Photography

By bidding on or purchasing any item from this collection that includes recorded audio material (such as master tapes, demo recordings, or unreleased sessions), or photography you agree to the following terms:

These recordings and photographs are sold strictly for private, non-commercial use by the winning bidder only.
Ownership of the physical item does not grant any rights to the underlying recordings, compositions, performances, images or intellectual property. All rights remain with the original rights holders.
You may not reproduce, copy, distribute, publish, share, broadcast, perform, licence, monetise, or otherwise exploit them in any form.
They must not be shared with third parties in any format, whether for free or for financial gain.
Any unauthorised use may result in legal action, including claims for copyright infringement, injunctive relief, and recovery of damages and legal costs.

By proceeding with a bid or purchase, you confirm that you understand and accept these terms in full.

Before you bid

Before you bid:

Please note that, on top of the final bidding price, you (the buyer) will be charged the following:

Buyer premium of 20% on top of the final hammer price. E.g. for a winning bid of $100, you will pay $120 plus shipping, insurance, and taxes. The buyer premium helps us invest in curation, appraisals, verification, content and platform development.
Shipping, packing, insurance & handling costs - see 'shipping' section below for more details
Import duties and taxes - these vary by location and are payable by the buyer upon delivery, if applicable

Shipping & insurance

Shipping method: All orders are shipped tracked.

Insurance: For all orders over $200 we will include 1.3% on top of the hammer price to cover insurance.

Packing: We work with trusted packing teams to ensure the best delivery of your items. This will be added to the final cost.

Expected delivery: Item ships 2 weeks after auction closes. Delivery time varies by location.

The bidding process

We run a popcorn bidding process. This means that if you put a bid in within the last minute of the auction, the clock will extend for another 5 minutes. This allows everyone time to get their bids in fairly.

Need help?

WATCH THE GE-OLOGY INTERVIEW

We sit down with GE-OLOGY to discuss his time growing up, his rich history with Tupac, his varied creative projects and how playing the trombone helped him when first starting to blend records.