Buying things is fun and good, right? Being able to afford the objects you want is a sign that you have Done Well For Yourself, and your mum is probably proud of you. Congratulations: you're a productive member of society, and definitely not a victim of a capitalist system that entraps you by convincing you that money and possessions are the epicentre of society, your identity and the cornerstone of the meaning of your life.One of the byproducts of late capitalism is celebrity culture, and one of the byproducts of that is how much people will spend to own literally anything associated with celebrity culture (how very Baby's First Look at Das Kapital of me). And that's how we get to a situation where Brooklyn auction house Alexander Historical Auctions can sell off a number of the personal effects of Tupac Shakur despite reported previous lawsuits against other auction houses, filed by the estate of Tupac's mother Afeni.The Black Heritage Auction, due to take place on Friday 7 April, will include a number of lots that once belonged to Tupac. These include his personal Qu'ran, his prison card, handwritten lyrics for songs including "Fuck Friendz" and "Let Em Have It", his first publishing contract and items of clothing. The auction will happen to take place, as TMZ point out, on the same day that Tupac's actual musical legacy will be honoured with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.I mean, if you have a spare $15,000 [£12,000] to spend, I can think of worse things to own than something that passed through the hands of one of the most legendary rappers to ever live. But, if the reports are true and Afeni Shakur's estate wasn't closely involved with the process, it also feels a bit distasteful. Don't let The Man fool you.Follow Lauren on Twitter.(Image via YouTube)
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