Poet and College Professor Nikki Giovanni, Who Tattooed Tupac Shakur's Moniker "Thug Life" on Her Arm, Has Died at 81

Nikki Giovanni/Instagram @giovanni.nikki

Nikki Giovanni—poet, author, social activist, and college professor best known for her literary works and activism, died at 81. According to The New York Times, her wife, Virginia C. Fowler, confirmed she died while hospitalized for complications of lung cancer on Monday.

In 2022, Nikki retired from Virginia Tech University as an English instructor. The poet received numerous awards and recognition throughout her decades-long career.

Giovanni stood out as an influential female poet in the Black Arts Movement during the Civil Rights Era. Her song "Ego-Tripping" was one of her many well-celebrated projects. She received seven N.A.A.C.P. awards, 31 honorary doctorates—she was a finalist for the Best Spoken Word Grammy, named as a History Maker, recipient of the Parents' Choice Award for her children's book "The Sun Is So Quie," and received the United States Senate Certificate of Commendation. The former Virginia Tech professor was the author of over 30 books, (mainly children's books).

The influential author also had an affinity for some rappers, who were once seen as poets. She tattooed the late and well-celebrated rapper Tupac Shakur's moniker, 'Thug Life,' on her arm in homage to the slain rapper and to lend support to his mother, Afeni Shakur upon his death. In protest of poverty, oppression, and racism, Shakur created the slogan Thug Life (the hatred u gave little infants fucked everybody) which he later tattooed on his stomach. Thug Life became a well-known phrase in popular culture.

Giovanni paid further tribute to the Shakur family by writing the poem "Afeni" when Tupac's mother died in 2016. Giovanni once told an audience that if "Thug Life" was "incendiary enough to murder a promising 25 year old," she'd take her chances, too. "Thug Life" was the author's sole tattoo, according to Push Black.

Virginia Tech gave the following statement on her passing: "To know Nikki was to be forever changed by her," said Laura Belmonte, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. "One minute, she would say something that would make you laugh so hard you would cry. The next minute, she would say something that would haunt you for months and make you reevaluate the world as you knew it. She was a force of nature and our college, Virginia Tech, and the world itself are better for her impact on all of them."

Nikki is survived by her son, granddaughter, and wife.

To subscribe to Volume 82, click the link. To follow our Instagram, click here; for TikTok, click here!