The philosophy, words, and music of Tupac are essential to The Hate U Give. While Tupac is mostly known as a rapper or actor, he was also a poet. “The Rose that Grew from Concrete” is considered his most well-known and studied poem and it served as a metaphor for the artist. The symbolism of the poem can easily be extended to many characters in the novel, most obviously Starr but also her friend Khalil whose death drives the action of the novel. While the poem is short and simple to understand, being able to explicate its themes to the novel and its themes would serve as an excellent summative assessment as an individual analysis/response for grade level students. The poem is published in a book of Tupac's poetry also entitled The Rose that Grew from Concrete.