The Baltimore Orioles aren't messing around when it comes to promotions for the upcoming MLB season, and we already have a contender for giveaway of the year in 2026.
The Orioles will be giving away this Tupac bobblehead on May 8 vs the Athletics.
— cllct (@cllctMedia) January 12, 2026
Though he's a West Coast icon, Tupac Shakur lived in Baltimore from 1984–88 and attended @BaltSchoolArts, where he ingrained himself in poetry. pic.twitter.com/zUtRLmGbob
On May 8, when the O's host the Athletics, the team will be giving away Tupac Shakur bobbleheads to the first 15,000 fans in attendance.
Though Tupac is mostly known as a West Coast rap icon, he spent several of his teenage years (1984-88) living in Baltimore. There, he attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting and poetry.
According to BaltimoreHeritage.org, it was in Baltimore where Tupac began his rap journey.
"In November 1985, the Enoch Pratt Free Library sponsored a rap contest and encouraged participants to rap about the library to be eligible for a cash prize. Shakur, alongside his friend Dana Smith, created the winning song, 'Library Rap.' Eventually, Shakur teamed up with several more friends to form a new group, Born Busy. With Born Busy, Shakur made his very first rap recordings."
If last season's Mac Miller bobblehead night in Pittsburgh is any indication, Baltimore should expect a Monster crowd May 8.
When the Pirates hosted Mac Miller Night last season, the team drew its largest crowd of the entire season, despite being more than 20 games below .500 at that point. There was a sea of fans lining the Roberto Clemente Bridge all morning, with some arriving to PNC Park as early as 8 a.m.
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Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.