What is the theme in The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur?

Poverty is one of the central themes in The Rose That Grew from Concrete as well as in Tupac Shakur's music. Shakur grew up in the East Harlem section of New York City, a part of the city known for extreme poverty and violence. Throughout Shakur's youth, poverty was a way of life and the Shakur family routinely struggled to make ends meet. There were many times when there was not enough food to eat and the family's friends and neighbors are not in any position to offer assistance.