(b.6/16/1971 in New York, NY, d. 9/13/1996, Las Vegas, NV)

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The Killing of Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur became the unlikely martyr of gangsta rap, becoming the tragic symbol of hardcore rap. The son of two Black Panther members, Tupac Amaru Shakur was born in New York City. His parents had separated before he was born, and his mother moved him and his sister around the country for much of their childhood. At the outset of his career, it didn’t appear that he would emerge as one of the definitive rappers of the ’90s, especially since he was a second-string rapper for Digital Underground, joining after they had their biggest hit.  But in 1992, he delivered an acclaimed debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, which quickly followed with a star-making performance in the urban drama, Juice. Over the course, of one year his profile raised substantially, as he became as well-known for his run-ins with the law as he did for his music. By 1994, 2-Pac was rivaling Snoop Doggy Dogg as the most controversial figure in rap, as he was spending as much time in prison as he was in the recording studio. His burgeoning outlaw mythology helped his 1995 album Me Against the World enter the charts at number one, and it also opened himself up to charges of exploitation. Yet, as the single “Dear Mama” illustrated, he was capable of sensitivity as well as violence. Unfortunately, the gangsta lifestyle he captured in his music soon overtook his own life. Signing with Death Row Records in late1995, Shakur released the double-album All Eyez on Me in the spring of 1996, and the record, as well as its hit single “California Love,” confirmed his superstar status. While his celebrity was at its peak, he was publicly fighting with his rival the Notorious B.I.G. and there were tensions brewing at Death Row.  At the time of his murder in September 1996, there were indications that Shakur  was considering leaving Death Row, and maybe even rap, behind. None of those  theories can ever be confirmed, just as the reasons behind his shooting remain  mysterious.
Shakur was shot on the Las Vegas strip as he was riding in the passenger seat of Knight’s car. They had just seen the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon fight at the MGM Grand, and as they were leaving the hotel, 2-Pac got into a fight with an unnamed young black man. It has been suggested that this was the cause of the drive-by- shooting; it has also been suggested that Knight’s ties to the mob and to gangs were the reason behind the shooting; another theory is that the Notorious B.I.G. arranged the shooting as retaliation for 2-Pac’s comments that he slept with Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans. Either way, Shakur was shot four times and he was admitted to University of Nevada Medical Center. Six days later, he died from his wounds.   Hundreds of mourners appeared at the hospital upon news of his death, and the entire entertainment industry mourned his passing, especially since there were no leads on his death. Many believed his death would end the much-hyped East Coast-West Coast rivalry and decrease Black-on-Black violence. Sadly, six months after his death, his rival the Notorious B.I.G. was murdered in similar
circumstances.  ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All-Music Guide

In Las Vegas an hour and a half after the Tyson/Seldon fight, Suge Knight was driving the black BMW 1996 model, Tupac was in the passenger’s seat.  Along the passenger’s side came a late model white Cadillac. From inside, shots were fired, 14 of them. Tupac was hit four times, twice in the chest, once in the arm, and once in the thigh. Knight was mildly injured by some bullet fragments; Tupac Shakur died of the bullet wounds on Friday 13 September 1996.  ~MTV Report on 2Pac murder.

Get The Book:
The Killing of Tupac Shakur