The Walk of Fame Honors Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur was a cultural icon whose message continues to touch and inspire us. But his life was a roller coaster ride of dizzying success and heartbreaking tragedy.
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Who Killed Tupac Shakur?
Who Killed Tupac Shakur, The 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur shook hip-hop. The rapper sold more than 75 million records and starred in six movies and was part of an urban culture that was at an extraordinary creative peak but also grappling with extremes of toxic masculinity. His music was full of anger at the poverty inflicted on his generation and at the violence perpetrated by and against them. It’s no wonder that 27 years later, the question of who killed him remains one of hip-hop’s enduring mysteries.
On Friday, Las Vegas police announced that a man who prosecutors say orchestrated the murder of the “supreme gangster” had been arrested in a long-awaited breakthrough in the case. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 60, was described by authorities speaking in court and at a news conference as the ringleader of the group that killed Shakur, though he wasn’t accused of being the gunman himself. Davis has admitted in interviews and his 2019 tell-all memoir that he provided the gun used to kill Shakur, who was shot four times when a white Cadillac pulled up next to him at a traffic light. He died six days later.
Davis was in the front passenger seat and tossed the weapon that killed Shakur into the backseat, where his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson was sitting. Both men were members of the South Side Crips gang, and they had been involved in a casino brawl just prior to the shooting. Davis has said he formulated the revenge attack after his nephew was beaten. Anderson, who was a known rival of Shakur, died two years later in a separate gang-related gunfight.
At the time of Shakur’s death, both Davis and Shakur were embroiled in a feud with Biggie Smalls, who was shot and killed six months later, ending an East Coast-West Coast rivalry that defined the rap scene in the 1990s. The murders of both men led to a massive crackdown on gang violence in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
NPR’s Laura Smith-Spark reports that police served a search warrant on Davis’s home on July 17 looking for computers, electronic devices and other evidence in the decadeslong investigation. A police spokesman declined to provide more information about the warrant or comment on whether Davis was charged.
In his 2019 memoir, Davis wrote that he knew the identity of the shooter, whom he wouldn’t reveal for “street code reasons.” He would only say that the person was in his 30s and lived near Los Angeles.
The murder investigation is complicated by the fact that many of the witnesses are dead. The police chief in the case, a former Los Angeles homicide detective named Jason Johansson, is serving a 28-year prison sentence for voluntary manslaughter in a different case and has declined to comment on the investigation. The attorney representing Davis in that matter has also declined to comment. Emails seeking comment from two lawyers who have represented Knight were not immediately returned.
His Life
Hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur has posthumously received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, honoring his contributions to music, movies and activism for racial equality. His sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, accepted the star on his behalf at a ceremony Wednesday. The event was emceed by radio personality Kurt “Big Boy” Alexander and directed by Allen Hughes, who worked with Shakur on a series of docuseries about his life. Set Shakur praised her brother’s talents and said that his goal as a teenager was to have a star on the Walk of Fame. “Tupac never stopped working and he never stopped trying to achieve his dreams,” she said.
The son of Black Panther members, Shakur was born in 1971 in New York City and was raised around the country. He was the youngest of three children, and his mother often moved them to avoid being attacked by gangs and other criminal elements. His mother was involved in the Black Liberation Army and was a high-ranking member of the organization; she spent time on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. His stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, was a former Black Panther and was on the list as well.
In 1988, Shakur and his family moved to Marin City, California, a suburban community north of San Francisco. There, he took poetry classes with Leila Steinberg and was signed to a record deal by Atron Gregory. He recorded his debut single, “Same Song,” in 1991 and made his acting debut that year in the film Sons of the P. He also released the album 2Pacalypse Now.
Shakur’s legal problems — including his New York trial for sexual assault, which was a national embarrassment — helped to make him more well-known. The publicity from these cases cemented his status as a livewire with a penchant for drama.
While incarcerated, Shakur studied philosophy, politics and history, and wrote a screenplay about a teen who becomes a drug baron. He read books such as J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Jamaica Kincaid’s Moby Dick and Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and was also an avid reader of books such as Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. He was astute about the social injustices he saw on the streets and wrote many lyrics that addressed these issues.
His Music
Rapper and actor Tupac Amaru Shakur embodied a spirit and rebellion that came to define hip-hop culture for a generation. He was the first gangster rapper to come equipped with a conscience, espousing societal theories as quickly as he spit gun bars. He was a force to be reckoned with, even as he continued to fight for the rights of the disenfranchised and the voiceless. He also managed to maintain a sense of self-deprecating wit.
At 25, he seemed to embody a hood folk hero a generation would strive to emulate. In his music, confessional, personal tomes like “Dear Mama” sit alongside brazen antagonism on tracks like “Hit ‘Em Up.” His 1996 double album All Eyez On Me is one of the best-selling rap albums in history.
Tupac’s musical legacy is a testament to his talent and the power of his voice. His songs were both heartfelt and brutal, with the ability to captivate both fans and critics. He was also able to transcend a stereotyped image of the violent street hustler by appearing in films such as Juice, Poetic Justice and Gridlock’d.
Despite his rocky relationship with his mother, Afeni Shakur, Tupac maintained a high level of integrity and activism. He financed at-risk youth centers, bankrolled South Central sports teams and established a telephone hotline for young people seeking help, according to Vanity Fair. After he was released from prison, Tupac made his debut on the music scene with 1991’s 2Pacalypse Now, a radical departure from the dance party sound of Digital Underground. The album was a hit, and in 1994 he signed with Death Row Records’ Suge Knight.
He became embroiled in a feud with rap rival Biggie Smalls, who was killed six months later. The incident sparked a heated East Coast-West Coast rivalry, as Smalls was signed to New York City-based Bad Boy Records while Shakur was with Los Angeles-based Death Row Records. In 2010, Tupac’s song Dear Mama was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, joining Public Enemy and Grandmaster Flash as a historic recording.
His Films
While Tupac Shakur was best known for his music, he also made a name for himself as an actor. He appeared in several movies during his short, but storied career. These films helped to give the public a glimpse into the artist’s complex personality and life. In fact, many of these movies showcased the same themes that were often found in his music.
In his early film roles, Tupac was able to command the screen with an ease that few rapper-turned-moonlighting actors have been able to duplicate. This was especially true in the 1992 movie Juice, where he played the lead role. Despite the movie’s low box office performance, it was a strong debut for Shakur and set the stage for his future success as an actor.
Following the release of Juice, Tupac starred in the 1994 sports drama Above The Rim. In the film, he plays local drug dealer Birdie. Drug dealers have become such a cliche in film that it’s hard to make a convincing one, but Tupac does a solid job. He was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his work in the film.
The film was not a major hit, but it was well-received by critics. In addition, it received positive reviews from fans. This would be one of the last films Tupac released before his death.
During his brief but prolific career, Tupac also acted in other movies and television shows. He was in several notable works including Gang Related, Above the Rim, and Poetic Justice. In the latter film, he starred alongside Janet Jackson.
Gang Related is considered to be one of Tupac’s most important films, both artistically and commercially. The film was controversial due to its violence, but it is a must-see for all Tupac fans. It was also the first time that Tupac was nominated for an NAACP Award, but he lost to Denzel Washington.
Although Tupac’s acting career was relatively short, he had a huge impact on the industry and left behind a lasting legacy. He has been widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time, and his death was very tragic.
His Legacy
In a rap culture that was rife with political intrigue and gang warfare, Tupac emerged as a voice of resistance. His activism, rooted in the challenging circumstances of his upbringing and life experiences, inspired individuals to question the status quo and challenge the systemic injustices that surrounded them. Tupac’s dedication to effecting positive change elevated him beyond the status of an artist, granting him the position of a social icon and a visionary activist.
His ability to translate personal experiences into universal themes allowed him to connect with audiences on an emotional level. His lyrics were filled with social commentary, addressing issues such as poverty, racial inequality, and police brutality.
Whether he was battling the criminal justice system or the streets, Tupac’s unapologetic authenticity and vulnerability allowed him to convey his message in a way that resonated with listeners.
While his musical talent pushed him to the forefront of Hip Hop, it was his activism that made him a true legend. His willingness to confront the establishment and expose the flaws in the criminal justice system enabled him to blaze a trail for the next generation of activists, igniting their passion for freedom and justice.
He was not afraid to challenge authority, often putting himself at risk for his convictions and activism. In a time when black communities were being ravaged by drugs, corruption, and poverty, the state of New York was punishing those with just four ounces of illicit drug possession with draconian sentences. Unemployment was at an all-time high, and crime rates were skyrocketing.
Tupac’s dedication to affecting change remained intact even after his death, inspiring individuals from all walks of life to embrace their power and speak truth to power. His unwavering commitment to social consciousness was a testament to his undying dedication as an artist and an activist.
Tupac’s enduring legacy lives on through an extensive list of posthumous albums, films, and live performances, a growing library of 2Pac studies, and a new biopic, All Eyez On Me. NPR’s Renee Montagne sat down with Powell to discuss the complexities of Tupac’s legacy, as well as the many ways his work continues to influence hip-hop to this day.