Monday, December 11, 2017

Tupac Shakur by Tristen Anderson


Tupac Shakur was known as a hip-hop legend who was embroiled in a feud between East Coast and West Coast rappers and was murdered in a drive-by shooting in 1996, leaving behind an influential musical legacy at the age of twenty-five. Did Suge Knight plan Tupac’s murder, or did Biggie Smalls plan Tupac’s murder? It came to Suge Knight’s attention that Tupac was going to leave Death Row Records. However, is it possible that Biggie Smalls’ East Coast feud with Tupac ended in the rapper’s murder? Let’s explore who killed Tupac Shakur and why.

            Tupac Shakur was a sensitive, precociously talented yet troubled soul who came to embrace the 1990’s gangsta-rap aesthetic and paid the ultimate price. He was gunned down in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996 and died six days later (Shakur). His murder has never been solved. He began his music career as a rebel with a cause to articulate the travails and injustices endured by many African Americans, often from a male’s point of view (Shakur). His skills made him a spokesperson not just for his own generation, but for subsequent ones who continue to face the same struggle for equality (Shakur). In death he became an icon symbolizing noble struggle, though in life his biggest battle was sometimes with himself. As fate drove him towards the nihilism of gangsta rap, and into the arms of the controversial Death Row Records impresario Suge Knight; the boundaries between Tupac’s art and his life became increasingly blurred with tragic consequences (Shakur).

            Tupac Shakur was a famous rapper/actor at the age 13 when his acting career started (“Tupac Shakur Biography”). He got an acting roll in a production of A Raisin in the Sun at an Apollo Theatre benefit for Jesse Jackson in 1984 (“Tupac Shakur Biography”). Between 1992-1994, Tupac became a successful actor in the movies Juice, Above the Rim, and Poetic Justice (“Tupac Shakur Biography”). Despite a promising start and wide praise for his performances, the rest of his film work was far less acclaimed; he ended his acting career as James Belushi's sidekick in the mostly ignored Gang Related (“Tupac Shakur Biography”). Steinberg was able to get him in front of music manager Atron Gregory, who secured an appearance for him in 1990 as a roadie and dancer for the hip-hop group Digital Underground. He soon walked up to the mic making his recording debut in 1991 on “Same Song”, which sound tracked the Dan Aykroyd comedy “Nothing but Trouble.” (“Tupac Shakur Biography”). He also appeared on Digital Underground's album “Sons of the P” in October that year. The band's manager, Gregory, took over from Steinberg and landed Tupac a deal with Interscope Records. After a month later, “Sons of the P” knockout the stores came “2Pacalypse Now”, Tupac's debut album for example a solo artist (for which he spelt his name 2Pac) (“Tupac Shakur Biography”). Tupac had twenty-one number one hit songs, to list a few: How Do U Want It/California Love, Dear Mama/Old School, I Get Around, Keep Ya Head Up etc. Tupac Shakur was nominated by American Music Awards – first in 1994 than in 1997 – for Favorite R&B/Hip-Hop Artist (Shakur). He won in 1997. Another award Tupac won was the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards for Top Soundtrack Song of the Year (Shakur). The last two awards he won out of three nominations was in 1996- for Best Rap Album and in 1997- for R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video (Shakur).

            Tupac Shakur was self-driven to be an inspiring person who has a clear purpose in mind and prove himself to achieve material accomplishments to be successful (“Tupac Shakur Motivation”). No one can deny that Tupac was much more than just a musician or actor; he was revolutionary and was an activist who pushed for social change. He was an advocate for the poor and stood up for many issues from violence and racism to social conflicts and injustice, that people like himself encountered growing up in the ghettos (“Tupac Shakur Motivation”). He would always make a bold statement and prove how much the system needed to be changed. Tupac grew up in a household full of people involved with the Black Liberation Army and learned a lot about radical politics, therefore he was deeply inspired to become a leader and activist himself (“Tupac Shakur Motivation”). Teachers knew him as a very upbeat student who had a love and affection for literature. He read everything from Eastern religions to Encyclopaedia’s. From songs like “Brenda’s Got a Baby”, “Keep Ya Head Up” and “Changes”, it’s clear Tupac’s initial intent was to educate people on real issues that mattered to him and people close to him (“Tupac Shakur Motivation”). Yet, many people argue that he became so fixated on the problem’s around him that it infested him internally, stemming to the downfall of the bright star who turn out to be the victim of the social struggles he was fighting so heavily to fix. Nevertheless to say, Tupac’s legacy will continue forever, and the positive impact he created truthfully changed many lives and sparked a ripple effect (“Tupac Shakur Motivation”).

              Tupac Shakur was one of the most influential poets, slash song writers, slash actors, and much more than that he was an icon for all those who recognized the harsh reality of "Thug Life" Tupac Shakur in 1994 (“Tupac Shakur and Rap's Societal Influence”). Tupac mastered every element in every aspect. His legacy left a message that inspired several artists. The top artists today will always relay back to Tupac. For example, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay Z. Some of the greatest well-known artists today will refer to Tupac as their inspiration to rap music (“Tupac Shakur and Rap's Societal Influence”). Even Eminem, known as The Rap God, will express anyone that Tupac was the greatest of all time and inspired him to write lyrics of his own about the society he grew up in and how he’s trying to overcome it (“Tupac Shakur and Rap's Societal Influence”). Tupac tried to demonstrate something to the youth. Not all of his messages were about violence or discrimination but when you listen strictly to Tupac’s music, you can tell that he used a contradictory style in his music. Meaning in one song, he would talk about black on black crime, and then the next one, he would talk about killing all his enemies (“Tupac Shakur and Rap's Societal Influence”). Then he would rap about being a player in one song, and then the next one, he would support women and their rights (“Tupac Shakur and Rap's Societal Influence”). This was the first time that many people have heard or seen his style like this, and many people seemed to love and enjoy it. Tupac’s message influenced on many alternative rappers to become well- known through interviews, music, and poems (“Tupac Shakur and Rap's Societal Influence”). Not only Tupac was an inspiration to the rappers, but he was also a role model for numerous teenagers and young adults (“Tupac Shakur and Rap's Societal Influence”). Through his various albums from trust, to racial discrimination, Tupac spoke passionately about how the society helped him mature as a man. This legacy made him an influential character to the society we live in (“Tupac Shakur and Rap's Societal Influence”).

            Tupac Shakur was well known as a sensitive, precociously talented yet troubled soul hip-hop legend who was embroiled in a feud between East Coast and West Coast rappers. He was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996 leaving behind an influential musical legacy at the age of twenty-five. Did Suge Knight plan Tupac’s murder, or did Biggie Smalls plan Tupac’s murder? It came to Suge Knight’s attention that Tupac was going to leave Death Row Records. However, is it possible that Biggie Smalls East Coast feud with Tupac ended in the rapper’s murder? Let’s explore who killed Tupac Shakur and why.

            The first conspiracy theory was did Suge Knight plan Tupac’s murder? When the West Coast’s prized rap possession Tupac Shakur was murdered riding on the passenger-side with the leader of Death Row Records, Suge Knight, the world bore witness to one of hip-hop’s most excruciating losses to date (Suge Knight). But after 21 years of questionable statements, conspiracies, films, debates and finger-pointing, Suge Knight has now stepped forward to reveal the two individuals responsible for the historic evening of September 7, 1996 (Suge Knight).  Thaddeus Culpepper, Suge Knight’s attorney, wrote that the label CEO has “known for many years that Reggie Wright Jr. and his ex-wife Sharitha were behind the murder of Tupac and attempted murder of Suge Knight” (Suge Knight). Reggie Wright Jr., the head security for Death Row, had previously been connected to Pac’s death by a former LAPD detective Russell Poole, along with Suge Knight’s ex-wife Sharitha (Suge Knight). However, Knight was the intentional target of the shooting, as Poole believes the two conspired to murder him towards gain control of Death Row Records (Suge Knight). Knight claims, as the “salient points” of the new Tupac Assassination: Battle for Compton documentary was what reportedly imprisoned him to disclose such classified information (Suge Knight). He was also suspected and accused of Pac’s death due to unpredictable testimonies, one of which he suggested Pac faked his own death (Suge Knight). The affidavit also claims that he has knowledge of those involved with the murder of Tupac’s most-spotlighted East Coast rival, Notorious B.I.G, as well (Suge Knight).

            The second conspiracy theory was did Biggie Smalls plan Tupac’s murder? Tupac and Biggie, hip-hop icons, met in 1993. Although Tupac was only a year older than Biggie, he was something of a mentor to him. Tupac often gave Biggie the best career advice since he had a couple years more knowledge, and was more recognized when they met (Carrie Wittmer). By the mid-1990s, the West Coast had revealed itself in the hip-hop world with Death Row Records, the label that involved Tupac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg (Carrie Wittmer). Meanwhile, Biggie’s 1993 album “Ready to Die" helped give the East Coast label Bad Boy Records (Carrie Wittmer). Tupac and his fans understood Biggie’s 1994 song “Who Shot Ya?” as a diss track because he had been robbed and shot two months before the songs release (Carrie Wittmer). The track's lyrics explains a situation very alike to what happened to Tupac. Tupac struck back in the 1996 song “Hit 'Em Up” (Carrie Wittmer). After watching the Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas, Tupac and Suge Knight were driving to a party around 11:15 p.m. After they stopped their black BMW at a red light, a white Cadillac pulled up next to them (Carrie Wittmer). Few seconds later, fourteen shots were fired, six of them hitting Tupac who was in the passenger’s seat (Carrie Wittmer). Tupac died six days later, at only 25 years old. Biggie's wife, Faith Evans, remembered that after Tupac's death, Biggie feared for his own life (Carrie Wittmer). Some people believed Biggie planned Tupac's murder and some still don’t believe in it. On March 9, 1997, Biggie was leaving a party in Los Angeles after the Soul Train Awards (Carrie Wittmer). He was sitting in an SUV when another vehicle pulled up next to him and shot him. The hitman, who fired at Biggie five times, Biggie was hit four times, bolted the scene (Carrie Wittmer). Biggie died later that night and was only 24 years old.      

Many people believe Suge Knight was responsible for Tupac’s murder. Knight was no less of a bad boy during Pac’s glory days. Many people think that his own selfish ambition, not wanting Pac to leave Death Row, led him to plan his friend's murder. The promotion of Tupac's fifth album just 2 months after his death didn't help clear Suge's name either.

            With every anniversary of Tupac Shakur’s death, his legacy made him an influential character to the society we live in today. Although Tupac Shakur death was led in a drive-by shooting, some people believe Suge Knight planned his murder and others believe Biggie Smalls planned his murder as well. There are two conspiracies developed:

1.         Did Suge Knight plan Tupac’s murder for leaving Death Row Records?

2.         Did Biggie Smalls plan Tupac’s murder for feuding with the East Coast?

To this day, twenty-one years after Tupac’s death, Tupac’s murder case has yet to be solved. Many people are still confused till this day on who planned to kill him and why? It’s heartbreaking that such a sensitive, precociously talented yet troubled soul man lost his life in the beginning of his 2nd quarter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Word Cited

“After 21 Years, Suge Knight Finally Reveals the Two People Who Killed Tupac Shakur.” BET.com, 1 Oct. 2017, www.bet.com/music/2017/04/04/suge-knight-who-killed-tupac.html.

Ray, Michael. “Tupac Shakur.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 June 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Tupac-Shakur.

 “Tupac Shakur.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 8 Sept. 2017, www.biography.com/people/tupac-shakur-206528.

“Tupac Shakur Biography.” Rolling Stone, www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/tupac-shakur/biography.

“Tupac Shakur.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 16 Oct. 2017, www.biography.com/people/tupac-shakur-206528. “List of Awards and Nominations Received by Tupac Shakur.” Wikiwand, www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Tupac_Shakur.

“Tupac Shakur Motivation: 3 Lessons.” FeelingSuccess, 10 Jan. 2017, www.feelingsuccess.com/tupac-shakur/.

Wittmer, Carrie. “The Murders of Biggie and Tupac Are Still a Mystery after 20 Years - Here Are All the Theories about Them.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 27 Mar. 2017,  

“You Need to Have JavaScript Enabled in Order to Access This Site.” "The Inspiration": Tupac Shakur and Rap's Societal Influence: American Long-Form, diocesefwsb2.instructure.com/courses/6077/pages/the-inspiration-tupac-shakur-and-raps-societal-influence.

www.businessinsider.com/biggie-and-tupac-murder-theories-cases-suspects-2017-3/#tupac-and-bigge-used-to-be-friends-1.

No comments:

Post a Comment