O O FEDERAL OF INVESTIGATION

Transcription

OO
FEDERAL
BUREAU
OF
FREEDOM OF
INVESTIGATION
INFORMATION
AND
PRIVACY ACTS
SUBJECT: TUPAC
SHAKUR
FEDERALOF
BUREAU
INVESTICQION
FOIPA
DELETED PAGE
Serial Description
Total Deleted
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b7C
b7C
"COVER
"28
INFORMATION SHEET
SHEET O1/03/1997
FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION
AND
PRIVACY ACTS
SUBJECTT O
FILE NUMBER
Tupap _S11:;kyr___
ii
I
_
__ 266A-OLA-2Q1_8Q74 VI-IQ!
__ _ _ _ _
SECTION NUMBER:
_,7 _1_ _ _ _
FEDERAL BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION
2/3:/1995!
FEDERAL BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION
Precedence: ROUTINE
Date: 01/03/1997
4/{oz FBIHeadquarters Attn:
From! Los
NSD, CT
Branch, DTS,
DTOU
Angeles
NSD~6
ApprovedI By:
I
Drafted By:mpbh }I92'I'I'M'
Case ID #= 266A-LA-2o1so7,¬3
I
- ECEASED!;
_
ERIC WRIGHT,AKA EAZY~E VICTIMDECEASED!; WC
AOT DT DEATH THREATS
00; LOS
ANGELES
ARMED AND
synopsis: Status
of investigation
DANGEROUS
and request
for extension
to
PI.
Previous Title:
|_|
ET AL;
TUPAC SHAKUR VICTIM
EAZY-E VICTIM DECEASED!;
DECEASED!;
ACT-DT-DEATH THREATS;
O02 LOS
ANGELE$
Preliminary Inquiry
Initiated: 10/1'7/1996,
set to
expire
01/17/1995.
Enclosures: One
Memorandum, dated
Details:
original and
01/O3/1997.
Title
marked
five copies
changed to
of a
reflect the
Letterhead
true name
of
EAZY-E.
copies of
contains the
Enclosed for
aLetterhead
current
the Bureau
are one
original and
Memorandum, dated
O1/03/1997, which
status
of
captioned matter.
five
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ALL llroammon
uonulm I
anus rs
UNOLABSIFID
oATzJ§ Lm m @
at$353
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To: FBI
Headquarters From:
Los Angeles
Re: 266A LA~201807,
01/03/1997
b7D
b
Several leads
regarding captioned
interviews of
remain outstanding
matter. Los
witnesses and
at Los
Angeles
Angeles anticipates
victims. Several
several
LAFO files
need to
be reviewed
for background
information onE::::::kherein
he is
referenced, to
include the
following files:
f
blc7C
12-61-0
26-66697
87-473
92-6836
179-914
183-1734
b3
b7C
b7C
b7D
It is
extended thirty
requested that
days as
this Preliminary
aresult
of pending
ARMD AND'DANGEROUS
2
Investigation be
investigation.
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________O_____
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Date: 09/22/1997
Headquarters Attn:
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BRANCH.
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Birmingham
Boston
Cincinnati
Dallas
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Attn: Santa
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Seattle
Los Angeles
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Contact: SA
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*===fs=*lilml-=>bh
BY=
** ?
Case ID #=
'266A-LA-201807 ~--T"
"
Title: |
_AOT-DT-DEATH
THREATS;'
_ OO:
LOS ANGELES
Synopsis: Request
for subscriber
Previous Title:|
checks.
I
I
TUPAC SHAKUR
-VICTIM
DECEASED!;
EAZY-E VICTIM DECEASED!; _bqp
AOT DT DEATH THREATS;
.- O0:
LOS ANGELES
Full Field
Investigation Instituted:
Details: For
1996,
Fi d
information of
apreliminary
a
group of
i
"
'
04/15/1997.
receiving offices,
inquiry PI!
was initiated
on
October
at Los
ocorroborate source information t
17,
Angeles
known organized
crime figure,
-along
with
a
unidentified individuals
were utilizing
death threats
in
the furtherance
of
extortion
attempts targeted
towards two
former
prominent rap
musicians from
the
Los Angeles
area and
other
victims yet
unidentified.
'
92"
re orted
that
92
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To: FBI
Headquarters From:
R92 266A'LA 20l807,
Los-Angeles
09/22/1997
~.
JDL, and
others yet
unidentified have
been extorting
money from
' rap music stars
via death
threats. The
scheme involves
1 other subjectstelephonic
making threats
death
the
to
rp
sar.
Subjects then
offering protection
WRIGHT, also
Woodland Hills,
prior
to
intercede by,
for
afee".
contacting
Source reported
known
as
EAZY-E, who
owned
RUTHLESS
California was
avictim
of this
dying fromAIDS.Shad also
TUPAC SHAKUR prior
to
his recent
murder in
the victim
and
that ERIC
b7C
RECORDS,
extortion scheme
-
reportedly targeted
Las Vegas,
Nevada.
b'} C
|::::| *i§ P,
III
On March
27, 1995, fileda civillawsuit against
RONALD SWEENEY, Entertainmen ney
This lawsuit,
titled COMPTOWN
RONALD SWEENEY,
et al",
for the
WRIGHT estate.
RECORDS INC, et
a1
V. LAW OFFICES
civil case
number
BC
124555
was filed
Los Angeles
Superior Court,
Los Angeles,
California and
erty rights
of RUTI-ILESS RECORDS. During
the
lawsuit,
in
pertains
ffered as
e twoletters purportedly
signed
by
ERIC
letters deeme
wereorged
byan
expert
witness. dvised
WRIGHT, granting
the results
require
of this
asubpoena,
part ownership
lawsuit were
which
is
of RUTHLESS
classified confi
pending. It
.The
en ia
is believed
and
b'7C
that
received approximately
$1.5 million
in thecourt settlemen;
|:l
E brgc
I
br/C
hI
2b'.7C
b7D
To: FBI
Headquaxcers From:
Los Angeles
Re: 266A LA-201807,
09/22/1997 b7Q
b7D
from the
offices in
aforementioned court
Los Angeles appreciates the
this matter.
LEAD S!
Set Lead
settlement.
assistance of
receiving q
l b'~
:
1:
b7C
:2/31/199:!
"
|FI5I3lEFlI92l.IBIJFIEUKIJ IF:l|U92II55?T1CiIYT1 !ll
Precedence: ROUTINE
T 0:
NSD
Date: 10/20/1997
Los Angeles Attn: SAg?:iiff::f ?f::::]
Attn
C
.'
T
NS
From: Sacramento
l'
Contact: IAI
ApprovediN
By:
I
6/ b7C
7" ;
Case ID
#=
Title:
266A-LA-2oieo7<Q Pending!
LE'1'1n..,- '
TUPAC SHAKUR
EAZY-E
AOT
-VICTIM
VICTIM
DT
-DEATH
DECEASED!;
DECEASED!;
THREATS '
O0: LA
Synopsis: subscriber
No
info
available for
ithout
issuance of
Full Field
subpoena or
order
to
Pacific Bell.
Investigation Instituted:
Reference: 266A-LA-201807
Details: A
court
review
of
O4/15/1997
Serial
289
current local
indices wasnegative for telephone
directories
and
Itis noted that is
Sacramento
b7C
handled
Pacific
by
Bell Telephone
Company, WhlC
now requires
asubpoena
or court
order for
any published
or nonpublished
subscriber information,
directed to
2150 Webster
Custodian of
Street, Room
Records, Pacific
735A, Oakland,
Bell
Telephone
Company,
California 94612.
,,b7C
ix.
ALLIINUBILTIOIOUITAIIQD I/92
oAwznn;$;sY %
1-mans xv
uiwusszrxm
FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION
AND
PRIVACY ACTS
SUBJECT__ _T_l_1pac
Shakur A
FILE NUMBER
_266A-LA-ZOl?8O'ZI I
SECTION NUMBER
FEDERAL BUREAU
___
,_ O L I I
OF INVESTIGATION
_
FEDERAL
BUREAU
OF
INVESTIGATION
Precedence: ROUTINE
Date: 10/17/1996
To: FBIHQ
Attn: NSD,
CT
Branch,
DTS, DTOU
Los Angeles
From:
Los
Angeles
NSD-6
contact:SA
b7C
Approved By:
Drafted By:
mpbh eV
C_
12.7.-L
.mmmmn @92°"
ET
@~~~m
"='
., . ....o__.__
Title: |
.
mzza
TUPAC SHAKUR-VICTIM
DECEASED!; °920k92kou~lp
GU
QLU
EAZY-E-VICTIM nscmsno!;
uusow? 3
AOT"DT-DEATK THREATS;
oo= LOS
ANGELES
ARMED
Synopsis: Request
to open
and extortion
involving rap
EAZY-E deceased!,
and other
Details: _Oq_2!11/3§,
AND
DANGEROUS
a 266A matter regarding
death threats
music stars
TUPAC SHAKUR deceased!,
victims yet
unidentified.
wriggg
'
v
was contacte
concerning matter
captioned: UNSUB S!;
BOMBING OF
THE
AMERICAN ARAB ANTI~DIsCRIMINATION
COMMITTEE
OFFICE, 1905
E.
17TH
STREET, SANTA
ANA,
CALIFORNIA,
10/ll/85;
ALEXANDER MICHEL
DEVICE: O0:
ODEH-VICTIM DECEASED!;
LOS ANGELES
ri1
EXPLOSIVE
ADC!
AND
INCENDIARY
74A-3595!.
'
w
advised writer
hat WC
10711
|and ofhers yet
unfHenfif1ed_ ave been
,;1 ,,<,,-L/,~ /10180
'
.,
extorting money.
from various
rap music
The schemeinvoives[::::]and other
stars
via
.I
death
threats -0
to the 1 rap
star ' 0
Subjects then n
contacting the
victim and
offering protection
.victim and
their family
are taken
to asafe
private estate,
associated
C
and are
with
the
.
.
protected by
LEAGUE JDL!
onvince the
victim they
have worked
person
s! making
the death . threats and
..
victim then
pays the
subjects for
rendered and resume their
normal
further
intercede by
c
for afee
haven", usually
gun-toting body
JEWISH DEFENSE
.
death threats
0
-
subjects making telephonic
The
a
guards
The subjects
.
adeal
out with
the
the threats
cease
The
.
.'
the protection
*7-<
b./K,
services 7
lifestyle with
no fear of b'
death
threats
:identified
EAZY-E
deceased!
targeted by
subjects for
complications associated
extortion prior
with AIDS.
who reportedly
to dying
from
EAZY-E resided
in Van
was
Nu s,
Californi
In addition
to the
Det. LAPD!
aforementioned, on
10/8/96,
and writer interviewed a Los Angeles
source of
proven reliability,
concerning the
During that
interview
source corroborated
ODEH bombing matter.
the above
information.
According source,[:::::]reportedly
to
enlists
the services
of one
not
further
escri e
as a capper
or
extortion scheme.
identified this
atto assist
time!,
whom source
with the
ambulance chaser,
Source stated
when he
would
rip
off drug
amount being
extorted is
Since two
that[::::]used this
dealers. Source
in the
$50,000 range.
Writer is
familiar with
names have
surfaced in
the ODEH
captioned JEWISH
DEFENSE
LEAGUE;
IOOA-LA 169742-Closed!.
matter, it
that
same scheme
stated the
monetary
captioned subjects
as
their
investigation and
also
acase
D5/T; OO:
L05 ANGELES"
independent sources
is recommended
7
a266A
have reported
matter be
captioned
opened and
I ] LASD! as case
co agents.D :::::]
assi
ned
60
to writer
with Det
nd De
~
~-92
._!
92
._!
CPNet.com
- TupacShakur
Pagel of 2
To
Front
Page
CollegePress
Network
Shakur avictim
of his message
Rapper cannot escapeworld he idealized
TupacShakur:Oneoftheleadinggures
ofgangsta
rap.
I993 le photo.
.B?_K§Mw TN_ 6_E.6I; é ET.,.
CPNet
Opinion
Editor
LastFriday,
dozens
of
Tupac
Shakur
fans
gathered
outsideUniversityMedicalCenterin Las Vegasto
mourn the death of their slain idol.
Mortallywounded
duringa drive-byshooting
nearthe
Vegasstrip,Shakur nally metthe endhe so
.
vehemently
invokedin
many of hissongs.
Butin thistimeof griefandmourning,
whatwastherealimpactof hismessage?
In a societywhereracialequalityhasyet to be reached,Shakursimplypolarized
the opposingsideswith hismessageof hateandintolerance.Insteadof usinghis
talentsto
bring the racestogether,he did everythingimaginable,whether
intentionalor
not, to makepeacefulco~existence
impossible.
Living ina countrywherehomicideratesarethe highestin the world, Shakur
blindlypromotedthe indiscriminateuseof guns andviolenceto makeamends.
Shakurevenbecamea victim of his
own messagewhenhe was shot ve times
during
a
1994 robberyattempt.
AlthoughShakurtriedto conveya positiveimageof
women andfatherhood
in
someofhisearlysongs,
whatever
credibility
hepossessed
quicklydeteriorated
whenin
1995 he wasarrestedand sentenced
tojail for sexuallyattackinga
21-year-oldwoman
Shal<ur's
detrimentalmessagefueledthe res of politicalconservatives
who called
for suchextremesascensorship
andnation-wideimposition
of
what they
consideredto be "true"family values.Even in pronouncinghis
own
First
Amendmentrights,Shakurmaragedto attractnegativepublicityto thismost
intrinsicright guaranteed
to
all Americans.
LastSunday,
theRev.Jesse
Jackson
wasquotedin
a LosAngelesnewspaper
as
onl8
1996
0§;s1
AM
PNA§§§s§gmmm
maneWK
D
'
" as er
i
4-1
p
.'5
~ J
D_
CPNet.com~Tupac Shakur
-Page
2 of 2
saying: "Thisis so,so sad.Sometimes the
lure ofviolent cultureis somagnetic
that even
when
one overcomes itwith
material success, it continues to call."
What
I would like to know is what the Rev. Jacksonconsiders overcomingviolence. As I
recall, Shakurovercame violence
by explicitly endorsing it.Therefore, hecould
never haveovercome it. On the contrary, hejust becameanother victim in a
hopelessly tragic
way of life hehimself helpedadvance.
Of course, Shakur is
not alone. Hejoins the long list of "dead heroes" who in living
have donetheir partto propagate
aperilous way of life withoutregard tofuture
consequences. Just
as JerryGarcia in his promotion of drug use during the 60s and
70s, Shakur
will forever be remembered
for leadinga generation
down theroad of
neglect and
despair.
Unfortunately in our world, all
the
wrong role models attractthe attention of the
masses. Whether
they beathletes orpoliticians, these
individuals degrade
the most
basic values
of integrityand rectitude.
To makematters worse,
in shamethey are
still heralded by their fellow peers.
Tragically, thosewho seekto makea positivedifference,simplygo
overlooked or
are suppressedby the powers thatbe. It is disappointing that 28 years afterhis
death, Dr. Martin Luther King's message
of non-violence and assimilationcan be
supersededby
the narrow, intolerant message professed
by
individuals such as
white supremacists,anti-Semite andin this case,
Tupac
Shakur.
New index of collegenewspapers online
Subscribe to
our
free CPNews
email
service
Free stuff
Posted: September
18, 1996.
Copyright © 1995, 1996,Colle ePress Network. All rights reserved.
http://www.cpnet. com
T
Oct 18 1996 08:51
AM
Qe
Q
l '
-92!
Zpac Pages
Newzletter Edition
2 VolumeI Page
Inside The
1of 2
Mind Of
2pac Shakur
I
MK
ix
Kif
I ! K7
Disclaimer: The
following is an excerpt
fromVibe
Magazine.
gme.n92n=pn__,a
-
There
was
I I A,LLI]II"¢"" F*92","
Y" f~
L -...4-L:-.. .'~'..
an
1,___,
.l :
HERE-W W-l°1~
13
15$Il'
Qu°92'?.
aouowa
q92O92u8 l;
~92$°*= i Qxszul
neverabeef, onlyadifference of opinion. My homeboy Suge
gave me the best advice that I could ever get from anybody. When people
ask him if he's
bee ng with Bad Boy and with Puffy, he's
says it s like
me
going to the playground to pick on
litle
kids.
That's like me being mad at
my little brother cause
he's getting cash now. I'm
not mad at that, I'm just
mad at my little brother when he don't
respect
me.
And when you don't
- respect
me,
I'm
spank
a that ass.Idon't
give afuck how rich
you
got tn the
block
I'm your big brother. I'm
abreak your
big
ass down.
That's myonly
point. I feel as though he wrong, he got out of hand. He got seducedby the
power-not because he's
evilanperson, but because money is
evil; ilit's not
handled right. If you lose your composure you could do
anything.Fear
got
stronger than love and uiggas did things that they weren't
reallysupposed
to do. They know
in
their hearts, that's their
why in hell now.They can't
sleep. That's
why they're
telling all the reporters and all the people "Why
they doing this?
They
fucking up hip-hop, blah, blah, blah"cause they in
hell. They can't make
money, they can't
anywhere,
go
theycan't
look at
themselves causethey know
the
prodigal son has retui-ned.I'm
alive; the
ghost is
walking around. And I'm around
talking, in jail Ididn't
talk. Now,
everybody who thinks that Idisrespected, I love my eastcoast fans. I'm
from there. I'm eating
New York Pizza, Idrive New Yorkjeeps but I'm
saying let's
keep it real for asecond. If you're
halfthe lover of music that
you
are,
go back and study. Study how Party And Bullshitwas me before I
met Biggie. You don't
hear my style
in
his raps. Studyhow after I met
Biggie, Ready To Die comes out and his whole stylechanges study. Study
why I would be mad
when
half of the major NewYork rappers or
their
managers, or their agents or their somebody wasthere when Igot shot-and
nobody
couldn't
give me no information. Juststudy that. Study how when
Wu-Tang got their
chain
snatched atsix-six-duece, I not only found who
did it but gave them the message thatif they wanted to see the niggas that
Oct18 1996
08:51 AM
yo g
10
ZpacPages
Newzletter
Edition
2
Volume
I
Page
2
of
2
did it, they could seethem. Man to Man, just you and them-no guns, no
nothing if you feel like that. That's
all I ask for. If you're
goingto act like a
gangster
or
a "G"
or
a king of New York, I'm
a expectthat. And when you
don't
comethrough, then Pmgoing to want to
crush your empire. And
that's
what
it's
time for. for thelatest
on
Visit Y_ibeMagazine
Qnline
and checkout the rest of this interview.
Its pretty interesting,and de nitely checkout the video clipsof the
interview alsoavailable on Vibe Magazine Online.
This Pageis Webmastered
by
Oct 18
1996
Gurjeet Litt yu108654@orku.ca
~08:51
AM
"92
11
4
Shakur Hurtin Drive-By Shooting Page
1 of 3
Shakur Hurt in Drive-By Shooting
Controversial Rapper Critically Injured
Fi
By Sharon
Waxmcm '
A-LL
IIV'I'.
CQNTILINED
?8R.l
B
c 929292°92'1l
SpecialThe
to Washington
Post qU92¥92P92-#10
Monday, September
9 1996;
Page D01
After Tyson
W-1:92'9292a92l
0 AL,5°;
' l"""~$92392-vii q92$7__q92
The WashingtonPost
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 8--"Gangsta" rap
star
Tupac Shakurwas incritical condition in a Las
Vegas hospital
today afteran assailant
pumped four
bullets intohis headand chest
during a
drive-by shootingSaturday night.
The 25-year-oldrap starwas shotas heand Marion"Suge" Knight,chairman ofDeath Row
Records, Shakur's
label, wereon their way to anightclub about 11:15p.tn. afterwatching the
Mike Tyson-BruceSeldon heavyweighttitle
ght
at theMGM Grand Hotel, policesaid.
Shakur underwent
emergency surgery
for multiple gunshot woundsand remainedunder
heavy police
and private
guard inthe trauma-intensive
care unit,according to
aspokesman
for University Medical Center.Knight, 31, was hitin the head-by shrapnel
and wasreleased
from thehospital today.
The shootingwas themost seriousin astring of violent incidents involvingthe rapstar, who
appeared Wednesday
at theMTV VideoMusic Awards,
where he
and members
of his
.
entourage gotinto an argument withseveral menin the lobby of New York s Radio City
Music Hall. Police werecalled tobreak
it
up.
In November1994, Shakurwas shot ve times in the lobby
of
a New York recording studio
when muggers
stealing his
jewelryopened
re.
He hasspentmuch
of
the past2 1/2years in
court or in custodyon variouscharges.
A handsome,
swaggering man
with longeyelashes and
apenchantfor showy
jewelry,
Shakur
hasbeenaprominent symbol for gangsta rapmusic, enthusiasticallyfollowed by teenage fans
and longcriticized by adults for its explicitly violent andsexual images.Saturday's incident
underscored the
link betweensome rapstars~despite their celebritystatus --and the
dangerous milieuthat gave
rise
to their music. .
Oct 18 1996 08:47
AM
__
-..
,
.. !
Page
2
of
3
ShakurHurt in Drive-By Shooting
In the
weekend
shooting, Knightwas
driving
with Shakurin aconvoy of IO carsabout
a
quarter-mile
from
the
glittering casinostripwhena whiteCadillac
withfourpeople
inside
pulledupalongside
their
blackBMW anda passenger
openedre. Localmediareports
said
dozens of witnesses looked on in horror.
Policesaidtheyhadbegunan investigation
intotheshootingbuthad
no
suspects
yet.
"Drive-byshootings
arenotmilmownhere,buttheyusuallyoccurbetweenrival gang
memberswhosereasonsarefor retaliationfor othershootings,"
saidLasVegasPoliceLt.
MarcMaston."I can't
tellyouthemotivation
behind
this."
But he saidpolicewereoptimistictheywould nd theassailants.
"Thisparticularincident
apparently
hadseveral
witnesses.
If
theyarecredible,
with
goodinformation,
thisshould
be
solvable."
Spokesman
for DeathRow Records
couldnotbe reachedfor commentasto possiblemotives
fortheshooting.
Shakur
saidearlierthisyearthathebelieved
the
1994 robbery-shooting
was
a setup,fuelingspeculation
in thehip-hopindustrythatrivalrybetweenEastCoastandWest
Coastraplabelsmayhavetakena violentturn.
Shakurhimselfhashadmanyrun-inswith the law in recentyears.In June,thesingerfaceda
l20 daysentencefor probationviolationsstemmingfromoffensesincludingassaultand
batteryanda 1994sexualabuseconvictionin New York. He hadbeenallowedto remainfree
on$1.4 million bail -- paidby DeathRowRecords
-pendinghisappeal.
Shakurservedll monthsin prisonfor his involvement
in theattackon a 21-year-oldwoman
in a New York hotelroom.
He
hadbeenconvictedin LosAngelesof assaultandbatteryon a
musicvideoproducerandfor carrying
a
loaded,concealed
weapon,andwasscheduled
for
sentencing
thisweek
on
theweaponscharge.
Butin theworld of rap,Shakur's
convictions
seemed
onlyto enhance
hisstatus.
Hisfourth
soloalbum,"All Eyezon Me," a two-volume,27-trackrecordingfeaturingguestturnsby
fellowrappers_$_r3 oopAIQoggy
Dogg,
l§appin'
4;'l_"ay
and__Method
Man,debuted
earlier
thisyear
andhassoldmorethan
5
millioncopies.
Hisprevious
album, Me Against
theWorld, had
thedubious
distinction
of beingthe rstalbumtoreachNo.
1
whileitssingerwasin prison.
ShakuralsostarredoppositeJanetJackson
in the 1993movie"PoeticJustice"andhasbeen
workingon another lm, "Gridlock."
In interviews
earlierthisyear,Shakur
hadsaidhewastiredof livinguptohisoutlawimage,
onehe hadchronicledin a tattooonhischestthatpronounced
"ThugLife."
"l livedThugLife," he said."It wasstupid
.
. . it's
suicidal."
But therapperalsosaidthathe expectedhe woulddie violently.In July,Shakurtoldthe
Britishnewspaper
theObserver:
"It's
goingto happen.
All the[blackpeople]
whochange
the
worlddie in violence.Theydon't
getto die like regularways.{Expletives]
cometaketheir
lives."
Oct 18 1996
0g;47
AM
QQt
1
Shakur Hurt
in Drive-ByShooting Page
3of 3
@CAPTION: Tupac
Shakur inNew Yorkat
the MTV VideoMusic Awards,
three days
before the attack.
@CAPTION: Rapper
Tupac Shakur,
shown here
last week,
took fourbullets inthe headand
chest ina drive-byshooting Saturdaynight
in
Las Vegas.
©Copyright 1996The WashingtonPost Company
Back to the
tog
Oct 18 1996 08:47
AM
1
_3
~J
PageI of
4
TupacandtheFallontheRoadtoCalvary
Tupacand theFall on the
Road to Calvary
By JordanPelaez
The rsttimel entered
thegalleryin The
Prado where
Raphael's
TheFallontheRoadtoCalvaryca.15l 7! hangs,
I
simplystared
atthismonstrous
tenfoothigh,
eight
footwide
F 7
canvas,
and
letthe
tears
ow
forten
minutes.
If
the
friendI l
waswithhadn't
snapped
meoutofit, I might
stillbein
Madrid.
-
I
Raphael
painted
amob
scene,
teeming
withRoman
soldiers,
execution
spectators,
horses,
carts,
mourners,
and,
way
off
in
thedistance
at the endof theprocession,
Calvary,morea
77777
'
T77" 7
I
Al.-...
in WW
,,,.
parenting
mg.
1 n§
3=tu°92§LZ.*&
<te|_;u¢,
qgtttgt,
1,, Q
N
we¢92
moundthana hill, wheretwo crosses
havealreadybeen
erected.But at thepainting's
centerarejust two gures.Jesus,I ,
. fallenwith his left handon
a rockandhisrightstill tryingto
f
support
themassive
weightof thecross,
looksbackoverhis
1
le shoulder.Therestandsa groupof ve women-- rstand 7'
foremostamongthem,Mary, hismother.Mary holdsherhandoutstretched,
willing evennow
todoanything
shecanto saveherchild.Herlookpersoni es
despair
andalienation.
Thelook
in Jesus's
eyesbespeak
compassion
for thetrialof hismother;evenin thiscrisis,he seems
like he's
tryingto consoleher.
I knewthoselookswell. They werethelooks,I thoughtthat rst time,thatpassedbetween
my wife andmy daughter
as
thelatterlay dyingof cancer.But furtherviewingsbroughtme to
a differentunderstanding.
My ownfaceonceboreoneof thoselooks,andso doesthe faceof
everymother,andeverychild,whofacesan untimelydeath.
SowhenI gotthenewsthatTupacShakurhaddiedof his drive-bywounds,I thought
instantlyof hismother.Giventhelife of distress
that
Tupac
andhismotherlived,how
many
timeshadtheysharedsuchglances,heldthem,broken
them
off only because
thepainof
sustaining
suchmomentsof intensityis nally too muchfor anyheartto bear?
The otherdayon theAOL discussion
groupTheVelvetRope,somefool mockedtheidea
thatTupaccouldbe compared
in anyway to JohnLennon.But TupacandLennonandElvis
at leasthadthis in common:The rst, perhapsgreatest,
loveof theirlife wastheirmother.
And thisis no smallthing,because
all of themmadesomeof theirmostimportantmusic
becauseof it: Lennon's
"Julia,"theearlyElvisballadsthatareclearlydirectedat hismom
catchtheendof hissecond lm, LovingYou!, andTupads"DearMama."
Oct
18
1996 08:48
AM
OO
s Cl
Tupac
and
the Fallon theRoad toCalvary Page
Of course,thafs not the
only
could bemadebetween
Tupac
2 of 4
comparison, oreven necessarily
the mostimportant onethat
and thegreat rockrebels.Fools
are
reluctant toadmit Tupac
to
full equality in this matter, because
that would mean admittingother things.For instance,that
Tupac equaled
the greats
in theemotional intensity
and rhythmic
power ofhis records.
Or
that themajority ofTupac s songs
were uplifting,positive, respectful
of women,and
concerned with
encouraging
young
black
men notto commitcrime,whichhe
generally
portrayed as
afoolish and uglything evenwhen it's
seductive or
unavoidable. would
It
require admitting
that Tupac
was sent
to prisonfor acrimethat
white rock starshave
committed, andcontinueto
commit, with absoluteimpunity. It would
require
acknowledging
that although
Tupacdid
once shoot twomen, itwas inself-defense; they
were off-duty
Georgia cops
who haddrawn down
on himin theafter-midnight streets
of Atlanta.It would
require recognizingthat Tupacis not the onlyrock starwith unsavoryassociates.
But refusingto allow Tupac
to
enter thelists of rock's greats
fallen isthe leastof the sins
fools makewhen talkingabout them.These fools,who includejust aboutevery writer I've
read onthe subject,spend alltheir time avoiding asimple truth:Tupac wasnot amurderer;
he gotmurdered. Hewasnot the criminal thistime; hewas thevictim of a shooting.But of
course, ifyou tell the storythat way,you can tcome outand say,as themedia from
Newsweek to
The VillageVoice have
done, that
this thuggish
young nigger
got what's
comingto
him.
_
On thatbasis, sodid Jesus,who preferredthe companyof whores,thieves, taxcheats from
the governmentend!, andother miscreants.
Not that Tupac wasanything like Jesus. Butthose
Bible storiesexist to
try to teachus notabout Jesus
so muchas aboutforgiveness and
compassion. What
cases like
Tupac'sover
prove,
andover again,
is thatwe livein atime and
aplace where theconcept offorgiveness does
not exist.Our societyisn't
about
forgiveness,
it's about
vengeance--which, it's
tempting tosay, isone reasonit turns out somuch artlike
Tupac's,
soand
little like Raphael's.
iZ
in i
ii
But that wouldn't
a terribly
be accurate thingto say,
either. Inthe rst place, Raphael's
society isour
society--the hideous
American cultural
landscape of
today
l produced
i brought
people,
l and
grew straight
up out
of theculture that
the Renaissance,and the colonialism that
Tupac's ancestors
and myown to America.
And while it may be truethat Raphael's
world
valued harmonyand orderfar morethan ours,that's
mostly trueof its artistic productions--formost
who hadno accessto art at all, the
Renaissance world
was amiserably impoverished
dangerous place
to
dwell.
Itmay be true,as JohnBerger putsit in his newbook, Titian:Nymph andShepherd Prestel,
$24.50!, that
"our century[is]...always searching
for rageand wisdom,
rather than
harmony."
But it is not the declineof belief in God or theholy RomanCatholic churchor the clinical
application of
the artisticvalues ofthe Renaissance
that hasmade itso.Itis rather the
way
we haveallowed theother side-~the
colonizing, predatory,"nature redin tooth
and
Oct l8
1996 08:48
claw"
AM
00
wT!
Tupac and
3 qf4
side--to dominate.In the society thatworships notGod orJesus butthe freemarket,
competition and"the sanctityof the contract," compassion
and forgivenesshave beenerased.
When was
the lasttime youoffered acold cupof waterto thesick orvisited theimprisoned?
But no artist is
bound entirely by the prejudicesof his time. Greatartists transcendour
everyday pettiness.
There isno excusefor the Tupac lyricsthat demeanother
people,
and in
portraying violencewith so much explicitnessthat it became forsome sadsouls allegedly
attractive, heplayed
a
dangerous game.
Great art,we havebeen reassured,
escapes the
small-minded bigotryof its time. Maybenot always.If we looked atThe Fall on the Road to
Calvary theway theart of Tupac andother rapperformers isusually seen,Jesus andMary
would not be thecentral gures. For standingjust aboveJesus inthe picture,closer toits
center andwith a more directlyactive rolein theproceedings, isalarge muscular man.His
head isturned tothe right,whereamountedRoman of cerwavespapers
at
him; thisis
surely Simonthe Cyrene,the manwho accordingto the gospels wasordered tohelp Jesus
carry thecross afterhe stumbled.Simon isrepresented here,
however, inanother
umnistakable way:Raphael drewthis LibyanJew, aloneamong thecompany, withahuge
hooked nose,which in
his time wasaway of saying "Hymietown." Judgedthe wayour
society judgesrap--by caricature,not context -TheFall on the Roadto Calvary is antisernitic.
According to Luke 3:28-31!, the womenlooking
on weptwhenJesus
stumbled,
and hefound the I
energy tospeak tothem. "Daughters
of Jerusalem,"1
Luke hashim say, "weep notfor me,but weepfor
yourselves, andfor your children. Forbehold the
days arecoming in the which they shallsay,
l
Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never .
bare, andthe papswhich nevergave suck.Then
shall theybegin to say tothe mountains,Fall onus ;
and tothe hills, Cover us."'
,
If I do not
quite believe
that we
have reached
thosei
days,Tupac
is
one ofthe reasons.
With allmy heart,I wishthat hehad hadthe timeto grow
in wisdom and maturity;that hecould
have
continued to
fall. But
avoided thelethal situationsinto which he
I have seen his video for
l Ain't
Mad At Cha" and I know that he had
come muchfurther alongthe paththan thosewho treathim asif he were themurderer.
That videohas mostlybeen described
in termsof its sensational opening
moments, inwhich
T upacis shot in the chest anddies, "justlike in reality"; and inevitably, in terms of the dead
musical celebrities
that
Tupac
then encounters
in heaven.
But thosedetails have
nothing todo
with what the videois about,nor is itsurprising that folks would rathertalk aboutanything
else,
including
trivia. Becausethe truetopic
of
"I Ain't
Mad At Cha" isprecisely compassion
and forgiveness.
In thevideo, Tupac
forgives everyone-~the
brothers known
and unknown
who couldnot stay
the course,
his partners
in ThugLife, themother about
whom hismusic oftenexpressed such
deep
but
con icted emotion
but whostayed beside
him thatlook undoubtedly
upon herface!
that longweek inthe hospital,
those who
condemned him
from thestart andalong
the
way.
Oct 18
i996
08:48 AM
92
.. ,
f
!
Tupac and
4 of4
He alsoprays forother ghetto
youth tohaveabetter chance--and
ahappier result. Thevideo's
nal images tell the true story.The friendwho waswith Tupacwhen hewas shotdresses up,
visits hisfriend'sthen
grave,
goes
home, where
he
hugs mother, wifeand babygirl. Fadeto a
black screen,on which iswritten: Dedicated toMutula Shakurand GeronimoPratt. Tupac's
fathers. Inthe end,the sonforgives hisfathers, whichis ascloseas Icould imagine anyone
coming in this life to reachingakind of emotionalmaturity.
Wewill
not be permitted
to knowwhat kindof grownman ormature artist
Tupac Shakur
might have
become. Those
who donot thinkthis isatragedy,or believethat whathe had
done tohim isonly whathe haddone toothers, miss
the pointfar, farmore than
those ofus
who, all along, forgavehim
his
© CopyrightI996.
The
Oct 18 1996 08:48
sins because
of his talent
Unofficial Death
Row HQ.All RightsReserved
AM
0
Q
t'3
,
2pac Pages
Newzletter Edition
2 Volume1Page
*
4
1 of2
2p acNewz ~Hs~..a'".s
wEmmQL_B
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*"
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Tupac Shakur has lined
up
his next acting gig.
The
rapper will co-star
opposite Tim Roth in the dark comedy "Gridlock." Actor
Vondie
Curtis
Hall wrote the script and will direct. The movie is
about two druggies who
want to go straight, but can't
get into any rehab centers. They are framed
for the murder of adrug dealer andthen thepolice comeafter them aswell
as the real murderers. Tupac has also completed the script for an up
coming movie called "Live to Tell", he will also be staring in this one.
Back in April Zpac was sentencedto 120 days for violating his parole, he
was to start serving this
sentence
on June 7/96
but
the judge granted him
an
extention until Tupac has nished production on an upcoming movie.
Tupac isappealing this sentence, and the word right now is that
he
should
win. Zpac will you please stayout of jail!!!
Last Month
2pac
appeared in court to face Illegal weapon charges and
instead of the Judge giving Tupac jail
time,
he ordered Zpac to put on a
benefit concert
in Californiafor underprivillaged youths.
As
I
had
stated
last
month
in
Q
Zpac
Pages
N
ewzletteglpac
has
nished
making two videos, "2 of Americaz ost an e , and How Do UWant
I
It". Well, 2pac is also making avideo for his new track called "Hit Em
Up", which is not avaliable on
his new album So, y'all
be on
the lookout for
that.
NEW ALBUM, Zpac will be releasing anew album. The material on this
newalbum
will
be similarto "Me Against theWorld". A release date
has
not been set yet.
Within the month, there
will
be anOf cial 2pac Homepage comingup on
the net,I will post theaddress assoon
as
Irecieve it.On the
Of cial
2pac
Homepage youwill be able topurchase thosehard tond singles andother
merchandise, aswell askept upto datewith 2pac's
future projects.
Oct 18 1996 08:48
AM
.-'-92
.
! _i
I
Zpac Pages
Newzle er Edition2 Volume1*_
___,.. ....,_
.92_
'
Page 2of 2
'~
ThisPage
is Webmastered b'{Gurjeet
Litt yu108654@gorku.ca
"--~.._ _
Oct 181996
08:48
,-
AM
v
I
I
i '
5!
Zpac Pages
Newzletter Edition
2 Volmne1 Page
1of 2
The New 2pac Track
c
There
was
someconcern
from
some ofyou that I was being
hypocritical
because I praised the 2Pac record that
attacks
bad boy while at the same
time
I've been advocating peace...I wanted to clarify acouple of points...
First and foremost..I'm de nitely
forpeace.. If there is anyway Ican help
facilitate that.. Iwould and will do that.. One of the things Iwould most
likely not do is play the song on my radio show without abriefcommentary
before and after.... What I rst thought about hit u up wasits ferocity.. It
was astraight up dis song... and in the context of
throwingdown
and being
com petetive on wax..I likeed it on that
level..
Up untilnow people have been
beating around the bush.by using fancy metaphorsand similes and
saying
something but not saying nothing..ie LALA.. The 2Pac song reminded me
0LTim.. .. and
my rst thoughts werewillTim Dog come back
I
with aresp0nse...after Iprinted the message..Iremembered that he did..but
it was weak... So really I guess
I
just liked thedirectness of the song and
considering whatwas said
some
of the remarkswerein
line... ie Mobb Deep _
aweek after 2Pachad beenshot weredown inwashingtonn<: 6ii'si'ga" ""&#39
making jokes about it.. They kept saying theyknew who shot Pac...So they
got stepped too...Because ifit's
Biggie/Zpac
a
thing..why is
Mobb Deep
enetring the arena..? Chino..who Ilike alot, alsospoke.. In one of hisrhymes
he spoke about getting bent over in jail like2Pac.. There was arumor going
around that said he got pumped in
jail..Again why jump in?..So Pac called
them outon record..Now atthis juncturein
the game one
of
two things will
happen..either this
dissing onwax
will continue..orfools willsit downand
talk and work itall out..orthey ll do like Luke and Dre did make dis
records so
they all make money.. Iwill admit..Pac went abit too far by
talking about Biggie's wife..But
as astraight up dis record which we have
always had in hip hop..I found the song funny... Ithink at
this point in
time.. the
wars will
cease..... and
soon
viewed the way we look at
Me
if folks
recall there
Crew back
these records
will retire
and be
Shan and KRS-One...old battle records.. And
was an awful lot
of tension
between BDP
and the
Juice
then..
Davey D
M1,, n~n3'onMA'r10192I
UONTAINED
http://www.daveyd.com
15
HEREIN
DATE92
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on
18 1996 Qusou,
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ZpacPages
Newzletter
Edition
Q
2 Volume1
Page2of 2
What are your comments,do you think Zpac
is
justi
in
ed making this
track? And for all
of y'all
that
have
heard
this
track Hit Em Up", What
do you think? Is
it on point?
This Page
is
Webmastered
by GurjeetLitt yu108654@,yorku.ca
QC!
I8
1996 08:49
AM
.~v
to
Eazy-E "The
Hip-Hop Thugster"
Page 1of 2
SunriseZ963 '
Sunset1995
____
I IIII
II
This page
is dedicated
in
thememoYy'<¬Ei'ie
Wright R.I.P!
! "Eazy-E"
* I~
II
II
II
I II
I II
II
I<;I' __i
1" II_I_I_*:
i II
I
Eric "Eazy-E"Wright gotthe wholeU.S.A plusthe restof theworld towake upwhen it
came
to
the
blacks in
situration
the
American
in comunity
the
middle
theof
Under
80's.
T
his alias,Eazy-E, hestartedarecord comapny, -Ruthless
Records-, withhelp of moneythat
he hadcollected asa smallthief anddrug-dealer, andcreated thegangsta-rap,apart of hip
hop thathad millionsof headlines worldwide. 31years old,he died,only 2months after that
he fund out that he
had
AIDS.
He wasborn in Comptonin
a middle-class familyin 1963,he losthis
grip
in the teenages and
became
acriminal, the lifeasasmall gangsta didn't
have theplans forthe futurethat Eazy-E
were dreaming
i-of,-_~so-after "cemtéatea
the schoo-l,~
he
started in themusic buisnes.
Together wiih__I_'c"e-Cube,
Dr.Dre,
MC
Ren and D_J
Yella, 1986
he puttcd
togetherof
the
one
most controversial rap~group
ever, N.W.ANiggaz With
Attitudes!. When
their "Boyz
n the
Hood" startedto conquerthe lists in USA, they puttedCompton andLos Angeleson
the
rap-map. Withfat basesand heavyfunk, Boyz n'
Hood
the soonbecame thenational-song of
hip hop.Everybody that
were livingin theso calledprojects" suddenly
had something
that
was their,a songwith lyrics that showedthe hardreallity that got -the"white America" to
tripp.
That wasjust the begining. WithN.W.A, RuhtlessRecords gotadream start and1989 the
album Straight outta Compton, that wasareal classic wereout. Thefans selebrated.
With
soungs like
Fuck thePolice andGangsta, Gangsta
made the
FBI andthe LAPDto shake
teeth andthe politicansstarted toshow interestsin hip hop butnot in apositive way. The
gangsta rapalso splittedinto two camps betwenthose whothought N.W.Ajust descrined
things asthey wereand thosewho thoughtthat hip-hophad aresponsibilty totake andno
encurige andglorify that violence thatwas aboutto stranglethe Latin Americans andthe
black people.
In the middle of that
Eazy
be followedby Dr.Dre
that
saw howhis life work wasfailing apart.
Ice-Cube
left first, then to
started Deth_ I§g!y _Records
together with
Suge Knight,
with
artists like
Snoop
DoggyDoggp
Tha
Dogg
Poundtatttong others.was
It hard
for Eazy-E
when Dr. Dre left Ruthless Recdrdsr--Dr:"Dr e were the inventor of
the West Coast sound and
Eazy, that
actually didn't
do
so muchon
the records suddenly
becameasecond-part- gureon
the rap-stage.
Plus that
the oldmembers sue
each other,
and ifthat wasn't
enough, they
came
out with solo albumswere theydidn'tfor
back
anythingjust to diss eachother,Eazy-E eaven
publicat pictures
of Dr. Dre ineye-liner and
lipstickon
his second solo
album, It's
on
Dr.Dre! 187 um Killa 1993. Eavendogh it wasn'tEazy-E
easy, continiudeon his way,
hard-headed he
stuck tohis visionsand hisgangsta mentality.
His recordswasn't sellin'
as
Au. nt't~ c:-it/mrtoit
CO N'1 AJ1l'ED
Oct 18
1996 HEREIN
1'3 UKCLASSIF
gag - Qt! 03349
°929292ot'2.
°"1L
mTE
3
<>.92~.> ianew
.§ £§?? .
AM
'
.2 er
iv
Eazy-E "The
Hip-Hop Thugster"
Page2of 2
good anymore,
but 1994,he gotinto contact
with thegroup Bone
Thugs n'
Harmony" from
Cleveland. Eazy-E
had nose
for talents,and Ruhthless
onceagain
had
a groupthat
could sell
millions of
records.
Just then,fate strokewith all it's power.
Eazy-E's
buring
self lifestyledemanded it's
tribute. A
cold showed
up tobe ain amation ofthe lungs,may seems
like apiece of cake,but notin
this case.AIDS the doctors con rmedand twomonths laterhe wasdead. A er ll523 days
on theearth, EricWright died the 26thMars 1995,in ahospital bed, withonly his family at
his side.The gangsta
pionee Eazy-E
didn't became
no victimof abullet, it wasAIDS,amuch
bigger threat
to thehumanity than
the gangstas.
R.I.Pi PERSONS
HAS SHOWED
THAT ARN'T
YOU
FOROG
This pagemight be good, butit ain't
the official, so checkOut TheReal OneOut!
Some Lyrics
,
Just TahLet Ya know Str8 off tha streetz ofmuthaphul-akin Compton!
Wut would U do
off
Str8
tha streetz
of
muthaphukkin' Compton!
Exxtra specialthankz Itson Dr.Dre!
l87um killa! 4 tha E video verision! Yella -One moe nigga
to
go!
Phat Link
l.
Egy-E Homepage
Ea_zy-E Memorial Page
Ruthless Records
Official
Site
Of cial Eazy-E Homepage
Bone
Thugs
n' Harmony
Dead
Celebrities
_
Dead CelebritiesEazy-E pagg
Another Eazy-Epage
Kxayzids Homepage
Send
your
comments tonils.hagmark@mailbox.swipnet.se
[ OtherUsers|E]
This serviceis providedby Concept
Systemdesign AB
The materialon thispage are
the responsibility
of its author, notConcept Systemdesign
AB.
Oct 18 1996 ;49
AM
Q!
DEAD CELEBRITIES:
EAZY-E ERICWRIGHT! Page
1 of 1
We-E
_
Eric Wright!
1963-1995
.
Eric Wrightwas bomin Compton,California toamiddle-classfamily in
1963. As ateenager,
much
for hope
the
Ericschool
nis::i
in became
1986
andasteamed
he
Eazy-E
w
Eric hadtrouble with the law, but hefound thatlife as a small-timegangsta didn't
give him
Ice-Cube, Dre,.MC
Dr.
Remand
J
Yel orming one of
the most
controversialgroups
rap
in history,
N. WA.
ND?!/.:»t;'put
on the
gang
map with
their hit
album Boyz
n the
Hood,
and gaveLos Angeles/Comptonrap credibility in therap scene.
Eazy-E's Ruthless
Records, started
with moneyhe collectedas asmall-time thiefand drug
dealer, foundits rst hit with Boyz n the Hood,but thatwas justthe beginning.Straight
Outta Comptonwas RuthlessRecords nextrelease, andit provedas biga hit as Boyzand just
as controversial.Songs likeFuck thePolice andGangsta, Gangsta
rubbed policeand
politicians the
wrong wayand gave
rap abad name
in
non-rap circles. Thisonly proveda
challenge toEazy, whothought thathip-hop hada responsibilityto shedlight
on
that Latin and African Americans wereliving with every day.
At this time, N.
W./1. started tofall apart.Ice-Cube wasthe
rst
the violence
to leave,planning a
solo-career, and
Dr.
Dre wasn't
far behind. Dre went
on
to start Death Row Records, and the
animosity between Eazy s RuthlessRecords and D_re's Row
Deathhad begun. Lawsuits
between N.
W.A.'s members
and publicbattles between
the nowestranged rappers
made more
headlines thenthe artiststhemselves. Eazy-E's
second soloalbum It's
on Dr. Dre! ]87um
Killa, releasedin 1993, was adirect attack onDr. Dre and thepublic lost interest asthe
original vision of Eazy swork waslost.
Eazy gotback ontrack when,in 1994,Ruthless Records
signed Cleveland
rapyartists Bone
Thugs n Harmony. AsEazy wasclimbing backonto hisfeet,
he
was diagnosedwith the
AIDS virus. Two monthslater, onMarch 26, 1995, EricWright, betterknown asEazy-E, was
dead.
Eazy-E biography
edited from
the Eazy-E:
The Hip-Hop
Thugster page.
With specialthanks toNils Hagmark
Dead Celebritieslogo, designand layout© 1996,Christopher M.Bowley.
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Oct 18 1996 08:49
AM
0,
..o
2pac
Pages
Newzletter
Edition
2
Volume
1
Fresh
Page
1
of 3
Out Of Jail
StreetHeatrepresentatives
metup
with TupacShakurin LasVegasduringNovember
1995.Pacandtha
Dogg Poundperformed
aftertheHoly
ght eld-Bowe at Club
662.
Everybody
wasthere...incIuding
,Rappin'
4-Tay,ThaAlkaholiks,
Pepa,
andtheposse
down
with
Pac andthaDoggPound.
Onthedayof the
show we caught
upwithPacandkickedit
for awhile.
'
Wewerein theback
of
the
club in ownerSugeKnight's
of ce.Suge,youmay
know, is the
owner ofDeathRowRecords.
SugeandDeathRownowhandle
Pac'scareer
andPacspent
themonth
of
Novemberin thestudiorunninthroughthe nal touches
of
hisdoublealbum.
So,Pac, a lot
of
peoplewant to know,
since
isthatwhy
you
leftInterscope?
'
Death Row Recordsput up
your
bail money,
"It didn't
havenothingto
do with themoney,"saidPac."It hadnothingto do withthebail.
I
wasalready,
um,
I
hollered
at Sugebeforethebailsituation
when
Iwas stillanimnatein the
correctional
facilityand
I
waslookingat like servingthreeyears,
I
calledSugeandsaid, Iyo,
wantto be
with theRow.
I
want
you
to manageme because
I'm
in jail--andno one
is
handlingmy bizniz
while
I'm
injail, nobody's
puttingit downlike I wantto putit down. I
knewhe's
a
manthat
would
putthingsdown.
I
trusthim, hisword,you
know,
um.
I
really
couldn't
trustnobody
in bizniznomore,soI c osehim youknow?" ALLINFORMATION
CONTAINED
°929292°921§<%ou»9292u=92l
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Wasn't
it during the time that Interscopewasrumored to be leavingWarners and all
that?
"Yeah,thatwasanotherfactor,"repliedTupac."Because
I waslike,
'Dang,
theydon't
care
aboutus. I mean,
it's not Interscope's
fault,buttheyreallydon't
oweus anythingandat any
minutewe
could be you
know,
alonewithouta contracta er youputall yourhearton the
line,yourmusicontheline,youwentoutthereand
gave
all yourtalent
up
andall
of
sudden,it's
not goodenoughanymoreandthey'll
kick
you
off.
So
I waslike,
by
a
goingto
DeathRow,it's
like
two superpowers
joiningup.Youknow,it wouldbesimilar
to
theUS
andEnglandteaminup againstanybody,youknowwhatI mean?So
I felt it waslikejoining
twosuperpowers.
And
if
rapmusicwasgoingtohaveto ghtforitsrighttobeuncensored,
thenthiswastheteamfor meto geton,to wagethatbattle."
Did jail changeyour perspectiveon the world?
"Yeah...Doingelevenmonths
of
maximumsecuritypenitentiary
time for a crimeyoudidn't
Oct l8 I996
08:49
AM
2pac Pages
Newzletter Edition
2 Volume1Page
2 of
3
commit would definitely makeyou a little bitter," said Tupac."But I'm
trying not to be bitter.
I'm to
trying
letthat bemy ambition.Now I mvery ambitious.
This yearwill markanew
ground forTupae where
I'm relentless.
There's
boundaries.
no
I'm
not lookingat no
stop
signs. I'm
going fullspeed ahead.
I'm planning
on touching
everything with
my nameon it,
and there's
a lot of stuff
with
my nameon it, so I'm
out there.S0 I got with the Row,
that's
move numberone, I wrote a movie, that's
move numbertwo. Did the doublealbum -- 1at's
never
been
four.
And
done before -- that's
move
number
three. Got the divorce,
that's
now it's
just aboutstanding by
my grind,
stay
Tupac has often said that
the
move number
up onmy music,stay outof
trouble."
media have misrepresented him.What is the real Tupac
Shakur like?
"I-Ie's
human
a being
with all sides," replied
Pac. "Multi~faceted,
ups anddowns. Goods
and
bads. Mistakes.Everything, youknow. All they wantto show
is
one
side,
which is distorted.
That's
distorted
a view.
S0
what Isaid was true.Ifthey would showthe good
things
and the
bad things,I would have nocomplaints, andit would even makethem look better. Whenyou
'show
just medoing
all
this badstuff,
then
people gonnajust startthinking like wait aminute,
this
dude can't
doing
be all this badstuff. I mean,
come
on.
They don't nothing
show else.
S0
it's really
helpin'
cause
me, it's
making it look one-sidedand untrue.But the thing that bothers
me isthat it's
just notacross the
board. They
do thisto rappers
oryotmg
black
males --inner
city people.You know, they dothat to us butthey don't
do thatfor everybodyelse. Butthat
bothers me,but
I'm
not gonna
harp
on everythingthat's unfair,
causelife
is
unfair. Nobody
said it's
gonna
be
easyor
fair. I'm
even
notgonna
trip
off it.
I'm
just gonnapush forward.
WhenIstop, I stop. When thewheels fall off,
the wheelsfall off.
But
until then I'm
gonna
put
the foot
to
the metal."
t
<
t
Tupac has already starred in a number of
movies including "Above the Rim" and
"Poetic Justice." So weasked what his future acting projects are.
"I just wrote amovie called"Live To Tell." We talking aboutdoingamovie now,
me
and
Snoop, thatPooh isworking on, and everythingelse isbefore me.I haven't
even started
looking into that, butit's going
down."
I
P
Tupac talked about his upcoming double album, the rst by ahip-hop star.
"The lastalbum wasone sideof
Tupac," he said."And it's
the otherside, youknow what I
mean?Idid what Ihad to do
with "Me Against the World" as faras lettin'
people knowthat
rappers thinkand wefeel andwe care.I did
that. Now it's
time for
me to just get into the
music. Thisalbum ismore like about unrestricted.I'm
rying
not to
tell amessage. I'm just
getting alot of
frustrations out from being injail for elevenmonths. Andjust speaking my
mind, talking about thingsthat I seeand
just
groovin', having
fun. They like
more
upbeat
tracks thanthis. My last albumwas kinda
sad
and down.This oneis like way high. There's
Oct 18 1996 08:49
AM
J
_P
sq P
P
Zpac Pages
Newzletter Edition
2 VolumeIPage
1
3 of 3
only two slow songson there."
Street
Heat
gives props
George Pryce
and Greg
Howard ofDeath Row
Records for
getting us
with Tupac.
Street Heat
Homepage
This
Page
is Webmastered
by
Gurjeet
Oct 18 1996
08;49
Litt
yul08654@yorku.ca
AM
-
>.-
t!
~92
l
ap star TupacShakuris gunneddownagain thistime in LasVegas
v
1
I
i
i
I
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92
Though
Shaluir
renounced
the 1hu¢li!e"
In 1995.violence
caught
up
withtherlooer
andproducer
linlghlabove
left. inLasVegas
lasthnttlrylneartheVega!Strip right!.
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0 ONECANsawTHATTUPAC
RowRecords
label,stopped
for alight
~. -~.:s;=" é ~-5- *» I"'§~ift".°
3
Shakurhasn't
experienced
neartheStrip
while
riding
in
Knight's
yq;
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white
rsthandthegangsta
life he
t*L~_.,.'_
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1. ." -'lif-'1>;;'Q
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rapsabout.
Two
yearsago,
Cadillac pulled
up alongside
them.and
-.~i¢¢?,;§r.¢--'--W
=n?a'.
x-»=a*~ <i{ Yr.
whileawaitingtheverdictandhis
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~. ~~
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someone
unleashed
ahail oi bullets
3
-w ,. asyT*=~.;~,-.55;
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eventualimprisonment
on
rape
intothepassenger
sideof Knight's
car ;,~:.*.;.¢,/we
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charges.
he wasbeaten,robbedand
beforespeeding
away.
' ,.f "*"*
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1:.. knit?shot vetimesoutsidea Manhattan
The31-year-old
recordexecutive
,_~¢ar;.'-.
._ ',_
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;, $"?'l"
-w_-:7
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;_t&#
recording
studio.Shaker.now25. sur- suffered
only
minorinjuries.but
. ...-.-,.
.'
- -_.-.
1",."
..e;-"$11,435;
-.-'--,
kn , »-.0-I ms
-. , _'
.~,
vivedtheattack andevenbragged
Shakurwasseverelywounded
in his
-:?»i;'3-iii-.92*¢i
-it"'1
.P'
_./,_
aboutit on hislatestalbum.thisyear's
chest.pelvisandhands.He wastaken
All Eye:anMe " ve shotsandthey
At midweekhe remained
in
critical
to LasVegassUniversityMedical
stillcouldn't
kill
me"!.Lastweekin
Center,
where
doctorsperformed
condition.
andhisprognosis
was
LasVegas.after heattended
a Mike
guarded.Buttherewasno doubtabout
threeemergency
surgeries
to repair
Tyson ght.dangercamecallingagain. internalinjuriesandto removehis
the supportthe singer,whoseAll Eye:
At 11:15pm. on Sept.7. Shakurand
rightlung.Four
days
later.Shakurwas hassoldmorethan5 millioncopies,
wasreceivingfromotherblack
still bleedinginternallyasdoctors
Marion Suge"pronounced
Shoog!
Knight,theheadof Shakur's
Death
searched
franticallyfor thesource.
celebrities.
hisfamily
and
friends.In
V
wt iz rzetiirlzae
ma/asPEOPLE
T5
ALLn_,_.,._,.,.,,_,_,____
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9!!/AN
>llSU!lIl
L >ra
an
image he has
to
keep up
to sell
records." H78
a
friend lhouf
Shaina": gangsta
pose. But
at the
Sept.4MTV
Awards, Shaltur
Milli, Iilb $0000
DOES! Doggl
MIT !
came tohlmn with
fellow reaper
Nos.
YThislrllldylull hmbmr
heart,
up nlnle inducer Brad
llrevoyol Shaltur
Ion Satvrday lgblliuln
Fdruaryl.
YHis not the
bad person
everyone thllh he la,"
says ex-wile
Keisha Mania,
who
stood byShaltur as
he recovered
tron:
a 1994
shooting
lbolmv.
NewIn
l rm
tive isreputed to
have ties
to the
Bloods street
gang.
For Shakur,
who once
studied the-
Clul.
artist manager
Joan Hyler,
stresses
that
the singer was
not toblame for
the
ater atthe BaltimoreSchool forthe
Arts
and drew praise
for his
sensitivity
and social
consciousness,
shooting
the
shooting. Just
because he's
had prob- comes at
atime when he
is free
on $1.4
lems inthe past,
is
it fair to condemn
million bailposted
by
Knight!, while
him?" Hyler
asks. "He's
extremytal- appealing his
rape conviction
and makented and
bright.Ijust ho
ndis- ingaconcerted
effort to
keep
two catance himself
from
his
." Shakur's
reers ontrack. Shakur,
who starredin
ex-wife Keisha
Mor '
,with whom he
l992's]uice
withand
Janet
Jackson in
remainsongrms,
says, He's
an
I993 s Hxticjuslirc,
recently returned
entertainer ta gangster. As
aperto making
movies. His
latest, Gridlock,
son. Tu is verymisunderstood."
adark comedy costarring
Pulp Fic!|'on's
in fa tthe shooting itself
seems
Tim Roth,
is due
outin
February.
And
equally dif cult
to fathom.
LasVegas just the
week before
he was
shot.
Shakur wrapped
Gang Related.
in which
complained they
that were
receiving he plays
acorruptcop.
He wasagreat
little cooperation
from anyone
in
spirit on
the set,
positive uplifting,"
and
Shakur's
camp,
even though there says Gang
producer Brad
Krevoy.
police. who
say they
haveno
leads.
were about
10 cars
full ofbodyguards Considering what
you heard
about
and friends
with Knight.'l"hey're
him, that
was allin hispast."
telling us
they didn't
see anything
and
What effect
the shooting
might
don't
know anything," Las
saysVegashave
on
Shakur's
asaperfuture
Metropolitan Police
Sgt. Kevin
Manformer
remains
to
be
seen.
The
quesning.
He
adds that
police have
conclud-
tion last
week was.
Would he
survive?
ed theshootings are
not related
to a
While he
continues battle
to
forhis
additionhis
to mother.
Afeni Shakur,
a shouting match
Shakur got
into with life, those
close to
therapper
remain
founding member
of theBlack Pan- an unidenti man
ed during
the Tyson hopeful they
as keep
up their
vigil.
thers, the
unconscious Shakur
was vis- ght. Theashy-dressing, 315-lb.
My prayers
are with
him," says
exitedby
the Rev. Jesse
Jackson, rapperKnight. who
reportedly boasted
that
wife Morris.
"He s survivor,
a
and
l
Hammer and
actress Jasmine
Guy. whorivals had
contracts out
on hislife,
was
knowhewill
pull through."
would say
only thatTupac's
is family
still dodging
police days
after theincigrateful for
the public's
support." No dent. Although
his
company
has
one elseclose toShakur wouldcomment on
the shooting,
but one
friend,
76 5123195
People
amassedafortune estimated atover
$100 million,
the Compton.
Calif., na-
1c.92|.92'|X
Btlitilt
- |t.92m;r
s|t.92||.sronu
LasinVegas.
rm! ;l'.92.92
in
Los Angeles
r.Fl-'
and
llllll0l92'lI
in sr92l:||i'n92
MawYork Cily
»
C.
o
T upac sdeath: Agangsta omen?
By BniceHaring
USA TODAY
lClan. $885
the rap
; waochword
ddistributori. most
ly
traded.
They will censor ttle
more
from album artwork to whatever
they saylyrically justto avoid
pressure fromthe outside,he says.
But ultimately.the ue is nolikely everto
vanish completely.
I honatty wish that
it
would
Arecord from slainrapper Illpac
Shaltur, The
Don Kilitmtimti The
7-Day Theory,Bout today, butrecord executlves.managers andart-
ism,say theganpta rap style be
helped popularueIS no longer the
force thatit oncewas
The majorplayersin
the teud that
has dividedthe gngsta rap world
vy says
m
hoping maybe
formostotthapm year Ma|-ion
people
will
think twice
about
the
"Suge" Knight.headoi
Shakurs re
types oflyric: that they're choosing
cord company.Death Row.and Bad
to usenow. Butto anyit's
going
to
Boy Entertainment head Sean
change, especially overnight. l
Combs
-- were
already
expandingtheir
artsilc
scope belore
Ch ty.
mnmger or
Sbakur diedoi gunshotwounds SepiCoolJand head otviolatorRecords.
I3.
seeking new horizons beyond
admits corporate
doors
may
be elmgritty talesor urban
mayhem
lng, ll only tonewcomers.
But an industry thathas already
"lthinkltwillmakeltharderlt
made millionsfrom page rap isn t
you're
new-up-and-coming
the
gangexactly racingaway from the style.
sta rap label and you're "Vim
to
with hugesale still expected from
break in
the door rightnow, you're
the 2Paealbum and an upcoming
going tomeet resistance."
one fromSnoop Doggy
Dog
Rusell Simmons.
whose DelJam
l think
the
record companythat
Reconb is one of rap s leadingla2Pac's
isprobably
on
eatingitup bebels. says no one should expect
cause now
he's probably
even selling
much change
because of
Shakur.
more recorth. says rocker lairrle
Jlml Hendrixdied oian 0.D.Did
B. of Manhole,aformer rapper lor
the rock n rollworld forgetits pre
Eazy-E's Rutnles
Recortht "lt's
a
occupation withdnig? Simmora
sad thingto say.But its like when 1
asks. Reallite inspire art. it reKurt Cobaindied."
ny. his
death wil
have on
the tunua
oi tfartgsntrati lleets the
reality thatpeople! live.
Knight hassaid littleabout Death
Row's future
in
the wake of tlte Shakur
Knight. whowas withSbakur whenhe spitittnckoutthroughtheirrn cor
slaying. ADeath Rowspokesman declinedwas shot.is currentlyunder arrst tor pa- painting orplays orpoetry."
requests tor interviews. as did Death role violations The 3i-year-oldhas been
Chuck D oi Public Enemy saysllany
Row's distributors,
MCA MusicEntertain- accused ina tederal racketeeringsuit
oi
change comes
post-Shakur. record
compament andlnterscope Records.
visiting Ruthiem Records with baseball nies particularly black musicdivisions
Heavy D,the rappertumed headof Up- bats tosettleabusln
dispute.
- needtotakegreaterinterstindireco
town Entertainmentalso says
there won't
ing young
artists,
much as the National
beawbolaale nah awayfrom thegenre. yond gangstarap summer
with
Basketball Amociationotters its rookie
"At the end oi the day, lrom amains
artist DannyBoy. whoquickly droppedall counseling
standpoint, it's
all aboutmoney."
the charts.and soonplans torelease analYou could say whateveryou want to
Sales oigangta rap albulm have de- bum by pop rapperHammer. Suchsate sayinnsongbutwhenitcoma downto
clined trom their early '90s peak
a
material may become more common- whetherornotyougetthrown outotaho
trend mirroredby theoverall llatsal in
tel, tightbackstage,
or
get arrmed in other
the musicindustry. Still.2Pac'sAll
onEye:'¢t. .
states, thatneeds tobe checked."he
says.
Me. whichtopped theBillboard 200
earlier
Steve Rlfklnd. prsident of-Loud Re became whatit doesis itsheds a
bad light
this year.was stillNo. 20alter 36
weeks.
cords,alabel whose acts
include Wu~'l
ang
and
ashadow onthe an iorm."
$0!- or tn?been-. is."
that
wouldbhalttzltlo
no." I LL
say
mw or
that they
lnternallze ;siTlie
But Death
Row {huge
its lltst
tong
l
sllacethe
in future,
some executives
pre-
Bad B0y s Combs denies
feuding
with Death
Row 92
Sean "hilly" Combs wants lem withTupac ora problem a lucrativejoint
venture
with orlglnal stylists IS posing
clear the air betweenhis with SugeKnight 0| problem Arista Records;he s opening from thescene.
Bad Boy Entertainment.
with Death Row,aproblem
his ownrstaurant in
Manhat"I think there aredlderent
loaders oi the East Coast with anybodyin theindustry. tan, Justin's,
devoted tosoul types of hard-core rap or
school oi rap. and the Wat lormatter.
that
and Caribbeanfood; andhis ganpm rap."he
says. There
Coast'sRow
Dmth
Records
The only thing I've
heard debut album as an artist is are the thing that are real.
I think
people
haveamiss the records that you've
due outin January.with con- attectlng people's
livs.
and
conception thatrst ol all we heard. I've
never been ap- tributiom from most of his then peoplethat areinst saywere in a teud," he
says "l proached onany other level Bad Boyroster.
ing anything that sounds
don't
think
you
can be in a besides that.So it was more
Re ecting onhis tortuous, hard-core orsounds dark
and
teud withsomebody ifthere's
hype thananythins"
Combs agrees that some disnml
l think some oi
not two people arguing l
Combs isbranching outin gangta rap - particularly
those thing may beon their
mean, I've
never hada prob- abig way. I-lehas justsigned that madeby initiatorsot the way out."
,to
AI-1. from
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NAME SEARCH
NAME! SHAKUR
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FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION
AND
PRIVACY ACTS
SUBJECT
W
Tgpac
FILE NUMBER
SECTION NUMBER
FEDERAL BUREAU
Shakur, R,
2§6A-LA-201807 ,
,2
OF INVESTIGATION
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U.S. Department of
Justice
Q! Federal
Bureau
of
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File No.AAED
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TUPAC SHAKUR
ERIC
WRIGHT,
-VICTIM
AKA
EAZY-E
DECEASED!;
- VICTIM
DECEASED!;
ACT OF
TERRORISM
DOMESTIC
TERRORISM
DEATH THREATS
OFFICE OF
ORIGIN: LOS
ANGELES
All informants
information in
the
mentioned herein have provided reliable I
past.
_
Date Investigative
On
October
initiated
at
Los
Summary Prepared:
17, 1996,
Angeles Field
apreliminary
Office to
January 3,
inquiry PI!
1997.
corroborate source
was b7C
information
that|_h
FFJ
known
a
organized
crime I
figure, along
wit
agroup
of
unfaenti
ied individuals
are
utilizing death
targeted towards
Angeles
area
threats
inthe
furtherance
of
extortion
two former
prominent rap
musicians from
and other
victims yet
unidentified_
attempts
the Los
b2
b7D
and oEhersyet un1dent1t1ed'ha
arious rap
G and
rap star.
music stars
via death
threats. The
D73
scheme involves
other subjects making telephonic death threats to the
Subjects then
intercede b
contacting the
victim and
offering protection
for a"fee1:::::£ireported
that ERIC
WRIGHT,
also known
California
as EAZY E,
was avictim
who owned
RUTHLESS
RECORDS, Woodland
of
this
extortion scheme
prior to
Hills,
dying
from AIDS.t:::::]hadalso reportedlytargeted TUPAC
SHAKUR
prior
to his
recent murder
in Las
Veqas, Nevada.
II ~
~ -"44 /"' ¢1<:>/rz»7-.4/- ~
3? ;
"
Following ERIC
WRIGHTs death
ued for
50% ownershi
oq @
be
able
to provide
gurther
details
regarding
tutthat she
was not
available for
interview until
mid-January, 1997.
RUTHLESS RECORDS.
Z would
On March
27, 1995,G filed
RONALD SWEENEY,
This lawsuit
is titled.'COMPTOWN
OFFICES RONALD
filed in
roperty rights
for the
RECORDS INC,
SWEENEY, et
al",
civil
case
Los Angeles Superior Court,
pertains to
acivil
Entertainment Attorney
lawsuit against
WRIGHT estate.
et al
V. LAW
number BC
124555 was
Los Angeles, California b7C
of RUTHLESS RECORDS. During
the
lawsuiméoffered as evidence two
letters purportedly
signed
by ERIC WRIGHT, granting:
ownership of RUTHLESS
Efffiiif.
The
letterswerepartdeemed
forged
an
expert
by witness.
advised
con 1
earl 199Y9
her and
not yet
the
results
ential" and
a
of this
require
ein
lawsuit were
asubpoena,
classified
which is
pending.
filed alawsuit against
Qin
ade tele
9a
her family
after ERIC
been reviewed
at
Los
death
P honic
WRIGHT died.
Angeles.
trea
These records
b-~»
'l
sto
have
b7C
Los Angeles
Field Office
is currently
court transcripts
and related
documents mentioned
I
r.
..
.
compiling the
in the
above
5Investigatorsare awaitinthe results
of several
9
records checks
and anticipate
several interviews
of witnesses
and
victims in
this matter.
In addition
investigators continue
review FBI
files as they relateto: including
matter.
Investigation continuing
at
Los
to
the copyright
Angeles. b7c
T
~.!
..K
HosAugelcs
diimes
My COMPAY
TOWN
THEB|Z_
/ CHUCK
PHILIPS
andALAN
ABRAHAMSON
RapperLeaves
Tangled tr
Financial,
Legal
Legacy
Slain rap star TupacShakursoldmore
than$60millionworthof albumsthis
year
artists contracts are skewed in favor of
alone, making him one of the top-selling
domestic artists. Yet, at the time of his
record companies.Even if Shakur had
recordedadditional
albums,
he
wouldlikely
The disputeillustrateshow recording
death,the rapperowedhisrecordcompany have remained in debt for years to come,
$4.9million,
Shakurattorney
s
says.
sourcessaid.
Tupacwasone of the mostsuccessful
Shakuz- smother-who last week won a
court battle forcing Death Row Records
and two other companiesto stopselling
unauthorized Tupac merchandise believesDeathRowshortchanged
hersonout
artists in the music business and yet
somehow, on the day
he
di . he had
absolutely
nothingto show
or
it," said
'
'
is co-admin-
of loyalty payments and has hired an
New York attorney Ri
who along with Atem
auditor to conductan independentac-
istrator
of
the ps
countingof the rap label's
books.
that Death Row wi
eld royalty payments from Tupac
d tailed to deliver
many of the adv
promised under his
contract."
- l leuesee'1 HEB1Z,IW
The allegationsstem
from
an
unusual
handwrittenthree-pagecontractdrafted
and signedwhile Shakurwasin prisonin
1995.
_
s
te."We believe
I
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l
1.mmomtmon o0N'rAIN'ED
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THEBIZ:
Rapper ShakurTangled
s Legacy
_ ,
.
_
_
_~ chargebeforeKnightshowed
Continued
fromht
"P
A reprcscnmlive
forDeathBow
witha promise
tobsilhimout ,
Topaz
was
:
one
of
the
most
successful
artists
in
the
"Thiscontractis not like any
denied
thatthe<loU'lP3'W
hasmisotheragreement
I've
everseenin
handled
Shakm-'s
account.
blaming ~music
liusiness-andyetsomehow,
onthedayhe
mylite,"Flschbein
said."it's
noththe.rapper'a
debtson his own
dlod,
he
had
absolutely
nothing
to
show
for
it.
.'
.
.
ingbuttoiletpaper.
extravagant
spending
habits.
The
agreement,
which
grants
We
bollovo
that
Death
Row
withheld
royalty
payments
in theyearpreceding
hisslaying. Death Row had advanced fromTupacand failedto delivermanyof the advances
Shakur
largesinusoi cashtobuy
- _
promisedunderhiscontract.
severalcars,tor hlmseliand a
house
{or hismother- funds
that
RNHARD
FISQHBEIN
series
ofadvance
payments
promthe rapperwasrequired
to pay
Attorney
andco-administrator
oftherapstar's
estate
isedto Shakur-many<1!which
back.DeathRow sources
said.
Plschbeiri
alleges
therapper
never
Shakur
also
charged
to theoomreceived
pany lease-payments
ior three
Fischbein
alsocomplains
that
residences
as well as a slewof
Shakur
didnothaveproper
reprelavishbills,including
a $300,000 tate,Fischbein
said
WWsentation
when
he
signed
the
tab at the Peninsula
Hoteland
lt wasJimmylovinewhotool: agreementAccording
Thepapers
weredrawnupat s
to Fischhundreds
ofthousands
ofdollars
in Nov.1 meet'mg
theleadin gettingtheballrolling bein,
between
Shakur's
the rappet_ l>P¢i!'$
to have
invoices
forjewelry,
furniture.
sethismess
out."Fisch- beenrepresented
Fischbein,
lnterscope
co- tostraighten
by Kenner.
W110
curityand limoservice,sources mother,
bein
said.
Nothing
would
have
founder
J
lmmy
Iovine
and
a
group
alsowasthe attorney
for Knight
said.
happened
if
it
wasn't
for
him.
of
attorneys.
Death
Row
owner
and
Death
Row
at
the
time.
In addition,
Shakur
ran
up more MarionSuge"
Knightwasin'
'
at DeathRowneverevencametothe
Fiachbein
accuses
oi Kennerof
than $2
million in advances
tor
a probation
violtion tabletohaveadiscussion."
having
acon ict
ofinterest
when
he
recording
andvideocosts-which, thetimeon
Shakur's
motherhasalsocast drafted
andcouldnotattendthem ting.
thecontract
andgaveadvice
according
to standardindustry Death
Row
attorney
'
doubt
onthevalidity
oitherecord- to Shalmraboutsigning
it. Kenpractice,
mustberecouped
by the
ingcontract
thatDeath
Rowstruck ner-who wasfired by Shakur
record
company
before
hisaccount wasalsonotpresent.
with
her
son
on
Sept.
16,
1995.
During
themeeting.
ln rscope's
about
three eeksbefore
therapper
can turn a pro t, DeathRow
Unlike a standardrecording diedattorneys
alsopledged
an addiariyconfiictoi
interest.
sources
said.
agreement,
typically
thick
and
tional
$2
million
in
advances
to
be
insisting
t
Shakur
was
repreNevertheless,
whenShalrui-'8
ct complicatedsented the time by attorney
Aprilandhelped
nego- lacedwith dozens
motherthreatened
in October
to paidbefore
l
letree
could
not
Shakur s
in theroyaltyrate termsand conditions,
sueDeathRowandbartherelease tiateanupgrade
forcomment
Monday.
from12%to18%!Paidtoherson pactwithDeathRowishand-writ» be
oiherson's
posthumous
"Makav
cit
It's
unclearwhetherShakur sten and just three pageslong.
The Don Killuminati album, torpastreleases.
insists
thatInterscopeShahur signedthe agreement, mot wouldseekto havethe
DeathRnw distributor
s
Intersoope Fischbein
written
contractdisavowed.
Fischbein
suggests.
because
he
forgave
about50%otthe
Records
worked
out
a dealtopay attorneys
andhadbeenincar- ButWchbeinsaidDeathRowhas
an immediate
$3-millionnonre- $4.9-milliondebt-a pointwith wasunhappy
thenecessary
books
formonths
ona sexabuse yettoprovide
fundableadvance
toShakui-ess whichDeathRowadamantly
dis- cerated
that would
allow
the estateto
conduct
anindependent
audit-
Deathitowtherlgbttorelease
many
as
tour
albums.
spells
out
ii
,-.
Kr
'
l
. _-~1
Q,
1
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rQ
s
|
l
I
Ant.
--~-.=--|-
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. Continued from D1.
A representative for Death Row
.
-
.
-.
__.Vv
,3
.Z't
.:
~
_
1
.
'
_ .- -q, ~---.1.»-.--i'£r£:.am
-_-0I. -1- -.
f
-= -,.~u
_
.
V__"____'§
|'l
1"-*-'2
-..i._ before
7"charge
Knigh_t
showed-up
1 -_'""with
a'pron_1ise
tobailhim"o_ui.=-_
. Taped
was
one
of_the mos't
succe§§iuL§_i;jtlsfts§ln.-_thi§
fi ""1"l'his.'contract"l
not.likeany
deniedthatthecompany
has'mishandledShakm-'s
account,
blaming
the'_:_'apper's
'
debtson his own
extravagant
spending
habits.
In the year precedinghis slaying, Death Row had advanced
Shakurlarge sums
of
cashto buy
several cars for himself and
a
house for his mother iunds that
Amusic
buslness and
yetsomehdw; __oii'-theiday
hea -_other__agreement
I've
ever__seer_&#3
in
"-mylife. Fischbein
said.'
nothlt s
dled,'he
had_ah_'solutely
.nothln_'g_to'
show'for;;ltj.}
3* f? ing
but toiletpaper!~
" ;
Webelieve
thafbeatli
Row
withheld
royalty
paymentsThe agreement,which
_
grants
-Death
Row
the
right
to
release
from-Tupac
andfailed
todeliver
many
oitheadvancesmanyas four albums,spellsoutasa
"
the rapper was requiredto pay
Shakuralsochargedto the company lease-paymentsfor three
as
a
slew
of
lavish bills. includinga$300,000
tab at the PeninsulaHotel and
-.
_-
.~
--P
I_
'.
-_
*_~"
RICHARD
nscnasm_
=,,
received.
'
U
~~.- '
The paperswere drawn up at a
It was Jimmylovine who took
hundreds
of
thousands
of
doilarsin
Nov.1'
meeting
betweenShaltur s the leadin getting-theball rolling
invoices
forjewelry,furniture,
se_- mother,Pischhein,Interscopeco- tostraighten
thismess
out,"Fischcurity and limo service, sources
said.
'
ln addition,
Shakurranupmore
than "$2 million in advances for
recording
andvideocosts-which,
according to standard industry
practice.mustbe recouped
by
the
founder
Jimmy
-
Fischbeinalso "complains
that
Shakurdidnothaveproperrepresentation when he signed the
I
tate,li
'.ischbeinsaidi
'
'
if 3gT¬Q 5-
series
of
advancepayments
prohi-
isedto-Shalgur-many
of
which
'-Fischhein
allegestherappernever
V Altomeyandco-administrator
of therapstar's
estate 2 -
back, Death Row sources said.
residences as
well
.P promisedunderhiscontract.
'
.
t
lovineandagroup beinsaid."Nothing
wouldhave
of attorneys.Death =Row-owner
Marion"Surge"
Knightwasinjail at
agreement. According to Fisch-
bein, the rapper-_
appearsto have
beenrepresented
by
Ke_nner,
who
also was the attorney for Knight
and Death Row at the time.
'
Fischbeinaccuses
of
Kennerof
happened if it wasn't
'for
~h1m.
having
a con
of ict interest
whenhe
Death Row nevereven came to the
drafted
the
contract
and
gave
advice
a
discussion
.
? . "'
the time on
a
probation violation table tc have
to Shakurabout
it. Kenandcouldnotattendtheameeting. Shakur s_mother has also cast
her-_-whowas fired by Shakur
DeathRowattorney
DavidKenner dohht
onthevalidity
of_i:he reodrdabout
tin-ee
weeks
bdfore
therapper
. _- ingcontractthatDeathBowstruck died-deniedanycon
record
company
before
hisaccount wasalsonotpresent. of ict, iniermt,
withhersononSept._'l6.
1995.Duringthe meeting,Interscope's
can~_turn_4
a_ profit, Death Row
insisting that Shakur was repreattorneysalso pledgedan addi_Unlike;a._.standard
- recording sented at the time by attorney
sourcessaid
tional
$2mlllioh
inadvances
tobe agreement,typicallythick and CharlesOgletree.Ogletreecouldnot
1/Nevertheless, when Shakur's
paidbefore pril andhelpednego- laced
mother threatenedin Octoberto
hviui
dozefu$'o£
ciiu'1p1icated
:hereachediorconunentMonday._
_
sue Death Row and bar the release
s whether
tiate
alnaupéade
inthe
royalty
rateternis and conditi'ons.'.Sh'aktir
'.
It's
unclear
an immediate $3-million
nonre-
fundablef?
advance
to Shakur ess
$4.9-milliondebt-a point with
which Death Row-adamantlydis-
t
Wis.
smart #1-_92<U1§4.
less".
ices-
that would allow the estate to
cerated
formonths
_on'-a
sex.ahuse'
' -dohductanindependent
audit.
u-_..~-
.i-'.
l
1
Shakur's
from'
12% to 18%! paidto her son pact with Death Row is hand-writ,
mother would seek to have the
forpastreleases.1. -: .". . 'ten and-just~
long. handwritten contract disavowed.
The Don Killuminati" album.
DeathRow's
distributor
Inter-scope Fischbein insiststhat Interscope Shakur signed the agreement, But Fisehbeinsaid Death Row has
Recordsworkedout a7dealto pay attorneys
forgave
about'50%
of
the Fischhein-suggests,
;l_>ec'ause_
he _yet to provide the necessarybooks
of herson's
posthumous
lllakavelh
6
Q2
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newspaper,
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_'l'l-IE
BIZ
/Cl-lUCl_ PHILlPSandALAN
ABRAHAMSON
U
§§},,,;m
"W4
PAGE
1;!
L05ANGELES,
CA
;RapperLeaves
ngled
Ta
11I
1
t
'
Slainrapstar'lShakur
upacsoldmore
than$60millionworthof
Legacy¢~»;¢@~@s
Classmcahon;
The d_ispute ill_ustrabes
how recording
-alone.makinghim one of the top-selling
art1'sts
4_contracts
areskewed
in favorof
domesticartists.Yet, at the time of his
record,companies.Even if Shakur had
- death.
therapper
owed
hisrecord
company}
recorded
additional
albums,he wouldlikely
$4.9
millipn, Shakur
attorneylsays.
'
s
'f'
u_"
have remained in debt for years to come,
Shaktu-'s
-mother--who last week wona ~.3
Isoiii-mssaid.
~
'
.,'
courtbattleforcingDeathRowRecords
and two-other companies
to stop selling
unauthorizedTupac merchandise-bellevesDeathRowshortchanged
her
sonout
of royalty paymentsand has hired an
auditor to conduct-an independent_
ac-,
Submitting
Oi ce:
L08ANGELESiWWW
Indexing:
Tupacwasoneof the mostsuccessful
artistsin the musicbusiness and
yet
somehow,on the day he died. he had
absolutelynothing to show for it, said
New York attorney Richard Fischbein,
whoalongwith AfeniShakuris eo-admincountingof the rap label's
hooks.
estate. We believe
The allegationsstem from an unusual istratorof therapstar's
handwrittenthree-pagecontractdrafted that Death Row withheld royalty payand signed while Shakur was in prison in
1995.
mentsfromTupacandfailedto deliver
rnany of the advances promised under his
contract."
'
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FEDERAL BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION
Precedence: ROUTINE
To: FBI
Date: 02/12/1997
Headquarters
From: Los
Attn:
NSD,
CT Branch,
DTS, DTOU
Angeles
NSD 6
ApprovedI:Izv
Bw
Drafted BY:
£9
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ALL rr71'- cw-.-*_@.'rI"t~:-I
"
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Case#'
ID
66A LA 201807
I '
Tim-= ET
92
AL °l=9292u92-92 <9292
TUPAC SHAKUR-VICTIM
DECEASED!; Iqu9qI911
ERIC WRIGHT,
AKA EAZY E VICTIM
DECEASED!; qI!929292,92_,[_
AOT-DT-DEATH THREATS
00; LOS
ANGELES
ARMED AND
Synopsis: Status
DANGEROUS
of investigation
and request
for extension
of
PI.
Preliminary Inquiry
O2/16/1997
Initiated: 10/17/1996,
Enclosures:
One
original
Memorandum, dated
copies of
extended to
expire
.
and five
copies of
aLetterhead
O2/05/1997.
Enclosed for
aLetterhead
the Bureau
are one
original
and five
Memorandum, dated
02/05/1997, which
contains the current status of captionedmatter. by
b7C
Several leads
regarding captioned
rema' outstandin
at Los
w 1C
identifying ssociates.
located at
the Superior
Court, Los
LAFO copyright matter which
located for
An eles
matter. b7D
review purposes.
may
assist
in
T ecivil
case file
has not
Angeles. In
addition, the
been
was closed in 1995 has not been D
Searches are
on for
C
both case
files
/17/1997, Case
Unit, who as
an
LOS ANGELES
Agent met
with Detective
POLICE DE
' 'strative
informant
who
knows
k
- - - '
9 m:
Vice
in the
next weeks
two concerning pg@é#_;#-Q
fffff
The informant
has to
meet with
Case Agent
SEARCHED __W
INDEXED ___
.stamuzzn
Fnrn 5?
i
sl
To:
FBI
Re:
266A LA 20l807
thirty
Headquarters
It
days
will
is
From:
0!
Los Angeles
~
anticipated
that
investigation
resolve the issue
of
activity
being
conducted
byr thers
financial
backing
for their
aniza
lOI1
or
financial
extended
during
the
next
whether the extortionateb7c
is
to
provide
'
only for personal
is
gain.
It is requested
another
thirty
that
this
Preliminary
Investigation
be
days as a result
of
outstanding
leads.
ARMED
AND
DANGEROUS
O
2
U.S. Department of
Justice
:""%:'"'*-1
Fedenn Bureau oflnves ga on
In Reply,Please Refer to ]_]_QQ[!
Wilshire Blvd
_
File No.
ALL 5-mmc____,Am_,,92.,
CATWAHIED Los Angeles, CA
90024
l£ a.i92»'a.
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12, 1997
|@J February
"c mu
'-Net->L¢
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ET
AL
TUPAC SHAKUR -VICTIM
DECEASED!; b"_7Q
ERIC WRIGHT,
AKA
EAZY E
VICTIM
DECEASED!;
ACT OF
TERRORISM
DOMESTIC TERRORISM
DEATH
OFFICE OF
information in
All informants
the past.
On October
information thaq
wit
Qand
rap sar
1997.
i
was
source
Ia known organized crime
individuals are
of
extortion
musicians
from
the
attempts
Los
yet unidentified.
yet unidentified
music stars
inquiry PI!
to corroborate
prominent rap
other
victims
reliable
February 5,
apreliminary
Field Office
two former
and
and others
various rap
17, 1996,
agroup
o uni
enti ied
threats
in
the
furtherance
targeted towards
Angeles area
have provided
Summary Prepared:
Los Angeles
figure, along
utilizing death
ANGELES b'}7C
mentioned herein
Date Investigative
initiated at
THREATS
ORIGIN: LOS
via death
have been
extorting money
threats. The
rom
scheme involves
b2
other
subjects
making
telephonic
death
threats
to and
the
b"/B
Subjects then
intercede by
contacting
the victim
b7c
offering protection
for afee g;;;Eeported that
ERIC
WRIGHT,
also known
as
EAZY E,
California, was
fromAIDS.
?had
to his
recen
murder
avictim
who owned
of
this
RSS
RECORDS,
Woodland
extortion scheme
Hills,
prior to
dying
also reportedly
targeted TUPAC
SHAKUR prior
in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
I0"/C
1b7C
'~ P»
Following ERIC
WRIGHTs death,
ued for
50% ownership
RUTHLESS RECORDS.
be able
was not
to provide
available for
further details
interview until
regarding ut
mid January, 1997.
On March2'7, 199S,Zfiled
RONALD SWEENEY,
This lawsuit
filed
is
titled
OFFICES RONALD
of b7¢
oula
acivil
in
Los
Angeles Superior
pertains erty
rights of
lawsuit against
for the
COMPTOWN RECORDS
SWEENEY, et
al",
WRIGHT estate.
INC, et
civil
case
al
V.
number BC
Court, Los
that she
LAW
124555 was
Angeles, California
a >75
RUTHLESS RECORDS. During the
lawsuit, ffered a
ce two letters
purportedly signed
by
ERIC
WRIGHT, granting
ownership
art
RUTHLESS
of
RECORDS. The
letters were
eemed forged
by
an
exp
ert witness.
[;:::;;ladvised
the
results
of
this lawsuit
were
classified
con iential
and require
asubpoena,
which is
pending.
filedalawsuit
againstp in
1379
early 199
aeging
ta
made telephonic
her and
her family
afte IGHT
died.
These
not yet
been
reviewed
at Los
Angeles
as
they
misfiled at
the Superior
Court, Los
Angeles.
death
t reats
to
records have
have reportedly
been
|:1
b7 '1
92.!
ll__'l
!
Los Angeles
court transcripts
court cases
recor
Fiefa Office
and related
for review
rior to
is
currently
documents mentioned
the interview
1 ing
eresu
F
compiling the
'
of
ts of
schecks.
several b7
C
b7C
b7D
InvesE1gaEion conE1nuing
at Los
Angeles.
FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION
AND
PRIVACY ACTS
SUBJECT
Tupacz
Shakur
f
FILE NUMBER
266A-LA;201807
SECTION NUMBER
I
4S
I
FEDERAL BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION
I
r
FEDERAL BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION
Precedence: ROUTINE
Date: 04/15/1997
To: FBIHQ
Attn: NSD,
CT
Branch,
DTS, DTOU
/26$/Angeles
From: Los
92
|
I
Angeles
NSD 6
ALL INFORMA I ICN COH'I AINED
Approved By:
HEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED
Case ID
Title: I
#: 266A-LA 201807
Pending!
TUPAC SHAKUR VICTIM
EAZY-E VICTIM DECEASED!;
AOT-DT-DEATH THREATS;
0O: LOS
° oL929292u
°929292qi2 lqwgq
q
92L>92-92bu_L, m
l
ET-KL;
mu
NED Q
DECEASED!;
ANGELES
ARMED AND
Synopsis: Request
Investigation.
Field SSA
Details: Reference
DANGEROUS
authorization to
open
aFull
Field
Los Angeles EC, dated 04/03/1997 which
lcontaing criminal
historg1andassociates
criminal of
On 10/17/1996,
initiated at
aPreliminary
Los 1
information
that!
Ia
wi
agroup
Inquiry PI!
' '
utilizing
death
threats
in
known
of unfaen
the
furtherance
was
corroborate source
'
'
figure, along
b7
1 ied
org nized
cr me
b7g
a'
i
individuals are
of extortionate
activity targeted
towards two
former prominent
rap musicians
the Los
Angeles area
and other
victims
yet unidentified.
from
-I
b7C
b7D
I
éd 44
°""5 7'/7: .
$1§=°»1%E %
{Bl-LO
W
i_
APR2Z I997
I
1
1
To: FBIHQ
From: Los
Angeles
Re: 266A-LA-201807,
April
15,
: and
1997
others yet
unidentified
have
been
from various
ra music
stars via
extorting money
death threats.
The scheme
involvesstar.ther
subjects
making
telephonic
death
threijjé
Subjects
then intercede
by
contacting
the '
to the
rap
victim and
known as
offering protection
for a"fee".
ERIC WRIGHT,
also
EAZY-E, who
owned RUTHLESS RECORDS, Woodland
Hills,
California was
avictim
from AIDS.o reportedly
of
to SI-IAKUR's
recent
murder
this
extortion
in
Las
scheme
prior
to dying
targeted TUPAC
SHAKUR prior
Vegas, Nevada.
b7C
!
F 73
|:|
'
Ii]
_ On
March 27, 1995, :
RONALD SWEENEY,
filed acivil
for the
lawsuit against
This lawsuit
is titled
COMPTOWN RECORDS
INC, et
OFFICES RONALD
SWEENEY, et
al", Civil
case number
This case
was filed
in Los
California and
pertains to
During the
lawsuit, Eoffered
Angeles Superior
property rights
92
WRIGHT estate.
al-vs. LAW
BC 124555.
Court, Los
of RUTHLESS
as evidence tw letters
b"iC
Angeles,
RECORDS.
purportedly signed
by ERIC
WRIGHT, granting
part ownership
of RUTHLE
RE RDS.
the results
of were
The letters
were deemed
forged by
an expert
witness. advised the case
was settled
out ofcourt and
E
I !1a
1996 a egingtat
in
early
threats to
classified confidential
her and
her family
after ERIC
by
the
judge.
'
alawsuit
ed against b7c
ade telephonicdeath
WRIGHT died.
l':'_|
|:|
Ii!
b / C
J
1
To: FBIHQ
From: Los
Angeles
"
Re: 266A LA-201807,
April 15,
1997 I
l:| W
&#
b7C
b"/C
|:|
E: 1b7
On 04/11/1997,
:3
investigators were
civil court
complaint, dated
Plaintiffs vs
'='
A
C7
prov
a_'
0_3-'/11/1996, entitled
an individual,
WATERSIDE _CAN'IINC
INA a
California
MISSION BAY RESTAURANT and C15 INC.,
aCalifornia
orpora
ion,
Co oration
bin;
f
ind1viHua1s;'F .M.L.
PHASE
REKLT
A
ASSOgATES,
limited pa'
Does 1 through
50,
ONE D VE P192QENT,___I
C. , California corporations,
inc sive,
Defendants . is
BELM PARK
believed to
The civil
complaint
0'7/28/1995, at approximatel l_Q:O0
forcibly entered
a business
alleges that
p.m.,
several
be the
on Friday,
individuals
' '
' ere
identified as
and two
2
unidentified subjects
referred to
uwsma #1.
and UNSUB
#2. UNSUB#1 is believed to be: WC
as
,_
who
to represent
inci
ent, claimed
UNSUB
brand
#1
ed . Durin
weaponéUNSUB
at the
#2 stated
he
represented
and
RUT CORDS.
After
physical
and
psychologica
intimidation,
onsidered
the threat
to his
complaint further
be committed
patrons and
alleges that
the same
left
the
business
:had committed
acts against
eoccupied.
The
and caused to
RUTHLESS RECORDS. Following
the takeover
ofgnightclub
on 07/28/1995,
reportedly
you know who I am? I'm
with
ef .
asked: Don
J
.92
l
To: FBIHQ
From: Los
Angeles
Re: 266A-LA 201807,
April 15,
1997
DYC
It has
since
been
learnedantsthatg:::::Ldropped
the
and the other defen
ased
on fear and
lawsuit against:
1
intimidation. -
lawsuit reveal
FBI records
checksthe
of defendants
ingcivib-VIC
the following:
92
in Ehe toilowing files:
LA 192B 290
NK 1OOA 57409
- Commercial
- Commercial
Domestic Security
JDL related
RICO!
NK 174A¢276o-1
NY 183G-3546
the following
IFOIMS
references!
Hobbs Act
Hobbs Act
HQ 192-1866
l
I
- JDL
bq
Institutions!
Institutions!
i
1
related case!
case!
/FOIME
references; iin
1 ee:
b7C
NY 281A 192451
I
1
I
!
OC/DI!
NY 281A 20l963
in the
SA 245C 34965 Hl
which FOIMS
references in
LA 179B-914
IFOIMS
references
n
b'°
following case:
OCDE!
the following
case:
ECT!
FOIMS refe
.
LA 2a1A-1o2e32
001! bqg
:|
1
.
-
.-
0
To: FBIHQ
From: Los
é
Angeles
Re: 266A LA-201807,
April 15, 1.997 Lqc
Hi
&#
1
in FOIMS,
unknown
identical.
if I'_"
"" 1
Further checksregarding theabove individualswill be
necessary
to
fully
identify them.
I
,
Investigators are
currently compiling
transcripts and
related documents
mentioned
in
the
cases for
review
and
analysis for
lead potential.
the court
above court
Investigators bin:
are awaiting
the results
of several
records checks
to include
b7D
Based on
the
extortionate activity
and other
criminal activity
yet unidentified,
that a
Full Field
Investigation be
initiated
There appears to be
a
reasonable indication
conducting extortionate/criminal
continue
to
do so
criminally liable.
acting
in concert
with
activity for
as long
as he
is successful
presented herein,
itis
recommended
in
this
matter.
thatsas been
some time and
will
5
and not
,
Los Angeles sources believe :to be
or
on
behalf of
the JDL
held _p
and its
b"c
5
associates.
It is
identify whether
on behalf
MS et
anticipated a
the extortionate
al, for
Full Field
Investigation will
activity is
being perpetrated
personal gain
the JDL.
and/or on behalf of
;
l
-
ARMED
mm
mmcsnous
1°76
O0
1
-,_....._...__.ii_.
____._____~.__di_.____.___i_J
l2f3l/199$!
l "
FEDERAL
BUREAU
OF
lNVESTlGAT|ON
Precedence:
T0:
Los
ROUTINE
Date:
Angeles
04/21/1997
,
b7C
From:
Los Angeles
NSD-6
Approved
By:
Drafted
Case
By:
ID
mpbh
#= ,
66A-LA-201807
LA as-sea sue A'!7§/
Title:
I
IET AL
TUPAC SHAKUR
EAZY
E
VICTIM
AOT oo=
or
LOS
1
VICTIM
DECEASED!
DECEASED!
DEATH
ll
THREATS
ANGELES
ARMED
AND
DANGEROUS
Synopsis:
Request
for
authorization
of
Full
Field
Investigation
Instituted:
Details:
On October
initiated
at
17,
1996,
mail
cover.
04/15/1997.
a preliminary
Los
'
' corroborate
information
that
known of
1
figure,
along
with agroup
I
inquiry
PI!
was
source
organized
crime
are
unidentified
individuals
utilizing
death threats
in the furtherance
of
extortion
targeted
towards
two
former prominent rap musicians
from
Angeles area and
other
victims yet unidentified.
attempts
the Los
b7C
an
0
rom vari
us
ers
ra
involves
other
nd
to the rap star.
ye
music
uni
n
ie
stars
Subjects
via
threats.
I
b7D
av
death
P
5
The
scheme
subjects
making
telephonic
death
threats
then intercede
b
contacting
the
victim
andoffering
protection
fora fee breported
.
that
ERIC WRIGHT, also
known
as EAZY-E,
who
owned RUTHLESS RECORDS,
Woodland'Hills, California,
was a victim
of
this
extortion
scheme
prior
to dying from AIDS. :had
TUPAC
SHAKUR
prior
to his
recent
also reportedly targeted
murder in Las Vegas,
Nevada.
~»¢:-¢4'i:/?@7'1
Ann!
*"Wm-mun
Aynnm§§{g§§§§%%§é&£uQ£££
smnmm
mm.
J
<=m
'392mused-1
<iz '*'
°92atL920Jn!-9
°92929l~,gQ_
,_
° ="»*M92 °9292w9292
-
M10 1991
vI
'
0I
!
I
]._ "YI
Tb'7C
gag! b?B
1
I
r___________________1b
-----'---RUTHLESS RECORDS.
The civil
INC et
al V.
LAW OFFICES
number BC
124555 and
Angeles, California.
Ii
lawsuit is
titled "COMPTOWN
RONALD SWEENEY,
et al ,
civil case
was filed
in Los
Angeles Superior
RECORDS
Court, Los
During the lawsuit,:offered as
b7C
1
l
evidence two
letters purportedly
signed by
ERIC WRIGHT, granting
part ownership
of RUTHLESS RECORDS. The letters were
deemed
by forged
eierj
art witness.
G could
produce
no
original
letters.
advised
were classified
con iential"
the results
of
this
and require
a subpoena,
lawsuit
which
is
pending.
ddition, _
against
in
led a
early 1996
death threats
to
her
aleging
and her
On 04/11/1997,
family
telephonic
after
ERIC
WRIGHT died.
investigators were
provided
aco
civil court
complaint,
dated
03/11/1996,entitled
an individual,
WATERSIDE CANTINA, INC., aCalifornia
MISSION BAX
RESTAURANT and
Plaintiffs, vs.
CLUB '
individuals;
INC., California
ONE DEVELOPMENT,
ASSOCIATES, alimited
of
a
Corporation,
' '
R.M.L.
REALTY,
corporations, BELMONT
partnership, and
i
%
lawsuit K -"C
t at
made
W
bC
INC.; PHASE
PARK
Does 1 through 50,
.
inclusive Defendants .
The civil
complaint alleges
at approximately
10
O0
pm
were identified
a business
owned and
that on
Friday, 07/28/1995
,forcibly
entered
o erated
These individuals
b
"II =1
F
#2. UNSUB
#1
is believed
be to
ho
claimed
to
represent <
Durin e inci ent, SUB
#1
and two
unidentified subjects
brandishe a
represented ORDS
concea e
and psychologica
his
patrons
and
further alleges
committed the
ref
wea
rUB
#1, and
on
SUB
#2 stated
intimi ation,::onsidered
left
the
business he
:l committed
same acts
against
he
After physical
occupied The
the threat
and caused
RUTHLESS RECORDS
2
UNSUB
complaint
to be
to
Following the
la
1
'
|:l
I
:11
IIII
b7C
|:':|
[II
|:|
The focus
following individuals:
of
the
requested mail
cover includes
the
!
1
i
class mail
date the
It is
requested the
mail cover
and last
for a
period
of
thirty
request is
received by
the District
Charge, located
attorney who
during the
in
Pasadena,
California.
To the
best of
my
represents the
period
of
the
Mail cover
laws:
1! Title
knowledge, the
name and
address
mail cover
subject is
unknown. If,
mail
cover,
attorney retained
by the
case agent,
such information
following U.S.
the name
mail cover
will be
subject is
and address
subject becomes
promptly furnished.
allegedly in
of
an
of
an
known to
violation
the
of
the
18, U.S.
Punishable by
Code, Section
fine or
years or
both;
and
2! Title
21, U.S.
?unishable depending
No subject
include first
and second
days commencing
on the
Postal Inspector
in
of
this
1951
imprisonment not
Code, Section
on quantity
mail cover
more than
841 and
and type
is presently
twenty
846.
of
narcotics.
under
indictment or
formally charged
with any
violation
of
criminal
law. Should
any subject
be indicted
or formally
charged during
the period
of
the
mail
cover,
the postal
inspector will
be
3
I
W.
'
' promptly»advised
.
Bo
the
It is
mail
cover
may
understood the
be immediately
results of
the mail
2009, are
the property
of the
U.S. Postal
Service and
limited to
law enforcement
agencies. The
results can
in the
case
agen s
office
as
an
investigative
tool
for
of 60
days and
then returned
to the
canceled.
cover, PS
Form
its use
is
be retained
aperiod
following address:
I
!
.
a
E
|____i__.| W
Postal Inspector
ISOSG
Mail Cover
P.O. BOX
South San
It is
authorized to
Section
9000
Francisco, CA
94083-900
recommended that
enhance captioned
a mail
cover request
be
investigation.
Investigation continuing
at Los
Angeles.
i
1
4
Q
.92
FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION
AND
PRIVACY ACTS
SUBJECT
Tupac
FILE NUMBER
SECTION NUMBER
FEDERAL BUREAU
Shakm; I
W
266A-LA-201807
_
6I
OF INVESTIGATION
_____:_.a_-1
FD-350
6-8-81!
RSV.
"I
lo
..._O
5.
92 92
_¢/J II
Indicate page,name of
newspaper. clty
and state.!
_
_ _7 Il51oun_i Cllpplngrln
Below}
Space
_92
41
_, Q~
23:38 ; LP,vfL i.5
Title:
Character:
or
Classi cation:
Submitting Ol cez
LA
s,
,..a5
mmetseraasmm
ta<~<»W*
'80l
Quad
.qQSo¢$ euuq
r l@ °t
slésiii
p
. lndexin
Man Namedas Suspectin Death
of Shakur Sues theRapper s Estate
ICourts:
Orlando Anderson
says
he
was assaultedthe
by star
It is unusual
for
gang disputes to end up
in civil lawsuits, but Anderson's action
is
particularly surprising because it could
and othersin aLas Vegas
hotel.
hoursbefore
fatal
shooting.
subject him to
renewed
scrutiny in connec-
By CHUCKPHILIPS
just off the Las Vegas Strip by
gunfire
tion with Shakur's death.
Shakur, oneof the brightest starsin rap
and a budding actor, was fatally wounded
TIMES HAFF
WRITER
A
reputed Los Angeles gang member
once
named
by-police as asuspecl..in
the
murderoi
Tupac Shakur hasfiled alawsuit
against theslain rap star's estate-a
-year
and aday afterShakur wasgunned down.
Orlando Anderson's
lawsuit contends
that he was assaultedby the rapper and
severalDeath
Row
the lobby
of
Records employees
in
the MGM Grand
Hotel
in
Las
Vegas
just
hours
_before
Shakur Was
gunned down.
No arrestshavebeenmade.
it it
,_______,,_......_.....i.-.-.._.
_ ..
-..,
... ...
wbileriding ina car driven by Death Row
founder Marion Suge" Knight. Ever since,
there has been widespread speculation
about the relationship betweenthe killing
and the MGM altercation.
The. suit, filed late
Monday inLos
Angeles Superior Court. also names Death
Row andKnight asdefendants, and
alleges
that Anderson suffered physical injuries
and severe emotional and mental distress.
Representatives forShakur's estate
and
Death Row declined comment Tuesday.
I
vt
," kw.
t _
fr,
fe
Rapper Tupac
Shakur wasgunned down
Please SI-IAFKUB,
see
B3Las Vegas ln September 1996.
in
_ i[lo 'l+
. As-clues
_.
.. _.
._- .._
- -..
.-
i. ..- ..__...-.. .
. .......
...<_
-
---~
FD-350 Rev.so-s1!
. ..~ '
.
_
,..
O
J
Indicatepage,nameof
newspaper,city andstate.!
Mount
Clipping
inSpacer
Below!
Date:
Edition:
1-'}'§siig92ir;siia_Knigh£
had
gone
tothe
Mike Tyson-BruceSeldonheavy-
-;._we_ignt,rig1it_{ai;,im;
MGM.Onthe Death R_0w -af liated
-members
of
the Mob-Piru Bloods
'Conlin_uedtrom'B1_'___
92ReneeL. Campbell,
who_repre.--way out,ShakuniKnight andsev-
and the
Southside Crips,-ofwhich"Ander..
;_er_a'i
Row
employees
_'I'!e*'ath1
_i<icked.
'_L
sents"Anderson,.
aclinowledgéd
sonandseverslofhis»-relatives
are
ja"nd.struck'
Anderson_
in
that her client was:told last__fall punched
Anderso_n
was
the lobby,thelawsuitstates. '
- al1eg'edly. .m'embei_'§.
'92
that he wasa suspécttin
Sh_akur's
attacked,
' {meTaffidiivit
' said,_be-.
About
three
hours
later;
Shakur
l
killing;but-deniedI-hat
J16-had
causehe_ hadallegedlystolena
inKnight's
anything
todo,withtheshooting.
- andKnightweresitting
gold
chain
fromoneo'f;the
Qeath
759
ZBMW
at
a'red
light
when
- it is-clear-thatif -thereis any
ROW emi>l0yees".d!1rinx
H sans.
gunfire
erupted
froina
white
latevictim,
'my
client"isthevictim,"5
af
eai-lier'at
a Lakemodel_ -Cadillacii-carrying
four souffle- month
i
3
_Campbellsai_d.-1
*---5' 7_'
W°°d lt92.illI r
.
me_n}-th_a't
had-pu_l_led'
up_in
'
the
.. Kni ght /was i sent -to prison in
Accordingto the affidavit,"
Annext
f
lane.
Shakur
died
.si;<,_
days
February"
for a probation.
violation
dersonw'a.s'seen
severaldaysafter
late,i1inaLas'Vegas
hospital.-stemmingfrom. his ,ro_le.in'.the
wjthla-Gl6ck'
.40-,caiiY - BeforeShakurdieddetectives
in theshooting
assaullt
onAnderson,
whichwas Las Vegas-andComptonwere in-
capturedon_
a'
hotel-surveillance
videotape.At a hearinglast fall,
Anderson
testifiedthat Knight
"did
not participatein the beatingbut
triedtohelpstoptheattack.
undated with ii flurry of tips from
informants
contending
thatAnder-
bar handgu n-'_-_"t_.he
samekindof
weaponusedin theihomicide- and
his cousinwas seendriving a white
late-modelCadillac-intoan auto
shopin Compton.
That sameWeek,
goesby such 'gang_r'nonikers
as
Las
Vegas
detectives
examineda
Whenasked"-whether
Anderson. L-ando"and Lane -was respon- box of .40-caliberroundsconfisshooting, catedby -Comptonpolicefrom a
who ls listed in policei lesas a siblefor Ptherapper's
police
n_iember_of
theSouthside
Cripsgang accordingto -a .Compton_
whereAnderson's
cousin
26
to ob- residence
iii Compton,
hadpeijuredhimselfon affidavitpreparedSept
wasliving.Theyalsocon scated
the-standin November,Campbell tainsearchwarrantsfor a pending weapons
froma Compton
residence
'
.
.
said her client testi ed the way -he s=nsrai¢ i_ .'
of_Anderson's
uncle,_-Dwayne
Keith
didoutoffearforhissafety."
_» _ Accordingto the affidavit,_the _ Kee_fee
D ?Davis, who sources
theMGMlobbywasthe
On the evening of Sept: 7. 1996. ruckusin
saidis listed,in policefilesas a
= ,-.-/"'_' '_-"
" V "'-"
'
_'._'
;_ ,_
result of gang rivalry between
son-.a Lakewood resident who
memberof the SouthsideCrips.
During an Oct"
2
Il
'
'
I
.
gang raid
..-J
i
,. _
~
redbyshootings
after'S_hak. Notorious
B.LG.who wasgunned
' tors
that
hemet
Wallace
neagly
leath,Anderson
iwas-"taken
,,downMarch9 outside
of thePeter- two "yearsbeforethe"rapperwas
:ustody-on an outstanding sen Automotive Museum in the -slain.sourcessaid.The two were
.
nt stemming
from_aslaying Mid-Wilshire district.
introduced
by a mutualfriendafter
'aconcertinAnahéiml
"' 1;
'
nptonunrelatedto_Shakur's"
y. in May.-LosAngeies'investiga-
I
Y
"ALasYegas
detective
who torsseizedDavis Chevyvlmpala The friend,_a'drug
déa]er_fi-pm
ipated
intheraidtoldAn'de
fromr-his girlfriend's
house in Harlem,
broughtllhvls
toWallaeefs
hat he was
a
suspect -in Compton.The two-door sedan -hotel
altertheshowand'tol<_!
the
|r s shooting.accordingto - .matched
..
.the dcscri
.
P-tion of the car. rapper
thathecouldpijovide
protecused_inV{allace's'shooting.
. .sonfsformerattorney,
tionin LosAngel_es_
l or _Wal1ace s
-Policehave not returnedthe entourage.
should
lie everneedit,
lerson'.was
released_'Oct.
4
vehicle.ources
sayinvestigatorssources
said.Wallaoe'tu;ned_down
bos An ge1_es
prosecutors
de- interviewedDavis-inJunebuttold the.offer,_e:iplaining
thathisrecord
to file chargesagainst"
him
himthat he is not awsuspect
in company
hadalready body-'
'
.3;
aCompton
slaying;
In F ebru; Wallace's
murder.No arrestshave guards,sour_c_essaid.
''_
gas
_ Vegas
police
told;
The_-beet_1madeinthe.c_ase1.
Davis told poiioedhathe also"
i-that Anderson was'~stlll
'.
investigator's
havebeen
focusingattended
the1inii;¢h
l
industry
1aosi¢
lered ai_n
Sh.akur's"_
i on~tbeideathat Wallace's
shooting party-atthe__Petersen
Miisemn_and
ng._
Biittheinvestigation
re- .:§tenimed
'.'from,a
pcmonal
disputespokewith =Walla'ce"
and.s'ev'eral
~
_ , I-- zit
with_a Con|ptgang
on member- members
ofhisentot'i
lessthan
rag_e
eallegations
against:
my cli-
possibly the result of an un id
an hourbeforethe rapperwasshot,
"*1
- '- Jo.
thatWallace-.and
his,j ~-.~:Da_vis_
could_ b_é.;r_eachedA|for
not
1,,-theaffidavit
are totally_..fse;;urity;j_bilI, -soimces.
said;Police some-=said
Ede'§l§?
one,Campbell
, -.w"
hesay they
bald
nosubsequentr'éco'rd7j.comj5any
"chairman,
Sean comment
"AttorneyFaal'de_ nied
rt with Anderson;-"But:fthe - ff,l§%921f.f>"I'
the-sug'gestiori;tha
hada'
-t
Combs!.
ooen_-..émployed
$.41
ofmsuncle,
Davis.
resiirféded
- inémljeré
oftheSouthside_Cifips
as z iig
todo
-4wi_th' _.Wal1ac8'§
j-Law
enf'1'-cement
'sources_say£-&#39
it inonthslater durii1g'~the
security -_-an
-allegation Combs
igation
or thekilling.ofShak- [adamant
denies
._ ly...
:,~'-.,.-.
vestlgators
havenotuncovered yiislcal
rival.Christopher
WaijDu'rlng
{an _in i.erv,iew'7
June evidence
in
uia'mvdusae'§muia ei
"q>'nne'c:tcd.
ss;ro"s1rysg.vF;&#3
New
Yorkrapstarknown
as--.,with;-police;'iI!avis_
told.'investig;a'.r....
_ _-~-D.--.~
-,-- -...__-..-.< l-.;
-, ..
FBI/D04
FEDERALOF
BUREAU
INVESTIGQION
FOIPA
DELETED PAGE
Serial Description
Total Deleted
Page 3
"b7C,
Page s!
b7D
" COVER
"1
INFORMATION SHEET
SHEET 02/05/1998
FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION
AND
PRIVACY ACTS
SUBJECT,
Tupac
Shakur_
FILE NUMBER_
_
__
266A-LA-ZQI 80j
SECTION NUMBERI _7S
FEDERAL BUREAU
_
_
OF INVESTIGATION
i
uuunwn
FEDERAL BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION
Precedence: ROUTINE
1
l
Date: 02/O5/1998
To: LosAngeles ~t/
Attn: s
From: Los Angeles t//F
b7C
NSD 6
Contac
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Case
ID
#= 266A LA 20l80'7 Pending!
'-92k&>U
Title:NI
ETAL;
AOT
DT
DEATH
OO: LOS
THREATS
ANGELES
Synopsis:
Requesting
approvalinterviewl
to
I
for THE
NEW YORKER MAGAZINE.
areporter
Details: For-your
information, on
preliminary inquiry
was
PI!
October 17,
initiated at
1996, a
Los An
b7C
eles Field
Office tocorroborate source
information that
auni en
known
organized were
crime
figure,
along
with
agroup
of
utilizing
death threats
in the
ified individuals
furtherance
of
extortion
rap musicians
from the
attempts targeting
Los Angeles
area
two former
and other
victims
prominent
yet
unidentified. v
an
others yet
rap music
the
unidentified have
stars via
been extorting
death threats.
other
subjects
making
telephonic
star. Subjects
then intercede
offering protection
also known
for
as
EAZY-E
Woodland Hills,
and then
scheme, prior to dying
from
targeted TUPAC
The scheme
by contacting
SHAKUR before
owner
the victim
his recent
rap
and
b7C
ERIC WRIGHT,
of
RUTHLESS
AIDS. :had
and
to the
Source
reported
was avictim
various
involves:
death
threats
aAfeez.
California,
money from
of
RECORDS in
b7D
this
extortion
also reportedly
murder in
Las Vegas,
Nevada.
b7D
I'____ l
b7C
b7C
gamete *5
I
Q4, Q9,
;,A»9- >92'{{
9 ~,O "7
To: Los
Angeles From:
Re: 266A-LA 201807,
Los Angeles
02/05/1998
LEAD S!:
Set Lead
1
1:
LOS ANGELES
AT AT
LOS ANGELES
interview reporter TI-IE
romYORKER
NEW MAG
Los Ang
'
ffice
is requesting
permission to
telephone number
12 536-5400
or 840-3800
via telephone
or by
sending a
lead to
New York Field Office
and have that office
conduct same
regarding the
above mentioned
information. .Research
revealed[:::::hrote an
YORKER MAGAZINE in the
article on
July 7,
TUPAC SHAKUR
for THE
NEW
1997, issue.
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4-6
A REPORTER
AT LARGE
THE TAKEDOWN
jl
OF TUPAC
Tupar Sbakur
was one
of gangsta
rap : biggest
stars. But
be got
caugbt in
acollisionqfrultures
when inner-city
gangs met
up
with the multibillion-d0l1ar'rec0rd
industry.
eotrmntno
AI L,£E3,§? lF°n,
egcownle
m;%'§°,,N$8
oaucrt
;|
r
i.
mu
' §9292
9292
'~9292925
I
.'.'
Ii
J
2|"
til
Ill
ml
.
pac Shakurwas
shot
Tugwere gangsters
just outof thepenitenand tiary. Theywould
look
killed inLas Vegas
last an, right throughyou.
No
After Tupasfs
murder, however,
things
at
you, staring began tounravel forKnight. In the
had pulled
a gunon
words would summer of1992, he
two rappers,
George and
Stanley LynIntimidation was
Suge Knight's
stock- wood, for using aphone atthe studio.
he wasriding inthe passenger seat
of a
have to be said."
B.M.W. 750sedan driven
by
Marion
Suge! Knight,
the head
of DeathRow
in-trade. It
is said that he forced ablack
at arival company to
Records. Death
Row, theleading pur- music executive
After beatingone ofthem withthe gun,
he ordered
them both
down on
their
room and
then madeknees, threatened to kill them, and
veyor ofWest Coast
gangsta rap,
isa strip inthe men's
forced themto takeoil" theirpants. He
his company's
music business phenomenon.
The com- him walknaked through
pany
earned
i
r.
three-hundredseventy- ve million
dollars oflices. A mammoth,
in revenueslast year.The rst album and- fteen-pound man,
Knight hasa
record, replete
with
Tupac made
for DeathRow, All Eyez substantial criminal
on Me, which wasreleased inearly violent acts. Even when he was on his
dealing
-say,withawhite
1996, sold
over five
million units.
Tupac best behavior'
enterhad madethree earlier
albums, but
they executive atone of the major
had neverreached thestratosphere of tainment companies -menacehung
the air.
One man
told me
about
quintuple platinum."
Still, thedays pre- heavy in
ceding hismurder wereanything but anegotiation he had in the apparent
halcyon forhim. It had become
increas- safety ofhis ownof ce. Knightwas atingly clear
that there
wasasteeppenalty tended byabodyguard,and whenthey
to payfor having
thrown inwith Suge reachedadifficult point inthe deal, the
bodyguard osrentatiously
leaned forKnight.
Even forthe rough edged
music in- ward andlet his gun, whichwas wom
jacket, slip into
dustry, which
has historically
been prone in aholster underhis
to excess and to connections with crimi-
nal elements,Death Rowwas aremark-
was convicted
on assault
charges and
put
on probation.
But fouryears later,
just
before Tupac
was killed,Knight took
part inthe beating
ofa maninLas Vegas, and
this puthim inviolation of
his
probation. InFebruary ofthis yearhe
began serving
anine-year sentence and
is nowin
San Luis Obispostate prison.
In addition, hundreds of millions of dollars' worth
of suits have now been led
against Death
Row thelargest being
that ofTupac's
charging
estate, that
he
was defiauded
of over fty million dollars, andseeking damages
of ahundred
and fty million!. Andthere maybe
more tocome. Ateam ofagencies, inFor atime, the aura
of violence
served cluding the
F.B.l., theD.E.A., and
the
ill view.
It granted
him enormous
li- l.R.S., areinvestigating allegations
able place.
It wasnothing for
Knight to Knight well.
of
cense in
small things
like keeping
other money laundering,
links tostreet gangs, ,1
for hours,without a drug trafficking,
bills toTupac foraweekend sexpenses. executives waiting
and organized
crime at 25%
ii
Knight'sinoLbs
ieeAngeles was
dec- murmur ofobjection!
and inlarger ones.Death Row.
hand over astack of hundred-dollar
orated in red, thecolor of
the
.
it
Bloods,
Music andvideo producers
who claimed
"I think, Tupac, youbrought down
were one ofthe most
evil empires
of mytime,"
one ofthe city's
principal gangs.
A guard that DeathRow owedthem money
holding ametal detector stoodat the too frightenedto demandit, or to sue. one
of his friends,
who grew
up inthe
front door of the Death Row studio. I
The potential
for violence
was also
apow- music business,
says. Hedid
not intend
have not been to one other studio to this
Tupac; thisfriend, like
er rl disincentive
to anyone
who might to romanricize
talking to
law-enforcementmany others,
day whereyou haveto be searched be- have considered
acknowledges Tupae
that
fore youget in, aveteranof theL.A. authorities about
was famously
split between
what hehimquestionable practices.
itnot keep him'omselfrefenedtoashis
domusic
businesswho worked with
Tupac Moreover, did
good"andhis
evil
|.
5
ekill
told me. They haveachecklist of people who can goin with guns. Soyou
have to gure, Theseguys haveguns,
and it's
along run to
the front door,and
ing business
with two of the entertainment industrfscorporate giants.
Death
Row hasbeen Funded
since itsinception
by its disnibutor, lnrerscope,
which for
sides, andthat it was hisdarker sidethat
seemed have
to gained
dominion during
much of his tenure at Death Row,
Nonetheless, these
friends insist,that
5|
gl
.
1.
1!
L
$5
chc
on
Yn_
lio.
un,
lcir
1nd
HePut
yust
aok
Ve'
his
'
he
and
;on.
loliled
.ing
rhe
io1~
lred
Ibc
in. the
.s of
ngs,
we
at
own
I
43
'<
!
"l_i n-tr
New
roman.
JULY
1,
m1
mother,
wasa member
of
nercities.
Andthereal
Tupac wastrying kur,Tupac's
to leave Death Row when he was killed.
theBlackPanther
Party.Earlyin 1971,
whileshewaspregnant
withTupac,
she
wason
trialforconspiring
toblowup
UWAMY
or
not,
Tupac
Shal<ur
name
sNew
Yorkdepartment
stores.
She
hasbecome
synonymous
withviolent several
bullet holes in them or
cuffs
on his
hands. None."
The leaders of the black nationalist
movement to
which
the other Shalmrs
belonged
hadbeenvirtually
eliminated,
largelythrough
theeffortsof theF.B.l.
stepfather,
Dr. Mutulu
tattooedacross
hismidr-i '!.
While hewas wereacquitted
justa monthbefore
Tu- In 1988,Tupac's
whohadreceived
a degree
in
bom.Hewasnamed
for thelast Shakur,
alive,
hewascensured
bypoliticians
and,like pacwas
in Canadaandusedhis
Inca chiefto betortured,btutalized,and acupuncture
otherrappers,waskept
'om
drug-abuse~treatrnent
someconcert
arenas
because
promotersmurdered
bySpanish
conquistadores
. .. skillstodevelop
wassentenced
tosixty
years
in
could
notinsure
theevens
thethreat a warrior,
Afeni
says.His surname, programs,
forconspiring
to commit
armed
is a kindofclannametakenby prison
ofmayhem
fromfans.
At thesame
time, Shalrur,
andmurder.
The crimes
hewas
in robbery
however,
hewassuspected
bymanyinhis a loosegroupof blacknationalists
accused
of included
theattempted
robcoreghetto
audience
of notbeing
cold- New York.
a Brinkarmored
s
carin
1981, in
Thephrase
"Black
Powerhadbeen beryof
blooded
enough
to measure
uptohisstao icers
anda guard
likea lullaby
when
l
wasa kid, Tupac whichtwopolice
tusasthearchetypal
gangsta
rapper.
in
a deposition
hegave
in 1995 werekilledandfor whichtheWeatlier
These
con icting
views
ofTupacre- recalled
ra.p
lyrics
andthug
life"aphrase
Tupac
had
>
and her codefendants the Panther 21
leader
KathyBoudin
was
ect,to
a degree,
racial
andsocial
chasms.in a civilsuitin whichit waschargedUnderground
Mutuluwasalsofound
lyricshadin u- alsoconvicted!.
Rap rns
insist
thatperformers
be
audien-thatsomeof Tupac's
to breakTupac's
ticrepresentatives
ofghetto
life:thatthey enceda youngmanwho murdereda guiltyof conspiring
He rememberedaunt, AssataShakurJoanneChesilivethelifetheyrapabout,thatlifecon- Texasstatetrooper!.
ourofprison.
Shehadbeen
conlivingin rnard!,
formroart,soto speak.
Rap critics,
s
on thatwhenhe wasa teen-ager,
the other hand, areterri edthat life will Baltimore,wedidn't
victedin 1977of murdering
a NewJethaveanylights.
l
conformto art, that the behavior~the used
to
sitoutside
bythestreet
lightsand seystatetrooper,
butescaped
twoyears
readtheautobiography
of Malcolm
X. laterand edto Cuba.Tupac's
godfadrugdealing
andtheviolence described
ther, Elmer Geronimo! Pratt, is a forAnd it madeit sorealto me, thatl did.n't
byrappers
willseep
intothemainstream
I
Parryleader
whowas
culture.
The majority
of ardentfansand haveanylightsathomeandI wassitting merBlackPanther
oflcilling
a schoolteacher
duron thebenches
readingthis convicted
consumers
ofrapare,in fact,middle-classoutside
inSanta
Monica
in 1968.
Andit changed
me,it moved
me. inga robbery
whiteyouths.
Seventy
percentofthose book.
I
whobuyraprecords
arewhite.!Itis the And then of coursemy motherhad He wasimprisoned
for twenty-seven
Hisconviction
wasreversed
a few
booksby peoplelike . .. PatriceLu- years.
fearof a violent,marginalized
culture's
andStokely
Carmichael,Seize weeks
agoontheground
thatthegovin uenceon susceptible
youngpeople tnurnba
ernmentsuppressed
evidence
favorable
thatfuelsmuch
of thepolitical
debate,theTime byBobbyScaleand'Soledad
andthisfearisexacerbated
bythewide- BrotherbyGeorge
signi cantly
that
Jackson.
Andshe tohimathistrialmost
wouldtellthese
stories
of
thingsthatshe theprincipal
witness
against
himwasa
spread
adoption
of
hip-hop
style.
Controversy,
ofcourse,
hasnever
hurt did or she saw or she was involved with paidpoliceinformant!.
andit made
mefeelapartofsomething. It wasahaunting
salm.
Tothecontrary.
Tupac
understoodthis
lineage,
andTupac
raised
meto thinkthatI was wouldfrequently
invoke
thenames
of
very
well,asdidtherecord cornpany
omen- Shealways
the BlackPrinceof the revolution. Mutulu,Geronimo,
tiveswhostood
to
pro tfromhis
andother political
Tupachadindeed
become
a prisoners
talents,
andhisnotoriety.
Themore
in hislyrics. It wasliketheir
BlackPrincebythetimehewas words
withmyvoice,"
hesaid. I just
trouble
Tupac
gotintowiththelaw,
wheretheyleftoff.
I
triedto
killed,but not alongthe lines continued
themorecredibility
hegainedon
the street--and the more viable a
I triedto be the new
laidout bythepoliticalactivists addsparkto it,
rapstarhebecame.
The huge-
i
t
commercial
success
ofgangsta
rap
created
a peculiarly
volatilenexus
between
theworldsof inner-city
of the sixties. Afeni and her
friends were involved in what
breed,thenewgeneration.
I
triedto
makethemproudof me."But, at the
theyperceived
asrevolutionarysametime,he did not want to bethem.
activityfor the goodof their Their revolution,andin mostcasestheir
'
community.
Tupacandhisfel- lives,too,wereashes.
gangs
andthemult;ibi.l.l.ion-dollar
record
industry.
Tupac
sometimes _ _/ /<, lowgangsta
rappers
sported
saidthat
he
thoughtof hissongs
as diamond-encrusted
goldjewelry,drove
parables,
andnowit ishisownlife'Rolls-Royce
his
Corniches,
andviedwith
defended
herself
witha withering
joumey
intothose
twoworlds,
andhis oneanother
in displays
of gargantuancross-examination
of
a keyprosecution
Nevertheless,
Tupac
didnotfor- witness,who turnedout to be an underimmolation
at the pointat whichthey excess.
were."Inmyfam- cover
converged that
seems
almost
allegoriml.getwhohisfbrebears
government
agent,
a erheracquit-
INthe
Panther
21 trial,
Tupac'
mother
l
ily everyblackmalewith thelastname tal, thisunschooled
but intellectually
ofShakur
thateverpassed
theageof fTHE
world
ofSugc
Knight
and
South
CentralLosAng92'.les
isatafarre- teenhaseitherbeenkilledorputinjail,
movefrom the one in whichTupac Tupacsaidinhisdeposition.Thereare
power-woman
ll
waslion-ized
circles,
invited
tospeak
atHarv:iii_lj'an
Yale,
and
subsidized
inanapartriiiiiit
on
Riverside
Drive.Tupab
and
Shakur
grewup,though
each,
initsown no Shakurs,black male Shalcurs,out NewYork's
way,romanticized
violence.
AfeniSha- right now, free, breathing,without his sisterSekyiwa,who wasbom in
s
is
LI.
ilu
in
his
ant
=in
led
vas
ib.in
ird
ner
vas
nd
tc's
SI
!l"ler
are
fa-
orvas
Mmuss9!
68. SHAKEFPFARE
'en
1975,became
smallPanther
49
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J.»
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celebritieson the radical-
chiccircuit. Thenevery-
"cw
thingchanged,
thepolitical
UV
ble - .4,2:
said
inhis
deposition.
"VVe
tidechanged
over, Tupac
went
onwelfare,
welived
in
theghettos
of theBronx,
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daughter.
She burnthat Vice-President
of hispublicists.
toldme. andat times tOlrl her Father how much she liloed it. saidhad noplaceinoursociety."
he wanted
to
be." Lee said that he was
tirtious that his mother's
former com-
pany
that
It
t
5-1
92/Vhalley
recalls
being
struck
asmuch
by
Ixthe
deposition
Tupac
gave
in1995,
Tupac's
looksandby his presence
as
whenhewasasked
tointerpret
sevrades
madenomoveto tryto rescue
her by histalent.He remembers
sayingto
and her children when she became ad- hisassistant,
on 2pacalypse
Now,
Haveyo-.1
everseeneyes eralof thesongs
dictedtodrugs.
Indeed.when
he
wasliv- like that?"
hee92plained
thatit washispractice
no
through
ingin MarinCity iicstirure.
withno
lnterscopc
hadpositioned
itselfas introducea centralcharacter
of a maverick
in themusic whomhecoulddevelop
a narrative,
bk
placeto stayhismotherandhehad something
that before
youcan
lbught
bitterly.
andheaccused
herofly- business,
producing
mostlyaltemativecausehe believed
whatI mean.youhaveto
rap.whichdrewon understand
ingto himaboutherdruguse!-it was rockandgangsta
ofthegangs
ofSouth
Cen- knowhowllivedorhowthepeople
I'm
mainlystreetpeoplewho triedto help theculture
haveto
him. Man Man CharlesFuller!.a friend tralLosAngeles
for itsmaterial.
Rap talkingto live.. . . You don't
who would later become his road man- wasoriginally
an EastCoastphenom- agreewith me,butjust to understand
talking
about.
Compassion,
to
ager.
provided
himwith
a
bed.andkept enon.an elementof the hip-hopcul- whatI'm
He alsosaidthathe
himfrombecoming
a Full- edged
drug tore of the nineteen-seventies,which showcompassion.
alsoincludedgra iti andbreakdanc- wasnotadvocating
dealer.
violence
against
the
that
Histbttunes
began
tobrighten
slightly ing. Althoughhip-hop musicbroke policebutwassimplytellingstories
in 1990whenhegot-.1
job with therap into the mainstream in 1979 with the described
reality
Foryoung
black
menstories
at that.in which
groupDigitalUnderground.
asa road international
hit Rappers
Delight," andcautionary
with violence
manager
anddancer.
But hisrealbreak it wasnotuntilthe lateeighties,
againstthe policeoftenleads
On onecrack
camethefollowing
year.whenhewas the emergence
of gangstarap,that it todeathorimprisonment.
he
says.
They
claim
that
l'm
violent
showed
signs
of
becoming
hugely
compicked
upbyInterscope-small
.1 oom-
justcuzIre rsetobesilent.Thesong
whenit gained
a
hadjust beenfounded
by mercial -especially
of whiteyouths.
much on the albumthat provedto be the
the recordproducer
jimmy Iovineand wideaudience
theentertainment
magnate
Ted Field as blues.jazz, andearlyrockandroll mostpopular
wasentitled"Brenda's
Got
anheirto theMarshallFieldfortune! had.In 1991.Interaeope
a Baby."Tupacsaidthat he hadwritreleased
Tupac's
asajointventure
withTimeWamer. firstalbum. lpacalypse
Now,"which oenthesong
afterreading
a newspapu
Tom Whalley.who signedTupac at was repletewith militant lyricsde- storyabouta twelve-year-old
girlwho
lntetscope.
hadbroughtin a demo pictingviolencebetweenyoungblack became
impregnated
byhercousin
and
of
.
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95,
ev-
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tgh
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IO
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David
Kemter
le wound
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top
afane
qftbe
batter!
black
labels,
Death
Raw.
t::bicl'
-was
cqfomtded
Dr.Dre.
thecon icting
senti- did notjoineithergang.He wasatbotcinerutor.
Asked
by
hislawyerwhether couldreconcile
tom an observer
and chronicler,
proI
heconsidered
thesong
a
political
state- ments.he says, I wrotethiswhen
I'm
about
a
charac- l"0nndl_92"
ment.Tupac
said,Yes.
. . . Whenthis was seventeen. . . . It's
utilitarian
in hisapproach
to
songcameout,nomalerappers
at all ter. somewhatlike myself,whojust experience
and,somethought,
people
I0
wentfromhav- as well. .-ind South Central L.A.anywhere
weretalkingaboutproblems gotintothetapbusiness,
thatfemales
werehaving,numberone.
ind
Number two, it talked about sexual
, KO
abuse.it talkedaboutchild molestation,
: he
it talkedaboutfamiliestakingadvanthe
rageof families,
it talkedaboutthe
-hat
of poverty,
it talkedabouthow
.'l_' e iscts
rich
ads
foreigncountry
ingnogirlsto nowthere's
girlsallthe whichis almostlike -.92
timeandhe's
justgetting
somuch
sex- withina city.sosingular
andbaroque
are
customs.
culture.
andlawsthat
ualattention
andhe's,
in hismind,a dy- thegang
namo.He's
RudolphValentino
and govern
it -was
therichest
territory
he d
FrankSinatra,he's
everybody.
. . . He
inngetanybody
hewanted.
. . . I man
Sol feltlilte. ..1
oneperson's
problems
moa 'ect
a whole actorandlwasapoet.
ever seen.
'
He couldbe with this poet,this
pimp.thisthug- he
couldsuckeveryofthemandthatwould
community
of people.
It talkedabout have to tell the multifacetednatureof thingfromeach
being.
. . .A mancanbesex- be partor him,"saidHan Man, the
howtheinnocent
aretheonesthatget a human
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close
toTupsc
since
hewasasmallboy,
wasapopleetic.
"I said, What
haveyou
done?"Tyehimba
recalledWetallned
aboutit, andit becameclearthat he did
t
I./J;
Q
s
3
1
ittomakesureheneve
"Q
-461
W .
or
Not
aem
n't."
IF
ived
trror
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PP
mm»
' ve
lou'l:
: the
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-
11-I251-|oor|ne|~'An.AurA
l
Cripswouldn't
thinkhewasa Blood.
Hisbehaviorwasnot
rigbehewason
theedge.But theyjust guredhewas
5+ l
meuevvom
!
Dr. Shakur . ..were violated by the
cowrcrrao program. GOINTELPRO
abuse, sodomy,
and also
weapons charges
was
bythe
relationships
was initiated
by theF.B.I. toneutralizeTyehimba alarmed
two
guns
were
found
in
thehotel room!,
and
warned
Tupac
to
keep
his
distance.
black activist leaders as well as certain
lawyer, Paul
Brenner, who
tight wing extremists.!
Recently,adein I told Tupac therst timelmet him, and Agnant's
the Patrolmen's
Benevotold Tupac,
everyone toldhad represented
velopment unlike
not that
in thecase ofCharles Fuller
lent
Association
for
many
years,
moved
away from
Iaoques.
Geronimo Pratt,
Mutulu wasgranted him heshould stay
that
his
client's
be
case
severed
from
his
permissionleto
amotionforanewtrial Tupac ignored
the warnings.
jaoques
on
the ground that
jewelry, two codefendants',
on
the ground that
evidence was
discov- had allthis goldand diamond
and
Man Manhad been
had money.
He had only Tupac
ered
indicating
that
the
government Man Mansays. He
charged
with
the
weapons
offenses, and
withheld information that would have anice H.M.W. He could getyou inany
that
therefore
the
indictment
was imclub.
Pac
was
just
starting
to
be
known
been favorable to his defense.
The prosecutor
did not
he couldn't
get inall theclubs. properly joined.
In thespring of
1994,about
six months then, and
about
four or vethousandoppose themotion somethingthat
after Tupac
shot the
police officers
in At- Iacques spent
lawyers
ishighly unusual Tupac inthe beginning-heTupac'ssay
lanta, Mutuluwas moved
from thepeni- dollars on
and
the
judge
granted
it.
just
overwhelmed
him.
According
to
tentiary Lewisburg,
in
Pennqivania,
to the
Itwas
apparently
after
Agnanfs
case was
someone
eisewho
knew
Agmnt,
Madonna
super-maximum-security federal
prison
severed that
Tupac
became
convinced
Tupac would
become close!
in Marion,Illinois, andfrom thereto the with whom
wasagovemment
informer
was one
of Agnantcelebrity
s
friends. that Agnant
country's
maximum-security
most
instiand
had
set
him
up.
'Tupac
suspicions
s
On November
14, 1993,Iaoques
Agnant
tution, inFlorence, Colorado.
In amemowere,
inevitably,
shaped
by
the
experiand
Tupac
went
to
Neil's,
downtown
the
randum writtenin February,1994, the
ence of his extendedfamily; Jacques
warden Lewisburg
of
argued
that Mutulu New Yorkclub. Afriend ofAgna.nt's,
right tome, says
Watani
as "Tim,"
introduced Tu-didn t smell
needed "the
controls ofMarion," inpart identi ed only
Tyehimba,
who
considers
himself
paranineteen-year-old
woman named
because ofhis outside contacts andin- pac to
ticularly
attuned
to
the
presence
underof
Ayanna
Jackson.
She
expressed
her
interuence over
the younger
black element."
because his
of long
history
danced together;
and shecover agents
Mutuluis
convincedthat Tupac
be- est inhim; they
orala
in
corner
of
the dancewith the Panthers and what he learned
camealightning rod afterhe shotthe performedsex
tiles obtained
through
floor. They
went tohis hotel,
where theyfrom COINTELPRO
policemenAtlanta.
in
These
disen 'anthe
Freedom
of
Information
Act.
had
intercourse.
The
next
day,
she
called
chised the young
blackswho
are poor
in November,
1994, during
many messages
on
his voice mail, One night
and hopeless have
no leader,Mutulu and left
and Man
Man, Tupac
other
things, how much thc trialof Tupac
said Theirheroes are
cultural and
sports saying, among
his prowess.
Four days was ata clubwith theactor MickeyRourke
heroes. Noone- not IesseJackson, not she'd enjoyed
Benza,
A.]. a
she returned
to and afriend ofRourke's,
Ben Chavis,not LouisFarrakhan- has later, onNovember 18th,
the DailyNews. Tupac
told
suite. There,
she found
Tupac, reporter for
asmuch
in uenoe
with
this
segment as his hotel
he believed
that Agnant
had
an unidenti edBenza that
rappers. when
So Tupac
stands to
upa Man Man,Agnant, and
later Benza
white cop,
shoots out,
it wins
the battle,friend ofAgnanfs. Theyall watched set himup.Acouple of days
wrote
an
account
the
of
conversation,
retelevision
in
the
living
room,
and
then
gets cutfree, and
continues to
say the
she and
Tupac went
into thebedroom; calling thatTupac hadtold himthat
things he's
been saying decision
- the
to
him upfrom
later, the three othermen enteredthe Mike Tysonhad called
destroy his
credibility clear.
is
prison to
wam him
that Agnanrwas
bad
room. What
ensueddisputed;
is
Jackson
news." On
the night
of November
30th,
claims
that
she
was
forced
to
perform
N II-IETHER
happenstance
by
not, or on Tupac
deliberating, Tupac
went
about two weeks after the At- oral sex
while
Agnant partlywhile thejurywas
studio rap
to for
and grabbed
her 'om
be- toaTimesSquare music
lanta shooting
something occurred
that undressed her
could not have beenbetter de-
hind, andthat theythen madeher per- an artist,Little Shawn,who, accordingto
Man Man,
had ties
to Agnant.
WhenTuform oralsex onAgnant's
while
friend
his entourage
entered the
lobby
Tupac held
her. ManMan, pac and
she acknowledged,
did not
touch of the studio, threeblack menfollowed
ultimately lead
to hisundoing.
guns, and
ordered them
to lie
her.! Tupac
claimed that
he leii: them, drew
VVhile in New York for the
lming ofthe movieAbove 'V
down. Tupac
reached for
his owngun,
the room when the other men
., =2
-"
.
entered anddid not witness which he
usually wore
in hiswaistband,
the Rim, Tupac hadbeen socializing
ve
- whatever happened. In
any cocked. Themen thenshotTupac
with a Haitian-bom music
promoter,
his gold
jewelry, and
ed
testified thatshe leftthe times, grabbed
Jacques Agnant.
Tupac was
playing thecase, Jackson
Convinced
that
the
shooting
had
also
suite
in
tears
and
that
Ag-nant
told
her
to
part ofagangster
named Birdie
i.n the
the shootus
would
saying that
he would
hate beenasetup,and that
movie, and
he
told friends thatspending calm down,
checked
to seewhat happened
to Mike[Tyson] return tonish thejob, Tupac
happen Tupac
to
: that
is, awoman
charg- himself outof the hospitalafew hours
signed remove
ro
Tupac
from
circulation-and that
would
1%
tirnewithAgnantl1elpedhirninl1isporand movedsecretly to
the
ing himwithsexual assault,
which iswhat after surgery,
house ofthe actressjasmine
Guy to,retrayal
of Birdie
as mueh
outwith
Jackson promptly
did. She
summoned the
he retumedto
the courthotel's osecurity
icers, who
called the cuperate. When
the gangs
in South
Central providedhim
and inawheelchai.r,_he
with material
for hislyrics. He
said that police. Tupac,
Man Man,and Agnant foom, bandaged
of thethree sodomy
counts
A,gna.nt's
left.!friendwas acquitted
he was
studying]aoques~ that]aoques were
was arrested.
Indictments were handed down on sex- and the
weapons charges
but, inam;a_p-.
Birdie, Watani
Tyehirnba recalls.
But
- ?/ '
nu
9t~@
1
5°
n!,
I ..._
ho
'
0ed
ais"
132
CH
nd
_-n"rot
tat
__
V85
zed
I
oer
ms
5;.res
ani
at.
tsnacrnmnrorsexuatas
parentcompromise
verdict,convicted
of
.er- two
counts
of sexual
abuse speci rally,
my
. lC l
-as
forciblytouchingAyannaJackson's
but-
tocks. Bail was set at dtree million dol-
lars,and'I'upacturnedhimse1fi.nandwas
incarcerated.
On February7, 1995,he
eh
was sentenced to a term of not less than
one and a half to not more than four and
I
a halfyearsin prison.
l
-mg
l
PZC
dismissed,
andhe pleadedguilty to two
irkc
a,a
misdemeanors. When I asked Melissa
Mourges,
the
assistant districtattorney
:old
had ,
nza
A fewmonthsafterTupacwassentenced,
Jacques
Agnant's
indictment
was
.
I-
who had tried
the
caseagainstTupac,
whyAgnanthad
been dealtwith in such
a favorableway, shesaid that Ayanna
Jackson
was reluctant
to
go throughthe
case
again.Jackson
had,however,
brought
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why,
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him?"
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Otherfactorsweighingon
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Tupaccontributed
to hisanxiety
about
being
in
prison.He
_.._.
wasthebreadwinner
for
a large
"Sam
itoevyfacussed.
extended
family--hismother,
his sister,her baby,his aunt
andherfamily,andmore.Iris
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Then
theguards
started
sayingTupaclTupacl'
in thisfalsetto
voice,
putting
uptheir ngers
'//I/-u
#1
I./7
//I
l »i
._-----
-
Crews,
oneof hisattomeys
in
.1-
I t.4
|
l»
:-
case - who
hadbeenleery
. . . she's
nice,she's
quiet,she's
a the sex-abuse
gaveme,I'm
notinnocent
interms
of the school
Tupacbut became
bewayI wasacting.
. . . I'm
justasguiltyfor square,
she's
a
goodgirl. She's
my rst of representing
Had beenthis
and
only girl iendI everhadin myen- guiledanddevotedhe
not doingnothingas I am for
doing
mywife."
things.He accepted
blamefornothav- tirelifeandnowshe's
foulmourhed,woman-hatingkid,
1
havedone it ! tecalledthat
ingintervened
onbehalfofAyanna_Iack TupacandMorristalkedaboutmov- wouldn't
in courtwithabunch
son. "I knowl feel ashamed- becauseI
ing to Arizona,andwhat theywould onedayashesat
wantedto be accepted
andbecause
I nametheirkids.He startedto organiu of youngchildrenclimbingall over
arecess
hehadremarked
to
didn't
want
no
harmdoneto me,I d.idn t his nances,
andattempted
tosettlethe himduring
work, these
kids
don t
numerous
lawsuits
pending
against
him her, If I don't
saynothing."
beendeprived
of hischildIn Aprilof199S',
whilehewasstillin across
thecountry.
Butin theforbidding,eat. He'd
feudal
backdrop
of theClinton hood,andthen,attwenty,hehadtwenty
prison,
hemarried
Keisha
Morris,whom almost
Facility,
hisefforts
seemedpeopleto support,shesaid.Beyond
he'd
been
datingfor aboutsixmonths Correctional
legalfeesforcases
beforehewasputin
Erninently
re- increasingly
irrelevant.
I-Iislawyers
were that,hehadenormous
sponsible
andlevelheaded,
shewasgo-
Afternearlysix
lingappeals
inhiscase,
andunder
those all overthecountry.
ingto schoolandholdingdownajob; circumstances he could have been al- months
inprison,
despite
themoney
beshedidn't
smokemarijuana;and she lowedtopostbail,butthedistrict
attor- ing advanced
byInterscope,
Tupac's
didn't
immediately
havesexwith him. ney's
o ice
was ghting
hisrighttodoso, funds
were depleted.
Morris told me that
on
their rst dare andtheproceedings
dragged
on,month
month.
Whathehadspoken
ofinitheysawa movie,andthenTupacpre- after
vailedon herto stayin hishotelroom. tiallywhen he wasat RikersIslandas
solveall Tupac's
nancialprobby
Whensheinsisted
ongoingtobed rlly prison's
gift" ofrespite
andintrospec- lems.DeathRowhadbeensmrted
by SugeKnight and the rap producer
dressed,
heprotested
onlythat"youcould tion -nowhadbeenovershadowed
Dr. Dre in
1992. Knightwasa former
of incarceration.
takeofFyoursneakers.
In thedepositionthenightmare
of Nevadafootballstarwho
hegave
inthecivilcase
brought
against Dannemora was a hellhole -he had University
him
by thefamilyof the
young manwho a one-to-four-year
sentence,
andthey had grownup in Comptonin South
hehad
hadmurdered
theTexasstatetrooper, puthimin a maximum-security
prison!" CentralLA. In thelateeighties,
:DEA'1'I-I
ROW
RECORDS
offered
to
Stewart
says.worked
asabodyguard
intheburgeon,Tupacdescribed
hisnewwife: _She one
s of hislawyers,
thatwhilehe
twenty-two,
she's
a
Scorpio,
she..'. Levy
justrecalls
ingLA. rapscene,
eventually
developihga friendship
withDre,whowasthen
graduated
fromIohn]ayCollege
witha Tupae
one day,
"Tupac
had*a i- ectal
search when he came in oo the visita member
of thegroupN.W.A. Knight
degreein criminalscience,and she's
ingarea.Thenwe
spentsixhours
there persuaded
Dre that he wasgetting
rakenayearo she'sgoingtogotolzw
i
*s
.. .
..IA."Y
.
"J-4
l
-.- av
.
~. - ~
-Q
- _ ,»§Iu
, ,. -:
a..-»:.-~'»~.~-»5='-1;-T-"-s.-t.
.»
-
7.
n-/
0
n
.1
V
was
VARNERANDDEATH
'.
v
-
s1
possible
criminal
activities
at
cheated
byhisrecord
company
andthat Row wouldcontinue.Then, in the late vestigating
of1995,'I'une
Wameragain
came DeathRow.SugeKnighthasalways
heshould
leave.Knightis alleged
to spring
foritsinvolvement
in gang- beenatpains
toportray
himself
asaninhavethreatenedDre's
producerwith underattack
starap,thistimebythejoinedforces dependent
operator.For example,he
baseball
batsandpipes
inorderto
break
his contract.
The release of Dre's
album
I
Fl
of Wi iam
Bennett and C. DeLores
boastedthat Death Row, u.nl.ike
other
Tucker,thechairwoman
oftheNational smallcompanis,ownsits mastersthe
of BlackWomen. originalrecordings
of thealbums!.
Since
Chronic"shortlyafterDeathRowwas PoliticalCongress
valueof raprecordings
is
founded
helped
establish
thecompany
as
Tucker,
pointing
toTupac,
Snoop
Dogy thelong-term
at thispoint,theowna majorforce.Bythesummer
of 1995,it Dogg,andDr. Dre the lattertwo at onlyspcmlative
is
a matterof ego
wasoneof thetopreoordcompanies
in DeathRow!,allof whomhadproblems ershipof themasters
that Interscope
is more thaneconomis,a musicexemtive
therap
world.
music
Suge
andDrere- withthelaw,declared
Iv
U.
O
The
to me,andin thecaseof
TimeWarnerneeds
to get explained
allywereamagical
combination,
ablack a company
DeathRow itwas
important
fortheimoutof business
withimmediately."
Tupac
wastoopromising
anartist
for agetosaytheywereblack-owned.
But
oneof thebigmusiccompanies
toldme.
s
areheavily
Theyweretrusted
onthestreets.Vi/bite lnterscopc
toconsider
jettisoning-,
but in factDeathRow masters
andhavebeenusedassecuor blackexecutives,
no matterwhat their therewasa compromise
solution
that mortgaged,
loansandadvances
from
winking,
werenotgoingto be trusted. might
make
it appear
thatInterscope
was rity againsr
Indeed,
DeathRowhasbeen
fiomhim,andthesolution
ap- Intezsoope.
Ve're
square
tothem. And Knightwas insulated
formidable
manager.He neverreally parentlymadesenseto everyoneinnancially
dependent
onlntersoope
from
entertainment executivewho was then at
l
I1.
J-
remedtosleep.
He
hadaninstinct
with volved -except
thebeginning.
Tupac.
eopleaboutwhathethought
theirmarVVhileKnightclearly
hadagreatdeal
SugeKnighthadwantedTupacat
he andIovineworkedtohe of autonomy,
etability
could
be. He
could motivate DeathRowforsometime,although
lre to nish what
he
started. And
he
hadnotbeen
a
Tupacsupporter
at rst. getherclosely.It wasJimmyandSuge,
idn't
take no for an answer. Dre had cswhoknew
HewasnotintotheTupac-artist
thing, IimrnyandSuge,"someone
rntially
alltheideas,
andSugetheman- a producer
whoknowsSugesays.But them both well told me. since no one
gcment
muscle
togetit done."
that"set
thencamehis thugnotoriety- being wantedto tellKnightanything
Death Row owed its start to Intercalled
a
rapist,
gettingin brawls.
. . . his ise, hesaid,it wasIovinewhodealt
he
became
moreat- withKnight.
;ope.
jimmylovine
andTedFieldhad With hisproblems,
Therelationship
wasvery
ecided to
fund Death Row and distribPromotions
andmarketing
for
tractive
toSuge."
Knight
hadbeen
malt- hands on.
DeathRowwerehandledby an lnte_rre its products
in1992, whenother ingovertures
toTupac
withlnterscope's
A music
executive
whoworked scope
ampanies
hadshied
away.
Oneexecu- blessing.
employee.
If a production
company
veat a majorstudiowho had turned with Inrerscope
a video
forDeathRow,its
recalls
Iovinesaying
to wasmaking
awnthe prospective
DeathRowven- Knight,Take
mightwellbe with lnterscope.
thiskid,takehimplease.contract
5
The closenessbetween the two comout of control. You can control him.
zretoldmethathe andhiscolleaguesHe's
:lt that "life is too short" to assumethe
Takehim."WataniTyehimba
rememberspanies
wasunderscored
bytheirphysical
sk that theybelievedan associationa meeting
Until lastyeartheywereloin
1993 attended
byTupac, proximity.
thehallfromeachother
andhimself,
at which catedjustacross
ith Knightmightpose.Timmy
iscom- Knight,Iovine,
~rtable
withgangsters,
hecandealwith lovine,saying
building
inWestwood.
it madesense
forTupacto ina.noliioe
workwith
Dr.Dre,argued
strongly
that
vesaid. He's
a streetguyhimself."he shouldsignwith DeathRow.Tye-
tern, it doesn bother
t
him, the execu-
wine the sonof
a
Brooklynlong-
himbawassurprised,
but lovine ex-
ONabusiness
owchart,
itmay
have
meant
justshifting
Tupacfrom
plained
thatInterscope
andDeathRow oneboxtoanother,
butforTupactogothe next David Geffen- wa11ted to make had
fromInterscope
to DeathRow,onlya
a
unique
relationship -suggesting
hismarkfast,andhewasimpatient
with thatDcathRow's
gainofTupac
would hallway
apart,
wasto entera di crent,
--1oreman,
who,manysay,aspired
to
be
: s
I0
D
>Y
21'
Bl
1-._
4 _,-.,_,
»¥~4
'4l
-1:,
_J .,2.,»
'
I; '5
theprogress
of hisnewbusiness
at rst. not meanInterscope's
signi cant
loss.
reSohegambled,
andreaped
thepayoff: The exactnatureof that unique
maybe of morethanacagangsta
rapturned
outto
be agoldmine. lationship"
But the disadvantage
of beingin- demic interest to federal authorities involved
withDeathRowwascontinuing
reproaches
fromsocialcriticsand incensedshareholders.
Time Warner had
succumbed
to pressure
of that nature
whenit disengaged
itself Ice-T
'omin
1993.By early
1995,
however,
thepro-
tability
ofgangsta
rapseemed
tobesppingthescales
ofgreed
andfear.VVhen
I XV
4
aswellasdrugconvictions.
Hewassaid
to haveprovided
theseedmoney
for
Death Row.KnightandHan-is's
lawyer, David Kenner,who hadalsobe-'4
comethelawyer
forDeathRow,were
A92
92 ests.Therewereeventumorsthat
supposed
to beguarding
Harris's
inter-
oompanywas
being
used
no
launder
Time Warnerwasdismissing
raisingits
stake
inInterscope
fromtwenty- ve
per
centto y percent,theysought
assurancesthattherelationship
with Death
and far more sinister, world. It was
widelybelieved
thatoneof themajorinvestors
in DeathRowwasa drugdealer
namedMichaelHarry-O!Harris,who
wassewingtimefor attempted
murder
-§_,...-__.55'"-§_-
money
on
a continuing
basis.
More'<:i92&#
it wassaidthattherewereconuactsldliiill
onKnight,
and
that
Harris
was
uxihappiyii
-%92_Z
..:5?
L
Ii '
+92u
'vF,¢
I Hi-b -.
7" its- :2=
."
~'
. :"4-.'T"
As.
4;t 92
.1.-1,
_ -;
1-
0
-
..
_
_i_.i__-_
fD
.3
<_,;'
.
fr~
no
w
..._.._._<__-.¬..-__. ._..
.
<
.. . ,
_
___.. _ ._.
..
._._.._
~ '
.- -_....
,..,.
EM!
I
to.It hadbecome
notonly town;BadBoyEntertainment
C.E.Q.
with Knight's
business
practices.
How theywanted
many
of
these
stories
hadreached
lovine attractive but vital to Death Row that SeanPuffy!
Combs;
therapper
Chris-
TupacjointhelabelOneof thecom- topher
Wallace,
known
bothasBiggie
andastheNotorious
B.l.G.;and
Knight's
criminal
record
andpropensity
pan!/sbiggest
stars,
SnoopDoggyDogg, Smalls
forbrutality
whenhe rstmadethedeal wasfacingamurdertrial.anditwasn1- others.Theyall denied
anyinvolvewith Death Row, and as time went on mored on the street that Dr. Dre was ment.!
At rst,ManMansaid,
Tupac
thatBiggie,
whohad
he became
awareof the continuing
cli- leaving.
Drewould
indeed
leave
byearly did notbelieve
is not clear.He did, of course,know of
mateofviolence
thatenveloped
theoom- 1996.! Death Row could not affordto beena goodfriendof his,andwhohad
AndKnightsurely
knew cometovisithimwhenhewasrecuperpany.
A
lawsuitagainst
DeathRowand losebothartists.
Intersoope
was ledonbehalf
ofa man thatTupac
would
bemorepopular
than atingfromhis wounds,hadbeenin-
term,
stomped
todeath
at
a DeathRowparty everalterhisprison
in early1995.
As
for MichaelHarris bankrolling
s
of
Death Row, Iovine told
federal
investi-
gators
thathehadhearda rumorabout
it in 1994 or 1995, but it was not until
December,1995, when Harris threat-
inanyway. Butwhen
Tupac
more real volved
was
injail hewasgettingletters
frompeople
Biggiehadsomething
to do with
Even thoughlnterscopeadvanced
Tupacsixhundred
thousand
dollars
dur- it, hestarted
thinkingaboutit, it gotso
ingtheninemonths
hewasin prison,
he outof hand,it grew andonceit got
wasbrokeandfrustrated.
To
Tyehimba, thatbig,publicly,
youhadtogowithit.
there seemed to be an unmistakable
WataniTyehimba,
Stewart
Levy,and
to his audiencethan he had been before.
enedto suethecompany,
claiming
that synchrony
atwork.
Interscope
would
not Charles
Ogletree
allsaytheyargued
vigit, that Iovine took time or couldnotprovideenough
with
Tupac abouthisdecision
to
funds
for orously
rumorseriously.
If thiswastrue,then Tupac.
AndasKnightbecame
a more gotoDeathRow.told
Tupac us, The
lovinewasstrangely
insulated,
forin L.A. andmoreimportunate
too
suitor,Intersoopetroublewith all of you is, you're
Tyehimbatoldme
music
circles
I-latrisrole
s waswidely
gos- wassqueezing
us to get us to go to nice," Levyrecalls.
sipedabout.Indeed,in the summer
of DeathRow,"Tyehimbasays.Knight- thatathislastmeeting
withTupacatthe
1995,monthsbeforeHarriswroteto Io- accompanied
by Death Row's
lawyer, prison,
Tupachugged
him,wept,and
vineabouthisintentions
to sue,thehead DavidKenner,
whohadcometo playa said,"l knowI msellingmysoulto the
of theTime Warner musicdivision,Mimajorrolein thecompany,
farexceed- devil." Kennerdrafted a handwritten,
chaelFuchs,
madeanoverture
toarrange ingspeci legal
agreement
forTupac
tosign.
c taslcs made
repeatedthree-page
a prisonmeetingwith Harris.He was trips to Dannetnorato visit Tupac. Withina week,in
a stunning
coincitheNewYorkCourtofAppeals
tryingto decidewhetherthe company Knight
promised
tosolve
Tupac's
most dence,
should
yield
to the politicalpressure intractable
problems.
According
toseveral grantedhim leaveto postbail. The
aboutgangsta
rapandsellitsinterest
in peoplecloseto Tupac,Knightclaimed moneywasprovided
by Interscope
and
lnterscope,
andhebelieved
thatit might thatKennercouldcurethelegal
a division
of TimeWarner,although
wellbe Harris,not Knight,whocould andwinpermission
to postbail.Knight Tupacalways
gaveSuge ill credit.!
speakwith-authority
to Time Warner irtherpromised
Knight
andKenner
arrived
in a prithathe wouldputup
about the future direction of Death Row.
someportionof thebailand,moreim- vateplaneandwhitestretch
limousine
to
Themeeting
never
took
place, becauseportant,makeDeathRowthecorporatepick
Tupac up.Underscoting
thedegree
Time Warner executivesand the board of guarantor
between
Interscope
and
fortheentirety.
Knightswore of porousness
directors
quicklydecided
thatthecom- hewouldmakeTupac
a
superstar,
much DeathRow,Tupacwas,according
to
pany
should
shed
itstroublesome
invest- biggerthanhe'd
familiar
withthenegotiation,
beenwith Intersoope.someone
releasefromhislntermentby sellingits fty-per-cent
stake And he wouldsolveTupac snancial givena verbal
Hewould
evenbuyAfeni
a
house. scopecontractAs for Kenner's
backto lnterscope.
lnterscope
wasable worries.
handlt was
a
dazzlinghand.VVhatwas written
to exploitthatrebuffby turningaround
document,
Ogletree,
whowould
andsellingthe fty-per-centstaketo probably
"Itwasn't
Knight's
trumpcard,however, notseeit untilmuchlater,says,
MCAMusic
Entertainment
Group
now wasthe thing that he, and he alone, a legalcontract.
.. . It wasabsurdthat
known
asUniversal!,
for
a profit
ofroughlycould
olferTupac- the
auraofgangsteranyonewith an opportunity
to re ect
a hundred million dollars.
agree tothose
terms.
Itwasonlybepower.Eventhough
Tupachadclaimed would
thathehadoutgrown
thegangster
pose, cause
hewasin prisonthathesigned
it.
hisstayin Danncmora
hadmadehim Tupac
wassaying,Myfreedom
iseveryhe ownedhalf
of
Temnmo
as
Knight's
oifers
were
DeathRowwasthepremier
rap
thing.
If youcangetmemy eedom,
you
could
back him, a
record
afteranother!,
Tupaehadconsis-neededa label that
tentlydeclined
to leave
Interscope.
But friendwhovisitedhim in prisonthat
INways
large
and
small,
inboth
art
feel more vulnerable than ever before.
togetoutofjail, andhe canhave
access
tomyartistic
product.
"
label,puttingout onemulti-platinum Hewanted
in the summerof 1995, when it seemed summer
says.
"Thestreetshithadto be
andlife,
Tupac
Shalcut
instinctively
asthoughhisincarceration
mightcon- dealtwith,andSugehadpoweron the pushed
pastcustomary
boundaries,
and
Tupac
brooded
aboutbeingshot whenhecameoutof prisonandjoined
tinueinde nitely for
years
even,
ifhe street."
wasnot allowedto postbail-he was intheTimes
Square
studio
and DeathRowthatimpulse
washeight-
whathebelieved
wasthesetup
by ened.
moredesperate
than_he'd
everbeen.It about
Hewould
workthelongest
wasinthisbleak
moment
that
Jacques
Agnant.
Healso
suspected
nineteen-hour
stretches,
despitezlthe
and,apparently,
Iovineaswell saw
the whoweretherein thestudiothatnight: consumption
of enormous
amounts
of
opportunity
to arrange
thingstheway Andre Harrell, now the head of Mo- alcohol
and
marijuana!,
hewould.;pe-
,vrI
1- -
.d¥£~l~
.53
3.
5as
ad
1c
.d
.-.d
3-
'us
:l6
.:h
so
"ot
r..
nd
gto
:1c
90
ne
he
ad
;ne
:n,
:n.
:ia.ls
he
nd
gh
:i_
'4
-2
!
l
92
69
it
"__ meYORKER
NEW
1, :99
had areal star. Theyhad Snoop
and
in NewYorkaTuer
come the
biggest star,
he would
become hospital bedside
in theTimes Square
lobby!, Drrthe!/re entertainers. Snoop could
asuperpower within the Dmth Row- pacwas shot
dominated world
of gangsta
rap. Just the encounterfailed to satisfy him.It be sitting quietly overthere in acor-
l
nine months
earlier, he
had said,Thug was inSuge Knight,many thought,es- ner" he gesturedto oneend ofthe respecially when
they sawthe twoto- taurant wewere sittingin but if Tugether-the
slender,
l.ithe youth
shad- pac werehere hewould createsucha
Pac waslike a chameleon, Syke
says,
would
be
saying, That's
owed bythe other's
massive bulk,
the ruckus. People
echoing
acommonview among
Tupac's
had star
aura. Suge
saw that,
one allanimation, the
other
exuding
au- Tupac! He
friends. Whatever he was
around,
that's
what heturned into.And whenhe got thority -that hefound thatconnection. and he liked that. All of a sudden,there
life to me is dead." Now he embraced it.
these pictures
of Suge,
together
Tupac andKnight seemed
almost in- were all
feeding off
each other.
in months
a er Tupac's
re- with Tupac,
While Tupac
had uansgtessed
many separablethe
around DeathRow, hetried to be that."
r
t
;
i
.
.
i
t
92
t
l
i
Y
t
y.
social limits,he hadalso drawnto
him
lease from
prison; they
worked together
DNCE Tupac
came
of out
prison
and
"Gridlock d": You
Friend Like Me."
Coast rappers
than anyone.
For all the
in thestudio, and
socialized
people who
tried, with
varying degrees
of long hours
were through.
One ofTusuccess, tomoderate his behavior. But when they
joined Death
Row, heprobably
when he
set out for the province of pac'sremembers
friends
watching
them did more to stoke the ames of amuch
between East
and West
Death Row,he leftbehind vi.rtually
all sing asong from the soundtrack of publicized feud
of these putative guardians am0ng
them, WataniTyehimba, KarenLee,
Ain t Never
Had a
i
posturing and
the displays
of bravado
aspersions on
casteveryone's
inThe combination of Tupac and and the
I
was primarily
afeud about
to havebeen combustible,tegrity, this
marriage was
later annulled.!
YaasmynKnight seems
Man Man, even hiswife, Keisha. Their
Fula, whowas oneof the few old friends
money. Rap
had originated
in theEast,
with each
activating the
most explosive
who remained
close to
Tupac, says
that
elements in the other. Someone who has
but, starting in the late eighties,the
1
92
gangsta rappers
from LosAngeles were
Tupac arrived
at Death more successThen
il. PuffyCombs's
pletely differentsoldier mentality.He that itwas after
he
was
out of his element. lt was a oom-
known
Knight
well foryears points
out
was based
in
was fascinated
by
it because ofthe ab- Row that its signatureexcess becameBad BoyRecords. which
sence of
amale gure whocoidd
say,
evenmore
pronounced- fancy
clothes, New York, began puttingout its own
'Leave
alone.'
it
"
gold anddiamond jewelry
especiallyversion ofgangsta rap whichthe West
merely derivative.
Watani
"He was
always looking
for afather," heavy medallions,
laden withdiamonds insisted was
me thatmuch ofTupac's
Watani Tyehimba
says, inme some,
in and rubies,
bearing the
Death Rowsym- Tyehimba told
Mutulu some. But what he missed was bol of ahooded gure in an electric anger at
Biggie Smalls,
Pu 'y's
suc- most
one fatherwith the good andthe bad, chair!, Rolls-Royces four were pur- cess il rapper,
was based
on professional
not acomposite. By the time Tupac chased to
jealousy: Tupac
was inja.il, andBiggie's
celebrate Snoop
Doggy Dogg's
met the man who said he
was h.is father acquittal on
More Chance"
was No.1on
murder charges!,
and lotsof single One
a former Black PanthernamedBilly women. Before
Tupac, aknowledgeable the charts. In an interview in The Saurce
insider pointed
out, DeathRow hadnot in ll/larch,1996, Tupac
Garland, who
materialized Tupac's
at
claimed he'd
been
Sleeping with
Bigg-ie's Wife,
the singerFaith Evans,
and
he went so far as to taunt
ll -
Biggie about
it in asong: I
icked your bitch, you fat
motherfucker."
Some of those close to
Tupac wereappalled atthe
Faith Evans
imbroglio. She
denies that such an encoun-
ter with Tupac evertook
ea}: U -
1'8
.
1C1
l
J
rid
aly
ch
25!
he
do
.1
- Pr
!n
nut
EA.$'l'COASl
ISI,
the
CW
..
VE.YTCQ°QT
" WA-.
ketingpossibilities.
But it may
alsohaveplayed
into
a
real,not
hyped,desirefor vengeance
on
Knight's
part,sinoe
he is saidto
__-->'_____' -Q.
ere
_
.1.
_ __ __ 92_'77I
>$'s
have
blamed
Puffy
for
a close'-=-5?;
_____
i __~.--*
;_~_..1¢
.._
.wn
in i
,
I,
CS!
ani
,
acs1
uc
F
r
mil
I
i
;ie's
Friend's
murder.
Thefeud
moved
' ,
.
Q,
to a newplaneat a.Christmas
D '-"'
'~ -
bash
in 1995,
hosted
byDeath
mansion,
intheHollywood
Hills.
A record
promoter
fromNew
York,MarkAnthony
Bell,
who
isanassociate
ofPu.fly
Combs,
is
saidto havebeenluredupstairs
U768
en r
rife,
and
to
a roomWhere
Knight,
Tupac,
andtheirentourage
hadbeen
tunt
*
.fat
e to
"the
1She
auntook r
-
----
Row
attheChateau
LeBlane_i - __. IQ-
. OH
'
;= 1
6|
verbal,it wasuse ilfor its mar-
"'
-
_-_¢ _~
_I
_,- -~§%
.4
-jour
Cunalatres
girls-!.
ii_,,,a
And ddr92"l
fOf,gl
1"»:wooJs
aretrawl- "*5
n9Fm
wiih Plmsloarapheril
5_
l
-
-_'
l. -1- '
. .,-.5 _;'
"-
-- 0-
i
_
i .--L
_
1--
drinking.
Bellwasallegedly
tied
to a chair,interrogated
about
a-- x-_
,-:_"
*""'_"'_'-'
""l
-_r-'-'
.---""
,-4-~.
M
"'*.
~..:i.
id
r -'
-%-i
'-"
--_- ..|'
thekillingof Suge's
friend,and
hounded
fortheaddress
of Puify
andPu 'y's
mother.
He isalleged
to have
been
beatenwith
broken
champagne
bottles,
andKnight
issaidto haveurinated
intoajat
and told Bell to drink from it.
Bell receivedan estimated six~
hundred-thousand-dollar settle-
mentfrom Death Row, and he declined
;
//all
9292.92
/ CA
MPAWAMNABE
lg =a.~~
=|
to presscharges.
But a friendof Bell's
told me that he had reachedhim in JaIn February,
Tupachad decided
to
maica
about
a monthafter the incident,
start
hisownproduction
company,
called
andBell hadsaidto him, I'm
heretilll
had."But shesuggests
Euphanasia,
and
he askedhisoldfriend thanInterscope
heal.Theybusted
me
up bad! People Yaasmyn
Fulatocometo L.A. torunit. that she was not oblivious of the dark
whowerewithTupacthelastyearof his
Fulabegantryingto organize
Tupac s sideof KnightandDeathRow.Shetold
lifearenotsurprised
thathewouldbein- business
affairs. We weren't
getting me thatTupachadnot allowedeither
volved
in something
likethis. VVhencopies
youngcousins the
of the nancial
accountings,"
she Sykeor Tupac's
TupacwaswithSuge,"
onefriendsays, said."VVe'd
Outlawz, who travelledwith him and
askfor them,andthey'd
with
i
I
.!
92
9292
3}
t92. i
i
~
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oz
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we»
.
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-1.
.
. ~.
'.
.
..- ,
Q;
_*_,,.-
l.
4
-
.
-
'*""i
'
7_
te ~*:~
.-.
- -';¢ -
.-. -,92,J,
.
=.'»*--I.-;
-- Z1
a._;;,.<',+:"
-- -.
. ~
-'
;:.
THENEWVYOR| .ER.JUl.YT.l997
r -".'
-. .-~'
i
Rowhasmymoney,
tellthemto send
vi,
'
the check. " When the check didn't
if, '
:
,'
G
3,1
- come,Ogletree
continued,
would
I
call
1 2. -i -;;__
Kenner.He wouldsay, It's
in themail.
1 COFFEE
»~=>
»~
KICKINTHEPANT5
Then, when itnever arrived,he would
4? F°R;v92g;u_Y
TEA
AND
SYMPATHY!
,-
sayhe wassendingit FedEx.Then,
whenit didn't
arrive,hewouldsayhe'd
wireit." Ogletree
added,Weshould
havebeenable to closethe deal,but it
wasnever
possible.
Wehadtogothrough
therecord
company.
It wasasthough
he
hadnolifeexcept
thatgiven
tohimby
1
l
I
,92
Death Row.
Bythelatespring,
Ogleuee
says,
Tupacwascare illy
plotting
hisescape.
HehadEuphanasia,
hehadtheOutlawz, he had his movie deals he was
-w
4
1
Pj-Q.-'.1-I.~iY.i§='-"
3
E
.7-
-/1'
-'
1 '
//
Z
4
1
l
l
in
I
if
l
|
ii
_ z.
.
.- .¢.. '- -_
.
i
n-CAJ
O
buildingsomething
thatwasall to be
partof oneentity.
.
. . He hada strategy- theideawasto maintain
a
friendly
relationship
with Sugebutto separate
hisbusiness."
Theprecedent
of
Dr.Dre's
departure
fromDeathRowdid not
seem
especially
encouraging.
A
musicbusiness
executive
whowas iendly
with
Dre saysthatDre left because
he was
uncomfortable
with Knights business
whichKennerhasconsistently
denied,
thecon ictwouldbeevenmorepatent.
It alsomightexplainhowhe - a
white
crirninal defense
lawyerwho in the
Dreabandoned
hisinterest
in
1995hewas,somethought,
theprover- practices.
in retumfor a relatively
bialpower
behind
thethrone.
To many the company
high-pro ledrug, racketeering,
and
to the streets works in consort with a
of Tupac friends,
s
the relationship
be- modest nancialsettlement,and Inter-
tweenKnighr
andKennert a familiar scope
facilitated
thedivorce
bygiving
newcontract.
Look
at
eighties
handled
someof L.A.'s
most pattem:
a
blackgangster
whohasaccesshima lucrative
Dre," Ogletreesays. Sucha brilliant,
whoisconnected
tolevers creative musician. He started Death
murder
cases
buthadvirtually
noexpe- whiteplayer
rience in entertainment law- oould have of powerin theworldat large.
Knight Row,andinordertogetouthehadto
emerged
at thetop
of oneof thehottest might wear a ring with the initials give up almosteverything.... Now,
whatwouldit takeforTupac,thehotof
M.O.B. -- Member
Bloods" but
labels.
wasonly
Kenner
wastherealthing. teststararound,whosesuccess
Kenner's
entree,it nowseems
plain, in theireyes
camethroughMichael Harris. Paul
growing?Froma legalstandpoint,
Ogletree
said,
it wasnotsodii cult,
the
Palladino,
a private
investigator
whohas
Tupacashisentertainment
law- contract
signed
in prisoncouldbechalworkedclosely
with Kennerfor
years,
yerandashislawyer
forcivilandcrimi- ler1ged.
told me that back in
1991 or so David A
.
Butyouhavetoli92reafterthat..
.
of howtowalkaway
wasrepresenting
MichaelHarrison his naloases
in Califomia,
butTupacasked It wasa question
appeal,
andHarrisintroduced
himto Charles
Ogleu-ee
tocontinue
torepresentwith yourlimbsattachedandbodily
toldmethathere- functions
operating.
Suge."In hisun ledcomplaint
against himaswell.Ogletree
wroteletters
to
DeathRow,askDeath RowandInterscope,
Harrisal- peatedly
I remember
seeinghimjustbefore
Tupac
hadsignedhistwenty- fth
legedthathe hadhad
a
prisonmeeting ingtoseethecontract
birthday,"
Oglettee
conday.He
in September,
1991,withKenner
and withDeathRowin prisonandto nego- tinued.Hefeltit wasaglorious
Knight,to dismiss
thetermsof hisin- tiate a formal contract under more con- neverimaginedhe'd
liveto be twentytherewasa sadnms
in hiseyes,
vestment in what
would
beoome Death
sdonablecircumstances;
butallhisefforts, five but
hestillhadthese
chains
binding
Row.HarrisandKnightwere
to
be equal he said,were met with silence,diver- because
him. This was not where he wanted to
partners,
healleged,
andKenner
wasto sions,andoutrightmisrepresentations."
black-music
record
DAVID
KENNER
began
to represent
I
.1
M
97*,
nd
n't
I
all
til.
ild
:n
,
e'd
lld
t it
igh
.he
by
Fu.pe.
UT
was
be
filtidly
:ate
're's
not
sic-
vith
wasI
rtess
itin
vsly
I
P't .orrnNoAnr_scA|>s
if _/'
68
hehad
Belushi.
Thenightit wrapped,
Tupac Afterthealmostnonexistentght- grazed.Hewouldlatermaintain
Seldonout
in lessthan a bulletlodgedin his head.!At thehoscelebrated
by takingone of his law- Tysonknocked
Tupac,andtheir pital,Tupacwentinto emergency
yers, Shawn Chapman, to dinner at twominutes -Knight,
sur-
I.
~.
3-Q.
attempt
to
leave
DeathRowthatledto malpractice
andbreach
of duciary
duty, smellinglike roses and not havethe
hisdeath.Dre hadmanaged
to doit, but
chargingthat his purportedrepresenta- wild cardof Sugeand Kenner. A couple of monthsago,
it
wasreportedthat
Death Row. A music-business veteran
with his own interests inasmuch
as Seagtam,
theparentof Universal,
iseonwho is close to Dre told me that if
Kenner,thesuitalleges,wasbothanat- sideringbuying,for threehundred
and
Tupachadleft DeathRow.
.
. it would torneyfor DeathRow andan ownerof fty million dollars,the half of Interit. Severalpeoplecloseto the situation scope
havebeenworsethan devastating it's
that
Universaldoesnot already
pro t
an
insult. lt's
apublicslapin theface.lt saythatthesuitisonthevergeof being own.This wouldmeana colossal
is not tolerable. I've
madeyou and settled,and that Interscopehashelped for Iovine and Field.
To manyblacksin the musicbusiyou're
going
to leave me?And six to makethat possible.
months alter Dre did it? In another culin thisparSinceTupac death,
s
Interscopehas ness,thelackof congruency
ture," he concluded, peoplesueyou." repeatedlysoughtto mollify Afeni. In ticular moralitytale is bitterly familiar.
In thelastfewmonths,Knighthas October,when she found Knight and SugeKnight has retainedMilton
beenbuffetedbyonedamaging
revelation Kcnner unresponsive and she was Grimes,whodefendedRodneyKing,to
to blocktherelease
of Tu- representhim in the federalinvestigaafteranother.
The LosAngelesTime: threatening
argues
thatDeathRowdid
pac's
lastalbumunlessshegot anac- tion.Grimes
reportedin Octoberthat he hadgiven
a
recording
contract
to thedaughter
of the counting of the moneydue to him, it not operate
in a vacuum._
Theirmoney
only
by
l
i92
l
1
I
Tupac wasin hopeless
con ict
relinquishingany claim on tion of
Interscope,
andfromMCA,
deputy
districtattorney
Lawrence
Longo, wasjimmy IovinewhometwithAfeni came '0m
whohadhelpedstrikehisprobationdeal andher lawyer,RichardFischbein,and and they -Interscope- were handsin the assaultcase,and also that
David
agreed
that
Interscope
wouldpayheran on. So if therearegoing to be indictKenner had rented a n.i.neteen thousand-
dollar-a-month
Malibu
It
immediate
three million
dollars with
fromtheLongo
familyandthatKnight not Death Row, that underwrote a mehad stayedin it. Longo deniesany morial servicefor Tupac in Atlanta in
wrongdoing.!
Then,in December,
the
LosAngeles
Time:reported
thatSteve
November.
lnterscope has, in a way, been a
model of corporateresponsibility.Ina principalin the L.A. of ceof Gelfand, deed,in a strictlycorporatesenseit has
Rennert 8c Feldman, a division ofCoo
done more than was required.Tupac
s
afpets8:.Lybrand,hadsignedadocument wasnot o -iciallylnterscope artist,
sayingthat he stolefour anda half mil- ter all. But Interscopeexecutives
may
Cantrock, Death Row saccountantand
l
ments,letthemtakeon theindustry-
Colony house more to come.And it waslnterscope, notjust thisoneblackbusiness."
Thatlnterscope
iswidelyregarded
as
the most successful new label since
Geffen Records cannot be attributed
solelyto its a iliationwith DeathRow.
Interscopehas hugelysuccessful
rock
groups, including Nine Inch Nails,
Bush,andtheWall owers,
andthepop
groupsNo DoubtandGod's
Property.
But it was Death
Row that rescued
lion dollars from Death Row. Cantrock
feel a levelof responsibility
for hav- themfromtheirearlydoldrumsandthat
deliveredonemulti-platinumalbumafwassaidto havetold federalinvesuga ingpushed
TupacintoSugearms.
And
s
tors that he had been invited to a San thereisalso
And the legacyof Death
a compellingbusiness
ratio- ter another.
isa richone. Death
to do everything
pos- Rowto lnterscope
FernandoValleyhousewhereKnight, nalefor Interseope
anamazing
purpose
for InKenner,
andothersweregathered,
that sibleto quelltheskirmishing
between Rowserved
é
ll03
i
he had been forced to his knees and,
investigators
havereportedlybeenexam- pect for lnterscope -particularly in
would not. They havejustified what
iningpossible
linksbetween
DeathRow light of the ongoing criminal probe theydid byalludingto theFirstAmendand organized crime
familiesin New of Death Row.
ment,andto their beliefin givinga
chaneeto blackartistsandentrepreneurs
IFInterscopc
escapes
unscathed
inthefrom the street,But Death Row was no
federalprobe,SugeKnight's
undo- enterprisezone.And anyonewho got
ary,theyfocussed
notonlyonKnight's
role but on Kennel- sas well.
ing couldwell provea boon. Iointven-
near
it
couldhavepredicted
that
there
turesareonlyassuccessas
rltheopera- would be a price to pay for its cultivacloseto tion of gangsterism in
lyrics,in social
racketeering
suitagainstDeathRow, tors arefrugal, an executive
andperhaps
in business
pracSugeKnight, andDavid Kermer,alleg- lnterscope points out, and at Death conduct,
In mid April, Afeni Shalcuraled
Row the spendingwas obscene. If
tices as well.
spiracy
tostealfromTupac.Thesuitin-
they'can
shift the DeathRowassets
cluded a claim against Kenner for
within Interscope, they'll
come out
Tupac,of course,paid the heaviest
priceof all.
0
-- .
ing that they were engagedin acon-
I
1
Tupac's
estateandDeath Row.As one terscope, an entertainmentexecutive
fearing
forhislife,signed
thehandwrit- lawyercloseto the situationpointsout, told me. It helpedput themin the
ten confession that Kenner had drafted
ifA.fenididn't
getwhatshewanted
from black-musicbusiness.
Today,no matter
on thespot. Knightsaysthatnoforce Death Row shewould surelysuenot what happens,
they/Ba-ue
that.Peoplein
wasinvolved.Cantroclcdeniesstealing only DeathRowbut lnterscopeaswell, that communityfeelthat theygavea
were blackmanpower.Theygavea black
themoney.!Canuock,who is in hiding, on the theorythat the companies
ex- manautonomy.
hassince
beenforcedoutbyhis rm.He socloselyrelatedasto haveshared
Theygavea blackman
hasalsobeenreportedto havebeenan posure.Beingsubjectto a legalpro- money.
Iovineand Field did bet on Suge
intermediarybetweenKnight and al- cessof discoveryon this issuecould
legedorganized-crime gures;federal hardly havebeen an attractivepros- KnightandDrewhenothercompanies
York andChicago.VVhenfederalgrand
jury subpoenas
weresentoutlastFebru-
i
.1
l

O O FEDERAL OF INVESTIGATION

Transcription

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