Whether streaming, buying a record, watching a movie, or playing a video game: anyone encountering Tupac Shakur’s music today almost always runs into the same company: Amaru Entertainment. How Afeni Shakur founded the label in 1997 is recounted briefly on the His Companies page. Here, the story is what became of it: rights, contracts, and disputes.
The 1997 Settlement Secures the Unreleased Master Tapes
Afeni Shakur launched the label in 1997, one year after her son’s death, initially under the name Amaru Records. The name traces back to Tupac’s middle name (Names). According to Wikipedia, the company is based in Marin City, belongs to the Universal conglomerate, and is distributed through Interscope. Its first releases went through Jive Records, beginning with R U Still Down? (Remember Me).
Amaru holds the rights to recordings from Tupac’s Interscope and Death Row eras, as well as to four early albums: 2Pacalypse Now, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…, Thug Life, Volume I, and Me Against the World. The basis for this is the 1997 settlement with Death Row and Interscope. According to later court filings, this agreement made the estate the sole owner of the unreleased master tapes and video recordings. In return, Death Row was to pay royalties on one unreleased album.
Without Suge Knight: Number 1 with Eminem and Disputes Over Bankruptcy Assets
A turning point was marked by Loyal to the Game on December 14, 2004: it was the first posthumous album that Afeni Shakur released without the involvement of Suge Knight and Death Row. Produced by Eminem, the work debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 (Album).
When Death Row filed for bankruptcy in 2006, Afeni Shakur attempted in July 2007 to stop the sale of unreleased material from the bankruptcy estate. Her attorney Donald David stated that an entire album was being pitched to prospective buyers as the crown jewel, violating the 1997 settlement (Hollywood Reporter, XXL). The bankruptcy trustees, however, invoked an option clause from the 1995 contract and released Beginnings: The Lost Tapes in 2007.
In September 2013, Afeni Shakur sued Death Row buyer Entertainment One for more than $1.1 million in royalties and the return of unreleased master tapes (Okayplayer). From Suge Knight’s bankruptcy proceedings, she reportedly received a claim of approximately $668,000; the date could not be established.
After Afeni’s Death, Tom Whalley Takes Over Leadership
Afeni Shakur died on May 2, 2016. Since then, Tom Whalley has run the business: he had signed Tupac to Interscope in 1991 and manages the estate as trustee and Amaru as manager. Attorney Dina LaPolt has advised the estate for years.
Under Whalley, Amaru announced projects such as Steve McQueen’s documentary (May 2017) and a film about Afeni Shakur and the Panther 21 (February 2022). In June 2026, the estate approved a Tupac character without an AI voice for the game Stranger Than Heaven (Video Games).
In Court: The Open Fronts as of October 2026
Sekyiwa Shakur v. Whalley. In January 2022, Tupac’s sister Sekyiwa Shakur sued the trustee together with the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation. According to the lawsuit, he appointed himself manager of Amaru and paid himself more than $5.5 million over five years; in addition, he is alleged to be withholding personal belongings. Whalley denies this. A judge ordered an accounting by June 30, 2022. In July, the plaintiff’s attorneys called it inadequate and requested an independent audit (Rolling Stone). According to Kotaku (June 2026), the proceedings remain open and have made little progress. No ruling has been documented. More under Estate and Royalties.
Johnny J’s widow. Capucine Jackson and her company Klock Work Entertainment have demanded royalties since October 2022 for recordings her husband Johnny J produced for Tupac, including How Do U Want It and tracks from All Eyez on Me. The basis is alleged to be a producer agreement from May 2001. Amaru moved to dismiss in December 2025; the hearing was scheduled for March 19, 2026. No outcome is mentioned in the examined sources.
Daz Dillinger. On May 8, 2026, Daz Dillinger sued in Los Angeles for an accounting and royalties on more than a dozen songs, including five from All Eyez on Me. In October 2024, he received approximately $91,000 without an accounting statement. Amaru counters: Daz knew the money was not owed to him, and payment for Tupac’s music had been settled through Death Row. Furthermore, according to Amaru, he sold archival items-including one master, handwritten lyric sheets, and at least 40 studio tapes-causing damages of more than $1 million (HotNewHipHop, August 14, 2026). Both sides’ accounts are party allegations; nothing has been decided.
Other cases. In February 2023, a federal court in Texas dismissed a lawsuit over the original painting for the Makaveli cover, stating that it lacked jurisdiction over Amaru and the estate. In 2004, Amaru threatened the Korean group Baby V.O.X. with a lawsuit over an unlicensed Tupac sample (Other Cases).
Steward and Business in One
Amaru is steward and business at once: the company looks after an artistic legacy, but also earns money from it. That creates friction with contributors who feel underpaid, and with family members who demand access to the books. The allegations in the pending cases are claims made by the parties and have not been established by a court.