104 entries
Magazine: newspaper and magazine articles
Reports, interviews and letters to the editor from the press of the 1990s about Tupac, his music and the murder case.
The magazine collects articles from newspapers and magazines, mostly from the 1990s: reports on Tupac’s music, films and trials, interviews in several parts, letters to the editor and the investigations after his death. Each piece is summarized in our own words and put in context.
1993
Studio Night With Biggie and Stretch: The Making of "Who Do You Luv"
A tape during the break, quick verses, and a shy Biggie: Producer Adario Strange on the making of "Who Do You Luv" in 1993.
1995
"This Is the True Story": The Woman's Letter to Vibe
In 1995, the young woman from the sexual abuse trial contradicts Tupac's account from "Ready to Live" in Vibe, her view of the night at the hotel.
1995
Andre Harrell on the Night at Quad Studios
Tupac accused Uptown boss Andre Harrell of ignoring him after the shooting. In 1995, Harrell clarified in Vibe how he organized help.
1995
Letters to Vibe: Reactions to "Ready to Live"
From prison poetry to stark doubts: How readers reacted in 1995 to Tupac's Vibe interview "Ready to Live" and the question of responsibility.
1995
Little Shawn on the Night at Quad Studios
Tupac was supposed to rap on his song, then burst bleeding from the elevator: how Little Shawn pushed back in Vibe in 1995 against accusations and threats.
1995
Sean "Puffy" Combs on the Night at Quad Studios
He held Tupac up, prays for him, and is no "thug": How Bad Boy head Sean Combs rejected any blame for the New York attack in Vibe in 1995.
1995
Stretch on the night at Quad Studios
1995: Tupac's old friend Stretch was there during the robbery. In Vibe he contradicts Tupac on key points, months before his own death.
1995
The reply to "Ready to Live": "Booker" on the robbery
In 1995, the man who according to "Ready to Live" had invited Tupac to the studio answers in Vibe. "Booker" rejects all blame and attacks Tupac.
1995-04
Ready to Live (Part 1 of 5): The Interview on Rikers Island
Rikers Island, January 1995: Tupac's first interview after the shooting. He chain-smokes and talks about withdrawal, remorse, and the road to Quad Studios.
1995-04
Ready to Live (Part 2 of 5): The robbery at Quad Studios
Vibe, April 1995, part 2: Tupac describes the robbery of November 30, 1994, in Times Square and who was waiting for him upstairs in the studio.
1995-04
Ready to Live (Part 3 of 5): In a Wheelchair in Court
Five gunshot wounds, fleeing the hospital, and appearing in a wheelchair: In part 3 of the 1995 Vibe interview, Tupac looks back at the days after the attack.
1995-04
Ready to Live (Part 4): Tupac's Version of the Night of the Crime
Vibe, April 1995: Tupac gives his side of the 1993 incident that sent him to prison. The court and the woman involved saw it differently.
1995-04
Ready to Live (Part 5): Plans After Prison
"Thug Life" declared dead, remorse shown: In the Vibe interview finale, Tupac plans a fresh start-just before his release to Death Row.
1996-01
'California Love': Mad Max in the Year 2095
Desert, party tent, and a $600,000 budget: how Elizabeth Kolsky celebrated Hype Williams' video for 'California Love' in early 1996.
1996-02
"All Eyes on Him": Tupac's Phone Interview for Vibe, Late 1995
Five minutes turned into over an hour: In late 1995, Tupac speaks by phone with Kevin Powell about Suge Knight, Biggie, and the two men inside him.
1996-02
A Good Week for Death Row: Snoop Free, Tupac on Top, Interscope Sold
Snoop acquitted, Tupac at No. 1, and MCA buys in: how Death Row experienced the height of its power in late February 1996.
1996-02
Live from Death Row (Part 2 of 4): Puffy, Stretch and Knight's Rules of the Game
A contract on Puffy, a dead friend in Queens, and Suge Knight waving it off: Part 2 of Kevin Powell's February 1996 Vibe report.
1996-02
Live from Death Row (Part 3 of 4): Dr. Dre, N.W.A and California Love
Dr. Dre looks back on N.W.A; on the desert set of “California Love,” Tupac awaits fresh out of prison: Part 3 of Kevin Powell’s Vibe report.
1996-02
Live from Death Row (Part 4 of 4): Snoop on Trial, Knight Threatens
Snoop's murder trial begins, Suge Knight threatens over questions about Atlanta: in Vibe's 1996 finale, Kevin Powell sees deadly escalation looming.
1996-02
Live from Death Row: In Suge Knight's Red Office
Inside the red office in Tarzana: Kevin Powell visits Suge Knight for Vibe magazine. Part 1 of the major Death Row cover story from February 1996.
1996-02
Preview 1996: Tupac Announces All Eyez on Me
Over two hours of music and $1.4 million in bail: how Music Wire announced Tupac's Death Row debut "All Eyez on Me" in February 1996.
Apr 12, 1996
On the Set of '2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted' with Tupac and Snoop
April 1996 on the set of '2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted': Tupac and Snoop between the courtroom, Hollywood plans, and the question of Dr. Dre.
1996-05
The Long Arm of the Law: Tupac's Legal Troubles in Spring 1996
A guilty plea, probation violations, and sentencing set for September 12: Peter Hagopian on Tupac's legal troubles in spring 1996.
1996-09
Tupac in Las Vegas: The Days in Intensive Care
Six days passed in Las Vegas between the shooting and Tupac's death. A September 1996 report summarizes what was known at the time.
Sep 13, 1996
MTV News 1996: 14 Shots and an Obituary
Tupac's death on MTV: Chris Connelly reconstructs the Las Vegas shooting, while police back then dismiss the first hot lead.
Sep 18, 1996
Music Wire obituary (1996): "Couldn't escape violence"
Five days after his death, Music Wire saw Tupac above all as a man of violence. An obituary with several errors, corrected here.
Sep 20, 1996
Suge Knight talks about Tupac's last hours
A week after the shooting, Suge Knight tells MTV about Tupac's last words. Plus grief, chart jumps and a letter from Mutulu Shakur.
Sep 27, 1996
Memorial in Harlem: the "Hip-Hop Day of Atonement"
Cameras stayed outside, Biggie was on the guest list: how the Nation of Islam called for a "Hip-Hop Day of Atonement" in Harlem in September 1996.
1996-11
"Ready to Die": Tupac's Last Week in Vibe
From the Tyson fight to the day of his death on September 13, 1996: how Vibe magazine chronicled Tupac's last week in Las Vegas as a diary.
1996-11
"Tupac Shakur, 1971-1996": The Short Obituary in SPIN
A fact-check of SPIN's brief late-1996 obituary: Tupac's career in bullet points, open film projects, and the comparison to James Dean.
Nov 6, 1996
Review of the Adult Video for 'How Do U Want It'
Lots of bare skin, but no morning after: why Carol Cooper gave Tupac's adult video for 'How Do U Want It' only five out of ten points in 1996.
1996-12
"All Eyez on Him": RJ Smith's SPIN Essay on a Divided Star
White mockery, Black grief: In December 1996, RJ Smith asks in SPIN why Tupac touched people so differently. A smart, hard-hitting essay.
Dec 20, 1996
A Suspect, but No Witnesses
Three months after the shooting, Las Vegas has a suspect, but witnesses stay silent. On MTV News, police also clear Suge Knight.
Dec 23, 1996
Afeni Shakur Sues: Death Row Halts Tupac Merchandise
Three months after Tupac's death, Death Row halts merchandise sales following a lawsuit by Afeni Shakur. It is the first legal battle over his estate.
1997
"So Sue Me": the $300 million in claims against Death Row
In 1997, SPIN lists the civil suits against Death Row: more than $300 million, including the claim by Tupac's estate. What became of them.
Jan 3, 1997
Despite All Rumors: Tupac Is Dead
Dozens of emails daily, Makaveli and the number 7: How MTV reporter John Norris investigated and debunked the first 'Tupac lives' theories in January 1997.
Jan 22, 1997
First Win in Court: Death Row Must Halt Tupac Merchandise
No merchandise without permission: How Afeni Shakur stopped Death Row in court in January 1997, the first legal victory for Tupac's estate.
Jan 28, 1997
American Music Awards 1997: A Fan Award for Tupac
Four months after his death, Tupac wins in the Rap/Hip-Hop category at the American Music Awards. A look back at the January 1997 ceremony.
Jan 28, 1997
More Than 150 Unreleased Tupac Songs
In January 1997, Johnny 'J' Jackson reports over 150 finished Tupac songs. It marks the start of one of the longest chapters in posthumous music history.
Jan 31, 1997
'Gridlock'd': Praise for Tupac as an Actor
January 1997: 'Gridlock'd' opens. Co-star Tim Roth, director Curtis-Hall, and critics praise Tupac-and ask whether his greatest talent lay in cinema.
Jan 31, 1997
Tim Roth on Tupac: “Gridlock'd” as a Launch Pad
No videos, no hype: Why Tim Roth was told to know nothing about Tupac before filming, and how “Gridlock'd” was meant to be his launch pad.
Feb 5, 1997
Afeni Shakur Takes Aim at Police and Death Row
No house, no car, no killers behind bars: how Afeni Shakur took aim at Las Vegas police and Death Row in February 1997.
Feb 5, 1997
Afeni Shakur's Reckoning with the Las Vegas Police
Five months after Tupac's death, Afeni Shakur accuses investigators of a standstill. Police counter: without witnesses in court, there is no arrest.
Feb 6, 1997
"Gridlock'd" Soundtrack Knocks No Doubt from No. 1
In February 1997, the “Gridlock'd” soundtrack knocked No Doubt's “Tragic Kingdom” off the throne after eight weeks. But things got tight at the top.
Feb 7, 1997
Afeni Shakur: Tupac Owned 'Next to Nothing'
Five months after Tupac's death, his soundtrack storms the charts. But when mother Afeni reviewed the estate, neither house nor Rolls-Royce belonged to him.
Feb 10, 1997
Tupac on the Album Charts, February 1997
The “Gridlock'd” soundtrack at No. 1, two more albums in the Top 100: how Tupac Shakur dominated the US charts in February 1997.
Mar 3, 1997
Two Witnesses, Two Versions: Dispute Over Tupac's Entourage
March 1997: Frank Alexander and E.D.I. Mean want to identify the shooters. Las Vegas police confront them with their statements from the night of the crime.
Mar 3, 1997
Two Witnesses: "Nobody Ever Asked Us"
In 1997, Frank Alexander and Malcolm Greenidge say they saw Tupac's killers. Las Vegas police counter with old interview transcripts.
Mar 9, 1997
Suge Knight: 'I Didn't Kill Tupac'
'I loved him then, I love him now': In his first interview from prison in 1997, Suge Knight calls the murder suspicion against him 'crazy'.
Mar 10, 1997
Is the Rap War Real? Questions After Biggie's Death
One day after the shooting of Biggie Smalls, the AP asked in March 1997: Was the feud between East and West more than a publicity stunt?
Mar 12, 1997
Las Vegas Police: No Evidence Linking the Rapper Murders
Following the murder of The Notorious B.I.G., Las Vegas police push back: the East-West rivalry was pure media hype.
Mar 12, 1997
Snoop Doggy Dogg Postpones Tour After Biggie's Death
Three days after Biggie's murder, Snoop Doggy Dogg halts his 38-concert tour. The promoters' reason: He doesn't want to be next.
Mar 14, 1997
How 'Unsolved Mysteries' Restaged Tupac's Murder
Shortly after Biggie's murder, 'Unsolved Mysteries' restaged the attack on Tupac in 1997. Reporter Cathy Scott was on set in Las Vegas.
Mar 18, 1997
The Compton Document: The MTV Special Report on Tupac's Murder
A 29-page Compton police document names Orlando Anderson as the shooter: How MTV News reconstructed Tupac Shakur's murder back in March 1997.
Mar 21, 1997
'The Week in Rock': Police Document Sheds Light on Tupac's Death
Beach party atmosphere, murder investigation in the studio: how MTV reported in March 1997 on a 29-page police document on the murder of Tupac Shakur.
Mar 21, 1997
Orlando Anderson on CNN: 'I Didn't Do It'
March 1997: Orlando Anderson, named by informants as Tupac's killer, appears on CNN and proclaims his innocence, saying he feels like a scapegoat.
Mar 21, 1997
Over 250 Tips After 'Unsolved Mysteries'
March 1997: Over 250 tips pour in after 'Unsolved Mysteries'. The FBI listens in, but Las Vegas sends no one, and the hottest lead fizzles out.
Mar 27, 1997
Snoop Dogg: What I Learned from Tupac's Work Ethic
March 1997: Snoop Dogg aims to drop his next album by July and tells MTV how Tupac's studio discipline drives him: 'He was a workaholic.'
Mar 28, 1997
Composite Sketch in the Notorious B.I.G. Murder
Dark bow tie, oxford shirt, mustache: Nearly three weeks after Biggie's murder, Los Angeles police release a composite sketch of the shooter.
1997-04
$120,000 in the Bank: Afeni Shakur vs. Death Row
$120,000 in Tupac's account, over $100 million for Death Row: How Afeni Shakur sued the label in April 1997 and what became of the estate.
1997-04
Afeni Shakur Sues Death Row for $17 Million
$17 million, a contract from a cell, and 152 songs: How Afeni Shakur took Death Row and Suge Knight to court in April 1997.
Apr 16, 1997
Harvard Hosts a Conference on the Rap Murders
Five weeks after Biggie's death, Harvard hosts a conference: rappers and scholars discuss rap, violence, and responsibility after two murders.
Apr 21, 1997
Afeni Shakur Sues Death Row for $17 Million
$100 million in sales, barely $1 million for Tupac: Afeni Shakur's $17 million lawsuit against Death Row and the fight over 152 unreleased songs.
Apr 23, 1997
Police officers could have seen Biggie's murder
When Biggie was shot, a police officer acting as a bodyguard was driving right behind him. None of the officers came forward to investigators later.
Apr 24, 1997
Tupac and Biggie on an Anti-Violence Single
Two murdered rivals on a track against gun violence: How Trapp's single “Stop the Gunfight” entered the R&B charts in April 1997.
Apr 27, 1997
Mural in Georgia: Tupac and Biggie for Peace
In April 1997, artists in Georgia immortalize slain rivals Tupac and Biggie on a brick wall. Their message: 'Increase the Peace'.
May 9, 1997
No Leads, Lots of Skepticism: Fans Believe Tupac Is Alive
Eight months after the shooting, Las Vegas police have no leads, and 80 percent of the TV tips claim Tupac is still alive.
May 15, 1997
C. DeLores Tucker Attacks Time Warner Over Lil' Kim
May 1997 at the Apollo Theater: anti-rap activist C. DeLores Tucker quotes Lil' Kim before Time Warner shareholders-and attacks CEO Gerald Levin.
May 20, 1997
Tupac as a Guest on the Bone Thugs Double Album
May 1997: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony announce their double album, with Tupac on “Thug Luv”. For MTV, fresh fuel for the theory that Tupac is still alive.
May 30, 1997
Quincy Jones Plans a Film About Tupac
May 1997: Kidada Jones' father Quincy negotiates with Afeni Shakur over a Tupac biopic. It was never made—'All Eyez on Me' only followed in 2017.
Jun 7, 1997
No State Money for Gangsta Rap
A 1997 Texas budget initiative directly targeted Tupac and Snoop Dogg: public funds were not to invest in music glorifying violence.
Jul 16, 1997
Robbery at the Home of Jailed Suge Knight
July 1997: While Suge Knight is in prison, his girlfriend is robbed at gunpoint in Woodland Hills. The haul: roughly $50,000.
Aug 1, 1997
Rap Critic C. DeLores Tucker Sues Tupac's Estate
Ten million dollars for a ruined sex life: How rap critic C. DeLores Tucker sued Tupac's estate in 1997 and failed in court.
Aug 5, 1997
A Vibe Book for the First Anniversary of His Death
Photos, essays, and the Rikers interview: how Vibe magazine compiled Tupac’s story into a memorial volume one year after his death.
Aug 6, 1997
Tupac's Father Billy Garland Testifies in Court
A signed photo as proof, an 18-year absence as an accusation: In August 1997, Billy Garland and Afeni Shakur fought in court over Tupac's estate.
Aug 26, 1997
Beast Video Announces Unofficial Tupac Documentary
In August 1997, Beast Video announced an unauthorized Tupac documentary. It was just a foretaste of a market that grew rapidly after his death.
1997-09
A Year Without Tupac (Part 2): Lawsuits, Investigations, Biggie
Lawsuits over the estate, informants in Compton, and the shadow of Biggie's death: how MTV took stock of the first year without Tupac in September 1997.
1997-09
MTV Retrospective: A Year Without Tupac (Part 1)
One year after Tupac's death, MTV takes stock with Treach: rumors of a faked death, the fall of Death Row, and the fight over his legacy.
Sep 1, 1997
Inmate Harry-O: 'I Co-Founded Death Row'
$1.5 million from a cell: In 1997, inmate Harry-O claims he co-founded Death Row-with late consequences for Tupac's estate.
Sep 2, 1997
Tupac's Legacy in Court: A Year of Lawsuits
$150,000 in the bank, but lawsuits over millions: A year after Tupac's death, his label, father, and plaintiffs fought over the estate.
Sep 4, 1997
Cathy Scott's Book on the Tupac Murder Comes Out
September 1997: police reporter Cathy Scott publishes her book on the Tupac murder. The lead detective in Las Vegas won't even read it.
Sep 6, 1997
One Year After Tupac's Death: Standstill
No murder weapon, no suspect, standstill: In September 1997, Cathy Scott reviews a year of murder investigations, estate disputes, and Suge Knight in prison.
Sep 8, 1997
Majoring in Tupac: His Poems Become Course Material
Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Tupac Shakur: How UC Berkeley brought his poems to the lecture hall in 1997, while MTV still asked skeptically.
Sep 8, 1997
Tupac in the lecture hall: a class at UC Berkeley
September 1997: More than 100 students crowd into a class on Tupac's poetry at UC Berkeley. A student calls him the Bob Dylan of his day.
Sep 9, 1997
Publisher Defends Tupac Autopsy Photo
An autopsy photo in Cathy Scott's book outrages the coroner's office in 1997. The publisher defends printing it: the photo is meant to end the rumors.
Sep 10, 1997
Orlando Anderson Sues Tupac's Estate and Suge Knight
To investigators the killer, in court the victim: how Orlando Anderson sued Tupac's estate and Suge Knight a year after the shooting.
Sep 16, 1997
Afeni Shakur sues Orlando Anderson
September 1997: Frustrated with Las Vegas police, Afeni Shakur files a wrongful-death suit against Orlando Anderson.
Sep 16, 1997
Orlando Anderson: 'Tupac Was My Hero'
Sued by Afeni Shakur as the shooter, he calls Tupac his hero: how Orlando Anderson broke his silence publicly for the first time in September 1997.
Sep 17, 1997
One Year Later: Tupac's Legacy in Music, Film, and Online
September 1997: Labels and studios fight over Tupac's estate. What became of the plans, and why MTV's historical correction was wrong itself.
Sep 26, 1997
Tupac on his goals as an actor
September 1997: A promo interview from August 1996, weeks before Las Vegas, shows Tupac as an actor with great self-belief and big plans.
Sep 26, 1997
Tupac's Final Film “Gang Related”
Tupac might be “in the past tense,” but kept on selling: how MTV announced his final film “Gang Related” and a late interview in 1997.
1997-10
Grateful Dead Drummer Mickey Hart Scores Tupac's Last Film
For the soundtrack to 'Gang Related,' Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead delivered driving rhythms, and called Tupac a 'prophet.'
Oct 24, 1997
Autopsy photo: police close their probe without result
October 24, 1997: Who leaked the autopsy photo of Tupac? Las Vegas police questioned nine employees and closed the probe without finding anyone.
Oct 28, 1997
A Double Album from the Estate
Right on time for the 1997 holiday season, Jive announces “R U Still Down?” for Afeni Shakur's Amaru label, but MTV reports the wrong origin of the songs.
Oct 29, 1997
New Video for the Double Album 'R U Still Down?'
Not Death Row, but Interscope: MTV corrects itself on the double album 'R U Still Down?' and announces a video by Lionel C. Martin.
Oct 31, 1997
Tupac Back on the Radio: “I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto”
Fall 1997: Kurt Loder announces a new single on MTV, “I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto” heralds the double album “R U Still Down?”.
Nov 14, 1997
Puff Daddy Honors Tupac on Tour, and Avoids Los Angeles
November 1997: Puff Daddy has arenas sing Tupac's 'Hail Mary'—yet the city where Biggie died is missing from the tour schedule.
Nov 25, 1997
“R U Still Down?” Released
November 25, 1997: “R U Still Down?” is released, with archival recordings, a bus to heaven full of the dead, and a grieving mother in People magazine.
Nov 28, 1997
Music for Ten Years: Afeni Shakur on 'R U Still Down?'
In November 1997, Tupac's posthumous double album 'R U Still Down?' was released. His mother Afeni promised unreleased music for ten years.
1997-12
"Armor All": Bulletproof Fashion After Tupac and Biggie
Kevlar in mink coats: How the murders of Tupac and Biggie made custom protective clothing a hip-hop trend in late 1997.
Dec 10, 1997
Billy Garland Shut Out of Tupac's Estate
December 1997: a Los Angeles court denies Tupac's biological father, William "Billy" Garland, any share of his son's estate.
1998
Sierra Leone: Government Holds Tupac Partly Responsible for Rebel Violence
RUF rebels in Tupac shirts raid a village: how Sierra Leone's government blamed Tupac for the violence in the late 1990s.
Nov 11, 1998
"A Soldier Misunderstood": A Fan Essay Against the Media Image
Two years after Tupac's death, Brian Castillo pushed back: Tupac was not a gangster, but a soldier. A 1998 fan essay and how much truth lies within it.
Sep 1, 2000
FBI Probed Extortion of Rappers by JDL Associates
For two and a half years, the FBI probed whether figures tied to the JDL extorted Tupac and Eazy-E: how The Smoking Gun revealed the death threat files.