On the Set of '2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted' with Tupac and Snoop

Original: “Most Wanted: Tupac and Snoop” · MTV News · no byline · April 12, 1996

In early April 1996, two rappers who had spent months fighting for their freedom were shooting a video in Los Angeles. MTV visited Tupac and Snoop Doggy Dogg on the set of their duet 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted from All Eyez on Me. According to MTV, Tupac called the shots on set himself; today, his partner Gobi M. Rahimi is usually credited as the director. Labelmates such as Nate Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound were also on hand.

MTV described the starting situation with a wink: both had recently spent a lot of time trying to stay out of prison. Snoop had been acquitted in his murder trial in February 1996. Tupac was facing a new four-month prison sentence for failing to fulfill conditions from an earlier case. Snoop recounted that he had written the song when his trial began and Tupac had just gotten out of prison.

Movie Plans with Snoop and the Question of Dr. Dre

Tupac was in high spirits and full of plans. He wanted to make movies with Snoop, better than Lethal Weapon and 48 Hours, and complained that Quentin Tarantino was celebrated for gangster stories while rappers were considered the bearers of bad news. His conclusion: when looking back on 1996 later, “it’s going to be our stories that they’re listening to”—then people would be listening to their stories.

Finally, MTV asked about Dr. Dre, who had just left Death Row. Snoop dodged the question. Tupac spoke generally about loyalty and concluded with “what’s done in the dark always comes to light.”

A Document Just Before the Break

The clip is a document just before the break. Dr. Dre had left Death Row in March 1996 and founded Aftermath. The video, released on April 28, 1996, begins with a parody of Biggie (“Piggy”) and Sean Combs talking with Tupac about the 1994 Quad Studios shooting. It was a harbinger of the escalation of the summer of 1996.

Tupac’s jail term was put on hold in June 1996; five months after this shoot, he was dead. Snoop left Death Row in 1998 and bought the label in 2022. Tupac’s wish that “our stories” would endure has come true.