Ready to Live (Part 2 of 5): The robbery at Quad Studios

Original: “Ready to Live” (Part 2) · Vibe · Kevin Powell · April 1995

In part two of the Vibe interview, Tupac walks through the night of November 30, 1994, in detail. His account begins with a man he trusted.

“Nigel” and the ride to Times Square

First, Tupac talks about “Nigel,” who also went by “Trevor.” During the filming of Above the Rim, Nigel had attached himself to Tupac. He promised to look out for him, bought him clothes and introduced him to gangsters in Brooklyn. Tupac trusted him.

On the night of the robbery, Tupac arrived at Quad Studios with Stretch, Stretch’s friend Fred and his sister’s boyfriend. Outside stood a man in army fatigues who didn’t look up. Inside sat a second man with a newspaper who kept his eyes down as well. Tupac took them for Biggie’s security. At the elevator, both pulled guns.

Shots at the elevator, averted eyes in the studio

Everyone hit the floor except Tupac. The robbers went straight for him, searched him for his gun and wanted his jewelry. A shot hit him; then he was kicked and struck in the head, he thought he had been pistol-whipped.

Wounded, he rode the elevator up to the studio. By his account about 40 people were waiting there, among them Andre Harrell, Sean “Puffy” Combs and Biggie, all wearing more jewelry than he was. Booker seemed surprised, Little Shawn was crying. Nobody would look at him, not even Harrell, whom he had been having dinner with for days.

Accusations, denials and a late claim

This is Tupac’s version, and it had enormous consequences. Those he named denied any involvement; Vibe printed their responses in 1995. Tupac repeated the accusations anyway and later took them up in songs. On Against All Odds (1996) he named “Haitian Jack” and “Jimmy Henchman.” “Nigel” is widely identified as Jacques “Haitian Jack” Agnant, who always denied any role in the robbery.

In June 2011, Dexter Isaac, a convicted murderer, claimed he had been one of the robbers, acting on the orders of James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond. Rosemond was never charged in the case. He is, however, serving life in prison for drug trafficking and a murder-for-hire. A 2008 Los Angeles Times article about the robbery was retracted because it relied on forged documents. No court has ever resolved what happened at Quad. Only one thing is clear: no involvement by Biggie or Combs was ever proven.

Read more

• Part 1: The interview on Rikers Island
• Part 3: Hospital, media, court
• Andre Harrell on that night
• Sean Combs on that night
• Little Shawn on that night