Appeals Court: Tupac's Lines on C. DeLores Tucker Are Opinion

C. DeLores Tucker has lost against Tupac’s song lyrics on appeal as well. On July 17, 2000, the federal appeals court for the third circuit (Third Circuit) in Philadelphia affirmed the dismissal of her lawsuit, as the journal of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press reported in summer 2000. The decision was not published in the official reporter.

What it was about

Tucker, former Secretary of State of Pennsylvania and once chair of the Black Caucus in the Democratic National Committee, had led a campaign against gangsta rap. Tupac attacked her twice on his 1996 album, All Eyez on Me. In 1997, she sued his estate, record companies, distributors and retailers. Her argument: the lines portrayed her as a traitor, fans would take that at face value, and the lyrics could incite violence against her. A federal judge had already dismissed the lawsuit in early 1999.

No Disparagement in the Legal Sense

The appellate judges read the lines in context. They concluded that the passages did not harm Tucker’s reputation or profession, nor did they expose her to public hatred or ridicule. At its core, Tupac expressed an opinion: that Tucker harmed other African Americans rather than helped them. Such an assessment is protected by free speech.