News of September 29, 2018
Settlement with Entertainment One: Tupac's Estate Regains Unreleased Recordings
Five years of legal battles, a six-figure settlement: Tupac's estate recovers unreleased master tapes from Entertainment One in September 2018.
For five years, Tupac’s estate fought in court over unreleased master tapes. Afeni Shakur had sued Entertainment One in 2013 to recover the recordings; after her death in 2016, the estate’s other trustees continued the litigation. In late September 2018, a settlement was reached.
Six-Figure Settlement Instead of Seven-Figure Claim
According to Complex, Vibe, and The Source (all citing TMZ), Entertainment One is paying a six-figure sum for unpaid royalties from posthumous releases, and all unreleased recordings will return to the estate. According to Complex, the estate had claimed royalties in the seven-figure range. The Source identifies the dispute over proceeds from Beginnings: The Lost Tapes (2007) as the trigger.
Material for Two to Three Albums
According to the website The Blast, this yields material for two to three albums, and releases are reportedly planned. The sources do not state when they will appear. For Tupac’s albums, see discography.