News of September 13, 2026
30th Anniversary of His Death: How Views of Tupac Changed
Between mockery in 1996 and the Hall of Fame in 2017: On the 30th anniversary, Rolling Stone examines how views of Tupac changed after the Davis trial.
“What goes ’round …” headlined Time magazine when Tupac Shakur died in Las Vegas at the age of 25, six days after the shooting of September 7, 1996. At the time, the media swung between dismay and mockery, as Rolling Stone Deutschland notes in a piece on the 30th anniversary of his death on September 13, 2026. The recently concluded trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis had reignited the debate over his legacy.
From Mockery to the Hall of Fame
Today, the article notes, Tupac is considered a recognized rap icon; since 2017, he has been a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Source also commemorated the anniversary of his death with a retrospective.
The Trial Leaves Questions Open
The fact that photos of his dead body were shown during the trial recalled the conspiracy theory that he is still alive. The murder is not conclusively resolved by the verdict; whether other people were involved remains open.
More: The investigation, The last week and Biography.