Other Cases, 1991 to 1996: Oakland, Allen Hughes, Michigan and the Dispute over Tupac's Music

A young man who stood in court by turns as plaintiff, defendant and suspect: alongside the big cases of Marin City, Atlanta and New York, several smaller proceedings fill Tupac’s record. For the overview see Tupac’s Legal Cases.

Ten million dollars against the city of Oakland

On October 17, 1991, the officers Alex Boyovic and Kevin Rogers stopped Tupac in Oakland for jaywalking. According to Tupac they choked him, threw him to the ground and slammed his head on the concrete. He sued the city for $10 million over police brutality.

The case ended in a settlement of roughly $42,000 to $43,000 (figures vary by source; Wikipedia cites the New York Times). The sum was far below the demand but was a settlement, not a verdict; it does not amount to an admission by the city.

Allen Hughes 1993/94: a punch and 15 days in jail

Tupac was cast as Sharif in Menace II Society by the directors Allen and Albert Hughes and was then replaced by Vonte Sweet; there are two accounts of why: a quarrel with Allen Hughes, or disagreement over the script. In spring 1993 Tupac hit Hughes at a video shoot. Evidence at trial included an appearance on Yo! MTV Raps in which he boasted of beating up the director (Wikipedia). He was convicted of assault on February 10, 1994; on March 10, 1994, Judge George H. Wu imposed 15 days in Los Angeles County jail, a fine and community service (UPI). It was Tupac’s first jail sentence. Allen Hughes said in 2023 that Tupac later apologized to him several times and that he had liked him (Yahoo Entertainment).

Michigan 1993/94: the baseball bat

On April 5, 1993, after a concert at Michigan State University in East Lansing, a quarrel broke out with the rapper Chauncey Wynn of the group M.A.D. Tupac allegedly threw a microphone and swung a baseball bat at him. He was charged with felonious assault, said the bat was part of his show and that he never swung it, and on September 14, 1994, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. The sentence: 30 days in jail, 20 of them suspended, and 35 hours of community service (Wikipedia).

A gun in the car and broken probation terms

In April 1994 police in Los Angeles found a semiautomatic pistol in Tupac’s car during a traffic stop. Because of a 1993 conviction it was a felony. Tupac pleaded guilty in spring 1996. On April 4, 1996, a Los Angeles court imposed 120 days in jail for violating probation, among other things because he had not completed community service; because of pending appeals he did not serve it. Sentencing in the weapons case was due on September 12, 1996. By then Tupac was already in the hospital (Shooting 1996).

Claims against the estate

After Tupac’s death several claims were brought against the estate. C. DeLores Tucker sued in 1997 over lines about her in two songs; the suit was dismissed (C. Delores Tucker). Jacques Agnant, the man from the New York case, sued the estate over the song “Against All Odds”, in which Tupac calls him an informant; a federal court in New York dismissed the suit in 1998 (Agnant v. Shakur). Billy Garland demanded half the inheritance and failed in December 1997 (Billy Garland).

A freestyle sample in South Korea

Under the heading “Tupac Records lawsuit,” Wikipedia lists a fight over unlicensed music. In April 2004 Amaru Records announced it would sue the South Korean group Baby V.O.X. and its agency for using, without permission, a Tupac recording made in prison (a freestyle) in one of their songs.

The group said it had legally acquired the sample from a company called Bungaroo Music and that Amaru did not hold all the rights anyway. How it ended is reported inconsistently: Wikipedia calls it a misunderstanding after the legal purchase was confirmed; the group dropped the single. More on the company at Amaru Entertainment.