The Mystery of Tupac Shakur

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Who really killed Tupac Shakur is one of the most intriguing questions of our generation. The conspiracy theories are endless as well as outlandishly speculative. Many factors contribute to answering this seemingly unanswerable question. Rivalries, money, and fame all play key factors in determining what happened to one of the most famous rappers of all time. Rivalry and tension among his many enemies were the driving causes of Shakur’s death. Even those whom he once called friends may have turned on him as a result of jealousy or revenge. Of all the theories regarding Tupac Shakur’s unsolved murder, the theory most likely to be true is that he was killed by the Crips. Immediately after Tupac Shakur’s murder the night of September 7, 1996, possible suspects were targeted and investigated. Among the earliest accused was Suge Knight, the creator of Death Row Records (Scott 183). Shakur’s contract with Death Row was a profit vacuum for Knight because of Shakur’s immense talent and popularity. And, allegedly, a four-million dollar insurance policy was enacted on Tupac after signing with Death Row Records, giving Death Row the benefit rather than his family (Scott 183). This policy reinforced the idea that Tupac was the driving money force for Death Row; therefore, he was extremely valuable for the success of the company. As Knight once said, "Tupac IS Death Row." (Johnson and McQuillar 173). However, tension came when Tupac supposedly was ready to depart from Death Row Records once the contract expired, which would negatively affect the success of Death Row (Scott 184). The devastation of Shakur’s departure would cause a major change in Death Row's success, and potentially causing another company to be more successful than Knight’s. T... ... middle of paper ... ...Smalls? Interview with Detective Greg Kading.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. Johnson, Freddie Lee, and Tayannah Lee McQuillar. Tupac Shakur: The Life and Times of an American Icon. Cambridge: Da Capo, 2010. Nook file. Kading, Greg. Murder Rap: The Untold Story of the Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations. United States: One-Time, 2011. Nook file. Quinn, Eithne. “Shakur, Tupac.” Conspiracy Theories in American History. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2003. Credo Reference. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. Scott, Cathy. The Killing of Tupac Shakur. Las Vegas: Huntington, 1997. Nook file. Sullivan, Randall. LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records' Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal. New York: Grove, 2002. Nook file.

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