The Life & Death of Tupac

On the night of September 7th, 1996, one of the biggest stars in hip hop was riding through the streets of Las Vegas. His name was Tupac Shakur. He was only 25 years old. He had sold millions of records, starred in Hollywood films, survived shootings, spent time in prison, and became one of the most controversial voices in America. But that night, a white Cadillac pulled alongside his black BMW. Gunshots rang [music] out. Tupac was hit four times. Six days later, he was dead. For nearly three decades, the question remained, who killed Tupac Shakur and why? Now, after a historic court case and a conviction in 2026, [music] the story has entered a new chapter. But to understand why Tupac was killed, we have to go back to the beginning. >> [music] [music] >> Tupac Shakur was born Lesane Parish Crooks on June 16th, 1971 in New York City. His mother, Afeni Shakur, was a political activist associated [music] with the Black Panther movement. Tupac grew up surrounded by political ideas, poverty, struggle, and instability. But he discovered something that would eventually change his life, poetry. As a young man, Tupac learned how to express his emotions through words. Those words would eventually become [music] music. His family later moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Tupac [music] attended the Baltimore School for the Arts. There, he studied acting, [music] poetry, jazz, and ballet. Few people could have imagined that this young student would eventually become one of the most influential rappers in history. Tupac eventually moved to California and began pursuing a career in hip-hop. His first major opportunity came through the group Digital Underground. In 1991, he appeared on their song Same Song. >> They would clown around when I hang around with the Underground. Girls used to frown saying I'm down when I come around. [music] Gas me and when they pass me they used to diss me. >> That appearance helped introduce Tupac [music] to a wider audience. Soon, he released his first solo album 2Pacalypse Now. Tupac was different. He wasn't only talking about money, cars, and fame. He talked about racism, poverty, police brutality, and also talked about violence. He did not forget to talk about women, relationships, family, and the struggle of young black Americans. And for that, America noticed. Some people saw him as a dangerous influence. Others saw him as a voice of people who felt ignored, but one thing was becoming impossible to deny. Tupac had something to say. Tupac was not only a rapper, he was also an actor. He appeared in movies including Juice, Poetic Justice, and Above the Rim. His career was moving at incredible speed, but alongside the success came controversy. Tupac came involved in legal problems and violence. In 1994, he was shot several times inside a recording studio in New York City. He survived, but Tupac believed the shooting was connected to people in the East Coast hip-hop [music] scene. That belief would help fuel one of the most dangerous rivalries in music history. While Tupac was serving a prison sentence in 1995, his life changed again. Death Row Records boss Suge Knight, helped arrange his release. Tupac signed with Death Row Records. Now, he was surrounded by powerful figures from Los Angeles music and street [music] culture. Death Row was closely associated with people connected to the Mob Piru Bloods. At the same time, Death Row was increasingly hostile toward Bad Boy Records on the East Coast. Bad Boy was associated with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and rapper Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G. The rivalry became known as the East Coast-West Coast feud. >> It's like we cleaning up the dirt. I can't change what the dirt that's here, but I can put all this dirt in one corner. >> What began as competition between music scenes became [music] personal. Tupac believed Biggie and people around him knew more about his 1994 shooting than they admitted. Biggie denied involvement. Tupac responded through music. His most famous attack was the song Hit 'Em Up. The words were brutal. The rivalry was no longer just entertainment. It became dangerous. >> [music] [music] >> In 1996, Tupac released one of the most important albums in hip-hop history, All Eyez on Me. It was a massive success. Tupac was at the height of his career. He was rich. He was famous. He was making movies. He was recording music at an extraordinary pace. But behind the success was a dangerous world. >> From late rapper and actor, Tupac Shakur, [music] is dead at the age of 25. >> Rap star, Tupac Shakur, died last night after a brief life in a [music] rough business. >> Tupac increasingly surrounded himself with people connected to street gangs. He had close relationships with members of the Mob Piru Bloods. His association with the gang culture became increasingly visible. And that would become extremely important on the night he died. September 7th, 1996. Las Vegas. Tupac went to the MGM Grand to watch heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson fight Bruce Seldon. After Tyson won, Tupac and members of his entourage encountered Orlando Anderson. [music] Anderson was associated with the Southside Compton Crips. Earlier that day, there had been a dispute involving people connected to Tupac and Anderson. [music] Inside the MGM Grand, Tupac and members of his entourage confronted Anderson. A fight broke out. Anderson was beaten. Then Tupac and his group left. According to prosecutors, the story wasn't over. Later that night, Tupac was traveling through Las Vegas in a BMW driven by Suge Knight. Suddenly, a white Cadillac pulled alongside them. The car slowed down. Then the gunman opened fire. Four [music] bullets struck Tupac. Suge Knight was also wounded. The Cadillac disappeared into the night. Tupac was rushed to the University Medical Center. Doctors fought to keep him alive, but the injuries were devastating. [music] And now came another question. Would Tupac tell police who shot him? Officer Chris Carroll was one of the first officers [music] to reach Tupac after the shooting. According to Carroll's account, he asked Tupac who had shot him. Tupac responded with an expletive. [music] Another officer, Gary Dale, later gave a different account. Dale testified that while traveling with Tupac [music] in the ambulance, he repeatedly tried to get Tupac to identify the attacker. According to Dale, Tupac refused. His response was, "We'll [music] take care of it." Those words would become part of the mystery surrounding Tupac's final hours. [music] Was Tupac protecting someone? Did he know who attacked him? Did he believe his friends would handle the situation? We may never know exactly what he meant. Tupac's condition continued to worsen. For 6 days, the world waited. Fans prayed. News organizations followed every development. But on September 13th, 1996, Tupac Shakur died. He was 25 years old. The world had lost one of its most influential young artists. But the mystery surrounding his death had only just begun. For almost 30 years, Tupac's murder remained unsolved. There were countless theories. Some blamed the East Coast-West Coast feud. Some believed the killing was connected to gangs. Others suspected people inside Tupac's own circle. But speculation is not the same as evidence. The breakthrough came years later. Duane "Keefe D" Davis, a former South Side Compton Crips figure and uncle of Orlando Anderson, publicly acknowledged that he was inside white Cadillac involved in the shooting. His statements became central to the investigation. In 2023, authorities arrested Davis and charged him with Tupac's murder. Prosecutors argued that Davis orchestrated the retaliation following the confrontation involving Anderson. They argued that Davis supplied the firearm used in the attack. Importantly, prosecutors did not claim Davis himself fired the fatal shots. After nearly three decades of mystery, the case finally reached a historic moment. In 2026, Duane Keith Davis was found guilty of murder in connection with Tupac Shakur's death. The conviction marked a dramatic turning point in one of the most famous cold cases in American history. Davis has maintained that he did not personally fire the shots and he has said he plans to appeal. Orlando Anderson, who was long suspected of being involved, was never convicted of Tupac's murder. Anderson died in an unrelated shooting in 1998. He had denied involvement in Tupac's killing. Tupac Shakur died at just 25 years old. But his story did not die with him. His music continued to sell. >> [music] >> His words continued to inspire millions. His movies continued to be watched. And his name became bigger after his death than it [music] had been during his life. His death was born out of a mixture of personal conflict, gang tensions, and the violent atmosphere surrounding hip-hop at [music] that time. But perhaps the most tragic part of the story is this. Tupac had only just reached [music] the height of his career. He had so much more music to make, so many more stories to tell, so many more years to live. Instead, [music] his life ended on a Las Vegas street. And almost 30 years later, the question that haunted hip-hop finally reached a courtroom. Tupac Shakur was gone. >> [music] >> But his voice never disappeared. To a life of Tupac that will mostly be remembered, I have been Judy Candy and this is SPM Buzz.