On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas; he died six
days later. In the last days before his death, Tupac's life included
creating music, filming a movie, activism, romance, and making plans for
a future away from Death Row Records.
Tupac's acting career was thriving
Though best known for his music, Tupac was a talented actor who'd
appeared in multiple films. During the summer of 1996, he worked on Gang Related
with Jim Belushi. Tupac had plans to keep making movies after this; his
production company Euphanasia had numerous scripts coming in.
In a promotional interview for Gang Related that Tupac gave in
August, he said, "I could be the best actor anybody's ever seen, given
the chance, the opportunity and the experience and the lessons from
people. I could be the best, but right now, I don't even wish to be the
best, I just want to be one of them."
He was involved with his community
Throughout his life, Tupac wanted to aid his community and create more
opportunities for black youth. One organization he'd supported was A
Place Called Home, which offered dance lessons, counseling, tutoring,
and health services to at-risk youth in Los Angeles.
He also participated in political activism. On August 15, less than one
month before he died, Tupac appeared at a rally with Brotherhood
Crusade, a black activist group, to oppose a three-strikes law and an
anti-affirmative action measure in California.
Tupac recorded his final album in seven days
In the fall of 1995, Tupac was behind bars while appealing a conviction
for sexual abuse (he always maintained his innocence regarding the
charges). He had no money for bail, but Marion "Suge" Knight and Death
Row Records offered to supply the funds. Tupac then signed a three-album
deal with the label.
Following his October 1995 release from prison, Tupac returned to
California and began making music for Death Row. In August 1996, his The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
album was recorded and mixed in seven days. The album, credited to
Tupac's alter ego Makaveli, hit No. 1 when it was released after his
death.
Tupac's time with Death Row also included confrontation and controversy.
In his song "Hit 'Em Up," which came out in June 1996, Tupac claimed
he'd slept with Faith Evans, the wife of Christopher "Biggie Smalls"
Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G. (Wallace and Tupac had once
been friends, but after Tupac was shot in 1994 he'd come to believe
Wallace had been involved in the incident). Evans denied any affair, but
this didn't keep Tupac from taunting Wallace with these allegations at
the MTV Awards on September 4, 1996.
He had problems with his record label
By the summer of 1996, Tupac was wondering where his Death Row royalties
were. Since his return to California, he'd been putting out hits and
had reached $60 million in album sales, but he'd seen very little money.
At the time of Tupac's death, Death Row calculated he owed the label
$4.9 million; his bail money was among the costs on Tupac's tab.
Tupac remained loyal to Death Row in public, as when he stated in an August Vibe
interview, "Me and Suge will always do business together, forever."
However, Tupac was reportedly interested in signing to a new label as
he'd completed his required three albums. Of course, given Tupac's
ongoing success, Knight and Death Row wouldn't have wanted to lose him.
On August 27, Tupac fired David Kenner, a lawyer for Death Row who'd
taken on Tupac as a client when Tupac signed to the label. Representing
both a company and a signed artist presented a conflict of interest, but
some of Tupac's friends still considered his decision to fire Kenner a
mistake. In a 1997 New Yorker article, one said of Tupac, "He
didn't realize, or he refused to accept, what anyone from the street
would have known — that you can't fire Kenner, you don't leave Death
Row."
Tupac was in a serious relationship and wanted to start a family
Not everything in Tupac's last days was about work. In the summer of
1996, he was getting serious with Kidada Jones (daughter of Quincy
Jones). According to a 1997 Vanity Fair article, while Tupac was
in New York for the MTV Awards in September, the two had been discussing
a trip to Hawaii and talking about having a baby together.
But when Tupac returned to Los Angeles on September 7, he and Kidada
first went to Las Vegas. Tupac was joining Knight at a Mike Tyson boxing
match being held that night at the MGM Grand. He'd asked Kidada to
travel with him.
Kidada helped Tupac pack for the trip. When she asked if he wanted to
bring the bulletproof vest he often wore, he answered that it would be
too hot to wear it.
Tupac attended a boxing match in Las Vegas hours before he was shot
Tupac watched ringside with Knight as Tyson won his match in less than
two minutes. In the casino afterward, Tupac fought with Orlando
Anderson, a Crips gang member. Anderson was pushed to the ground and
kicked before security guards intervened. However, no official complaint
was filed and everyone involved in the brawl departed the hotel.
Tupac returned to his hotel room, seeing Jones as he changed clothes
(she hadn't attended the match). He left her to head to Knight's house,
then he and Knight got into a BMW to travel to Club 662 (Tupac was
scheduled to perform at the club to raise money for a gym that wanted to
help kids avoid violence). The bodyguards with them weren't armed, as
the necessary permits for their weapons hadn't been filed.
On the road, a white Cadillac pulled up alongside Knight's BMW. A gunman
in that car fired about 13 rounds, hitting Tupac four times before the
Cadillac sped off. Knight, whose head had been grazed, then drove away
in the BMW. However, Knight's vehicle had two blown-out tires, so he
didn't get far before coming to a stop.
He fought for his life for six days
Police and emergency personnel were soon at the scene. In 2014, a
retired Las Vegas cop said Tupac told him, "F**k you," when asked who'd
shot him. In other accounts, Tupac's last words included, "I can't
breathe" and "I’m dyin', man."
Tupac was taken to the hospital, where he would go through several
surgeries. His right lung was removed and he was placed on a ventilator
and respirator. Jones, family and friends flocked to the hospital to see
him.
An unconscious Tupac was resuscitated before his mother directed
hospital personnel not to do so again. He died on September 13, 1996,
six days after he'd been shot. Theories about the shooting have included
Crips after revenge, Wallace arranging a hit or Knight seeking to
prevent Tupac from leaving Death Row Records — but all denied any
involvement. The truth behind Tupac's murder has never been uncovered.