Are we getting close to solving the nearly 30-year-old murder of Tupac Shakur? The creators of the new docu-series “Dear Mama” weigh in.
The 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur has remained a mystery for almost 27 years, but a new break in the case might give us hope. On July 17, the police searched a home in the Las Vegas area as part of the ongoing homicide investigation. No charges were filed, but this could potentially lead to a determination of who was in the car with the gunman who fired the rounds killing Shakur.
Allen Hughes and Jamal Joseph, executive producers of the docu-series “Dear Mama,” talks to theGrio’s Eboni K. Williams about the recent discovery in the case and what they think Tupac would be doing now if he was still alive.
The following is a transcript of their conversation.
Eboni K. Williams [00:00:23] It’s been almost 27 years since hip hop lost one of the greatest rappers of all time, Tupac Shakur. Now his murder remains unsolved, but just recently, there’s actually been movement in the case. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department executed a search warrant on a home in Henderson, Nevada.
It belongs to a woman who is married, to a man who claims that he was in a car trailing the rapper when he was gunned down on the Vegas strip back in 1996. Several items were removed from the home, including tablets, a phone, and several computers. So are we finally getting close to solving the murder of Tupac Shakur?
Joining me now to discuss are two men that have spent a lot of time researching the life and the prolific legacy of the rapper. Allen Hughes and Jamal Joseph are award-winning filmmakers and they’re also the executive producers of the Emmy-nominated docu-series “Dear Mama”, which explores the relationship between Tupac and his mother, Afeni Shakur. Allen and Jamal, brothers, thank you both so much for joining me here at theGrio.
Allen, I will start with you. What were your thoughts when you just recently heard, like we all did, that a warrant has actually been issued just recently to search the home of someone related allegedly to the Tupac Shakur murder investigation?
Allen Hughes [00:01:47] My thoughts were what took so long, you know, in the community and in the streets, it was always well known what happened. So, what took so long? It’s not a great mystery there. And there’s not like any technical hang-ups like there was in Los Angeles in the case of Biggie and Biggie’s mother and the lawsuit. So why hasn’t it been solved? Like one plus one still equals two in the streets, you know?
Williams [00:02:12] Indeed. And with that said, Allen, do you think that this will lead to anything? Do you think that this will actually get us any closer to justice as to the murder of Tupac?
Hughes [00:02:23] Well, making me a little bit of trouble, but I don’t think that type of news leaks out without the police department’s cooperation. So there must be some smoke there and there must be some fire. So, I expect to see that happen pretty soon here in this case.
Williams [00:02:38] Indeed. And Jamal, the home that was searched belongs to a man related to Orlando Anderson, who was long believed to have been involved in some way in Tupac’s murder. While researching for your docu-series, did you see anything that stood out to you that came out in the process of research that, I don’t know, sparked any curiosities for you as it relates to Tupac’s murder?
Jamal Joseph [00:03:02] No, not so much in the research that we did. I think what we did in “Dear Mama” and what Allen did in directing it so brilliantly was focus in the way that Afeni Shakur was focused after Tupac passed was that his real justice would come from the world, really understanding who he was and who his legacy.
She was never hyper-focused on that and also understood that because of the FBI’s counterintelligence program, which attacked the Black Panther Party and which we all believe similar tactics were used against Tupac Shakur, the Shakur family, and even fueling that kind of division that we saw in the movement in the sixties between different organizations that was responsible so that no matter who pulled the trigger, I think racism and the desire of the American government and the forces to destroy revolutionary voices like the Black Panther Party and like Tupac Shakur, were the ones who provided the ammunition.
Williams [00:04:12] Mm-hmm. I can’t help but hear you talk Jamal and think of similarities, striking parallels between that type of collaborative effort to destroy a movement and a people. As we see playing out in the murder of Malcolm X, where, again, you know, It’s not about one triggerman, per se.
It’s about a collective collaborative effort, including government, to undo Black liberation. Allen, let me ask you. Tupac was but 25 years old when he was killed. I remember it like it was yesterday, actually and I was doing the math when I did the intro, and I must have been around 13 years old and I just was very all in on Tupac. And I remember “All Eyez on Me” and just the great legacy which he imparted even on my young life. I’m about to be 40. If Tupac were alive today, what do you think he would be doing right now? And how do you think his impact would be on the culture?
Hughes [00:05:02] I think he would be a multifaceted entertainer, you know, a very wealthy man that was active in his community, obviously, but more importantly in the arts. I think that I’ve been saying this a lot. I think you’ve given Denzel a run for his money.
You probably have a couple of Academy Awards by now because his true gift outside of being a poet and a true essence of a pure artist was as an actor. And of course, he’s an incredible rapper and a lyricist and a writer, but I think his acting career would have really taken off if he was with us.
Williams [00:05:38] Well, you know how I know that’s true, Allen, is because I’m still scared of Bishop, to this day. That’s how good Tupac was in that role. I’m not even kidding. Man, listen to me. Go ahead, Jamal.
Joseph [00:05:49] Everything if I could agree with everything that Allen said. And also, I think the streets would look different. When Tupac was killed, he was working on this code of thug life, you know? How do gangs make peace? How do young people respect their communities?
And he talked about stuff like shooting in the hood and hustling in the hood, and I think that would resonate. And I think we’d have these Tupac-inspired youth programs and youth ambassadors addressing the problem that we’re seeing in inner cities. And I live in Harlem, right? I’m in one of those five zip codes in New York City that accounts for 60% of the prison population. And we see these young brothers who are on the street, you know, who are armed, who are scared that they might be shot.
A report just came out in terms of studying what was going on in New York City. So, to arm people’s minds with hope, with true love, with identifying who the true enemies are. Poverty. Racism. Not each other. Tupac would be at the forefront of that, and the streets would be different as well.
Hughes [00:06:56] Amen to that.
Williams [00:06:56] Listen, Allen and Jamal, brothers, stay with me, because after the break, we are going to talk about your critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated docu-series “Dear Mama”, which explores the dynamic relationship between Tupac and his mother. Stay with us. That’s next on theGrio.
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