An essay by Pat for you.

Today, September 7th, 2004, marks the 8 year anniversary of the night that rapper, actor, poet, and political activist Tupac Shakur was aimed for assassination. Just after 11 PM, on September 7th, 1996, Tupac and the CEO of his record company (Death Row Records), Suge Knight, were on their way to a Las Vegas club after watching Mike Tyson win a fight at the MGM Grand. Thirteen gunshots rang out at East Flamingo Road, just miles from the club. Tupac was hit twice, with one bullet hitting his leg and ricocheting to the right side of his chest. Six days later, on September 13th, 1996, Tupac was pronounced dead at 4:03 PM in the Las Vegas University Medical Center.

Let's picture this. We're in Las Vegas. It's the night of a Tyson fight. There are celebrities everywhere. Security is at its' maximum. We have a rap superstar gunned down just miles away from the Las Vegas strip, but we let a car with shooters get away. Tupac's own entourage claims to have followed the late-model Cadillac with the assailants, but "lose it."

Eight years later, I write this to you on September 7th, 2004 with still no murderer (s) in custody, no witnesses left alive, and no more potential suspects still breathing.

With the "alive theories" put to rest, people still question the way the LVPD handled the case that night. They left the crime scene unsecured and all potential evidence was ruined. They refused to listen to witnesses. There wasn't even a helicopter chase attempt in finding the assailants.

With all hopes of a suspect ever being caught dismantled, all Tupac fans can enjoy is the numerous things that will forever be here. His unreleased music and poetry continues to come out, he continues to be an icon to all performers and musicians, and his school, Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, continues growing each day.

One day, when we're all gone, we'll really see Tupac--we'll see him for the way he wanted us to see him: Vibrant, extraordinary, hard working, and overlooked.

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Nice work Pat. An interesting life, from the slums to the top of the world. I highly enjoy his songs.

Favorites in no particular order:

- Life goes on
- Rose that grew from concrete
- Only Fear of Death (Personal favorite - extremely deep)
- All ayez on me
- In the air of tonight
- This ain't livin
- I ain't mad at cha
- Unconditional love
- Ghost
- Until the end of time
- All out
- When thugs cry
- Ballad of a dead soulja
- So many tears
- Smile
- Dear mama
- Hit em' up
- Made niggaz
- I wonder if heaven got a ghetto
- How do u want it
- Brenda's got a baby
- Toss it up
- Open fire
- To live and die in L.A.
- Trapped
- I don't give a fuck
- Breathin
- R u still down?
- Everything they owe
- Lie to kick it
- Young black male

.

I used to be a HUGE 2pac fan. I had all of his cd's & listened to them all day & night. This was back in middle school for me when I heard this and I was just so shocked to hear the news. What do you think Patrick, think he's dead? He's certainly released a lot of albums in the past 8 years. I've been wanting to listen to more of his music because it's been years since I have (I gave all of my raps cd's away when I became a Christian). But before I can download songs I gotta wait for my new Norton Antivirus cd to come in.

I do believe that he's dead now and if he still is alive, I don't think he'd come back anymore. He does have a new double album coming out in November and I just bought his new Live CD. -Pat

What's the live CD called? Is it like a greatest hits album live? (I love those)

It's live audio from a concert. -Pat

Holy crap, I didn't realize that it was Tupac's anniversary. Now I understand why all my friends were wearing Tupac shirts...

This is a great topic Pat, remembering a hero and icon who lived for the people. The greatest lyricist, writer, thinker, role model,... the list goes on and on. Here's to Tupac.

Oh yeah, There are a lot of people saying where Tupac could be. I remember someone told me theres a song where he goes, "im in jamaica, smoking cigars" or something like that. I really don't believe someone would fake their death like that. Even if he were to come back, imagine how much people would hate him.

Well Raulito, I don't think he's coming back. I think that's what that whole Makaveli album was about (or so I was told) about faking your own death & the such. I mean, look at how many albums he's come out since his "death." True, a lot have been remix & live albums, but most haven't been. In any case, here's to Tupac. Even though I haven't a big fan of his in about 7 or 8 years, I still miss you & your music! I just wonder if that whole East Coast vs West Coast feud would still be going on if he were still around? Between him & Puffy anyways (that would have been tight back in '98 & '99 when Puffy was on top). They sold TONS of records during that feud in any case.

If any conspiracy theories like that are true, I hope it's Elvis that comes back and not this degenerate.

Patrick, you probably know that Tupac was the son of Afeni Shakur, a well-known political activist and Black Panther of the Sixties and Seventies, and his stepfather was Mutulu Shakur, who was accused of masterminding the famous Brinks truck robbery and dual murder of 1981 near Tarrytown, NY. That act was regarded as the last gasp of the SDS "Weathermen" faction, and resulted in the arrest and conviction of famous radical Kathy Boudin, who was finally released from prison last year.

Yes. Afeni was actually also supposed to go to jail and was pregnant in jail with Tupac. She beat the case as her own lawyer. Mutulu is still in jail and actually wrote a letter to Tupac the night that Tupac got shot, which you can read here (if you want). Mutulu also helped him write the codes of Thug Life. What surprises me the most, is that Henry Hill really reminds me of Tupac. In commentary on the Goodfellas DVD, when they're showing all of Henry's friends, he says, "It's strange. All of these guys are dead or in jail. The mafia will never ever be the same." Tupac says the same thing about the Black Panthers in his autobiography. -Pat

My Economics teacher mentioned Tupac and P.Diddy today. But he called them "Two-Packs" and "Puffy Diddy" :rolleyes:

2Pac is the top man, respect Pac

Good job Pat!

Patrick, I always see the Tupca Resurection DVD but I've never seen it. What's it about? Is it just a documentary about his life or what? Also, is there any documentary/DVD out about the whole East Coast vs West Coast "war" or the Tupca vs Biggie Feud? I always found that interesting in the mid-90s.

Tupac: Resurrection is his auto biography. It's in his own words. There's also a book out for it too. There are many movies about about the whole East/West Coast rival. The Biggie and Tupac movie had a lot in it, but I didn't really like it. Thug Angel and Welcome to Death Row are also good documentaries. Read the Killing of Tupac Shakur if you get a chance. -Pat