Knight, who is now facing a separate murder charge, has repeatedly denied any involvement in Wallace's killing. The task force worked with a 72-volume 'murder book,' the collection of evidence in the case, that was kept in its own office. Task force member Greg Kading, in his book 'Murder Rap,' alleged that now-deceased Wardell 'Poochie' Fouse — a Mob Piru Blood gang member from Compton — shot Wallace. He wrote that the killing was revenge for Shakur's slaying and that powerful East Coast hip-hop figures were behind the Vegas slaying.
For those who know how to use it will provide superb results & decent output for the rest of us! If you want pay a little money, Twilight Render provides an easier front end to the Kerkythea engine, with a template based workflow. Free rendering software for sketchup. Never tried, but there is a plugin for the POV-RAY rendering package created by Didier Bur.
So who actually pulled the trigger on Tupac? Karding claims that Tupac was killed by Crips gang member Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson. He alleges that the original hit was supposed to be carried out by 'Keffe D' but plans were changed at the last minute after they unexpectedly pulled up on the wrong side of Tupac's vehicle.
So Keffe's nephew carried out the hit instead - killing Tupac and injuring Suge Knight. Interestingly, Baby Lane also got into a fist fight with Pac at a Vegas casino hours before the shooting took place.
EXCLUSIVE and got a surprise visit in L.A. From Rap-A-Lot Records CEO - just a few weeks before Biggie's murder - and the conversation could have saved his life. TMZ has learned. The meeting went down in February 1997, when sources connected to James tell us he'd heard B.I.G. And Puff Daddy (as he was then known) were shooting the 'Hypnotize' music video. We're told James had immediate concerns about their safety.
And rushed to the set. James had just been in L.A. With, one of his artists, and heard a lot of talk on the streets about a possible revenge hit. Remember, had been murdered about 6 months earlier, and there were widespread, but unsubstantiated, rumors that Puff and Biggie were involved - fueled by the west coast-east-coast feud. We're told James urged them to take the threats seriously and consider leaving town - especially when he saw how relaxed security was on the set - but they seemed unfazed, and more focused on completing the video. A few weeks later, Biggie was shot and killed outside L.A.'
S Petersen Automotive Museum. Our sources say James did not have specific knowledge of a hit, but had heard enough buzz he wanted to put it on Puff and B.I.G.' We're told the meeting is one of several stories from behind the scenes of hip-hop that J. Prince will reveal in his book, 'The Art and Science of Respect'. Which will be released next month. Telepictures and Warner Bros.
Entertainment Inc. May also share those details with so they may send me tailored email and other offers. Telepictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Are requesting this consent on behalf of their affiliates, which will use the information under their respective privacy policies. Opt out at any time by sending email to, by mail to 'Privacy Group, Warner Bros., 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, CA 91522,' or by unsubscribing via a link in the email.
Notorious Big Movie
By submitting my email address, I agree to the and I acknowledge that I have read and understand the.
By Ronda Racha Penrice Notorious B.I.G. And Tupac Shakur were murdered more than two decades ago — in 1996 and 1997 respectively — and yet their pop culture presence has arguably never been stronger. Over the past few months, no less than three television specials and special series have focused on them both or individually with a fourth — the USA Network's limited series “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.” — running right now. (USA Network is owned by NBC Universal.) On the one hand, it’s clear there’s still a lot of interest in the lives and deaths of these two iconic rappers and the deadly East Coast-West Coast war their soured friendship sparked. But are the shows merely sensationalizing the drama of this period to spark macabre audience interest? Or worse, do these stories actually reinforce negative stereotypes tying hip-hop music to violence? Taking its cues from “American Crime Story: The People v.
Simpson,” “Unsolved” tries to push the story of Biggie and Tupac forward through scripted plot and character development. 'Unsolved' is not just a biopic like A&E’s 'Biggie: The Life of the Notorious B.I.G.” or Dateline-esque true crime shows like FOX’s 'Who Shot Biggie and Tupac?” and A&E’s six-part series “Who Killed Tupac?” Taking its cues instead from FX’s groundbreaking “American Crime Story: The People v. Simpson,” on which Hemingway also served as a co-executive producer and director, “Unsolved” tries its best to push the story of Biggie and Tupac forward through scripted plot and character development.
While the first episode is essentially a primer for people not familiar with the murders, the series’ many layers become increasingly apparent as the episodes unfold. The series zigzags between the early 1990s friendship between Biggie and Pac — as they were affectionately known — and the pair’s later feud. Along the way, the audience also gets glimpses of the multiple LAPD investigations into the murders that occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. The show’s inclusion of the police investigation is important because it allows showrunners to introduce themes like LAPD corruption and police mismanagement. (This latter storyline is explored in some depth by the character of Russell Poole, a white cop played impressively by “Westworld” actor Jimmi Simpson, whose frustration with the investigation is palpable.) On a larger scale, the format speaks to a broader ambivalence — not just to the murders of prominent rappers, but to the homicides of young, black men, many in their early 20s, all across the country.
The format speaks to a broader ambivalence — not just to the murder of a prominent rapper, but to the homicides of young, black men all across the country. The general absence of black cops, suggests “Unsolved,” might be one reason for this ambivalence. During the initial 1997 investigation into Biggie’s murder, black cops were noticeably absent. When decorated white detective Greg Kading (Josh Duhamel) heads up the 2006 follow-up task force, it is noticeably more diverse, primarily thanks to Kading’s buddy Daryn Dupree. (Interestingly, Dupree's character is played by Emmy nominee Bokeem Woodbine, an actor who was also Tupac’s co-star in the 1996 video ).
But, even as more headway is made with a more diverse police team, other challenges emerge. The street code of silence, for example, often stalls law enforcement efforts. Even worse, the line between the cops and the crooks appears dangerously thin, and innumerable inappropriate alliances are exposed.
In interviews, Hemingway has revealed that a goal of the series was to humanize both Biggie and Pac, an attempt bolstered by the casting of real-life New York rapper Wavyy Jonez as Biggie and Marcc Rose as Tupac. Rose also briefly played Tupac in the 2015 N.W.A. Biopic “Straight Outta Compton.” Of the two, Jonez is a far closer doppelganger, but Rose also has his moments.
As the series goes on, “Unsolved” offers recaps of the two rappers’ lives in depth. These snapshots allow audiences to experience Pac and Biggie sometimes stripped of their normal swagger and confidence. In these moments of vulnerability, “Unsolved” chips away at the toxic masculinity that was yet another factor in these young men’s deaths. Such personal glimpses, whenever possible, do help humanize these well-known figures. To this end, the inclusion of the mothers, friends and romantic partners devastated by the murders go a long way. Artistically, “Unsolved” suggests a more sophisticated evolution for hip-hop culture and television. By marrying that culture to the omnipresent cop procedural, “Unsolved” arguably creates a new blueprint — or at least expands the genre.
Just as “The Wire” tried to subvert stereotypes about urban communities and its residents, “Unsolved” is trying to subvert stereotypes about the 1990s music scene, race and rap feuds. If this series succeeds, it will do so by reminding its audience that the deaths of black men, famous or infamous, are just as deserving of sympathy as the myriad white-focused crime shows that have long been a staple of American television. And by humanizing these characters, the show will hopefully end up interrogating and complicating the link between hip-hop and violence that remains such a force in the popular imagination. Ronda Racha Penrice is a freelance writer and cultural critic. Her work has appeared on The Root, NBC BLK and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |