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In this episode of "Body of Crime," we delve into the complex life of Tupac Shakur, exploring his ascent to fame, notable legal battles, and societal impact. We kick off with Tupac's initial encounters with law enforcement, setting the stage for his future struggles. Highlighting key incidents, including the infamous jaywalking arrest and subsequent police brutality lawsuit, we uncover the layers of Tupac's persona as both a victim and a fighter.
As we navigate through his legal troubles, from the wrongful death lawsuit in Marin City to the assault charges in Michigan, we reveal how each event contributed to Tupac's thug life narrative. The episode takes a deeper look at Tupac's time in Clinton Correctional Facility, showcasing his resilience and creativity even behind bars.
We conclude with a reflection on Tupac's legacy, examining how his life and music continue to resonate with themes of struggle, resistance, and the fight against societal injustices. Join us for a journey through the life of a music legend whose story transcends the world of true crime.
As we navigate through his legal troubles, from the wrongful death lawsuit in Marin City to the assault charges in Michigan, we reveal how each event contributed to Tupac's thug life narrative. The episode takes a deeper look at Tupac's time in Clinton Correctional Facility, showcasing his resilience and creativity even behind bars.
We conclude with a reflection on Tupac's legacy, examining how his life and music continue to resonate with themes of struggle, resistance, and the fight against societal injustices. Join us for a journey through the life of a music legend whose story transcends the world of true crime.
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From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of this journey! ππ§π¬π
π EPISODE RESOURCES π
π BOOK(S) π
π The Rose that Grew from Concrete - Tupac Shakur
π Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography - Staci Robinson
π Afeni Shakur: Evolution Of A Revolutionary - Jasmine Guy
π Assata: An Autobiography - Assata Shakur
π Compton Street Legend - Keffe D et al
π Assata: An Autobiography - Assata Shakur
π Compton Street Legend - Keffe D et al
π₯ VIDEO(S) π₯
ποΈ Juice (1992)
ποΈ Gridlock'd (1997)
π Part 7 β Hit Emβ Up β East Coast vs. West Coast Beef
π Part 8 β Blasphemy β Death Row & the Makaveli Phase
π Part 9 β Open Fire β The Las Vegas Shooting
π Part 10 β The Good Die Young β The Investigation
π Part 11 β Ballad of a Dead Soulja β Tupacβs Legacy
π Part 12 β When I get Free β The Murder Trial of Keefe D
π Bonus Episode #1 β Fame β Jada Pinkett-Smith and Tupac
π Bonus Episode #1 β Fame β Jada Pinkett-Smith and Tupac
π Bonus Episode #2 β Ghetto Gospel β Tupacβs Discography
π Bonus Episode #3 β Po Ni##a Blues β Tupacβs Financials
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Support this podcast on Patreon β
Creators & Guests
Host
Crystal Garcia
Host
Jose Medina
What is Body of Crime?
Body of Crime is a true crime podcast for crime lovers. Join hosts, Crystal, Joe, and Alicia as they present cases and dissect each body of crime. Rather your love is to hear true crime stories, research, debate, and / or even attempt to solve some of the worldβs most intriguing cases, we have you covered. Get ready to put your detective hats on and take some notes β you never know which mysteries will get messier with each case!
βThe Life and Death of Tupac: So Many Tears
Welcome fellow true crime enthusiasts to todayβs case file, The Life and Death of Tupac: βSo Many Tearsβ
INTRODUCTION
Tupac Shakur never had a run in with the law until after he became famous. As his acting career began taking off with the completion of his filming of βJuiceβ in 1992 and the subsequent release of his freshman album, β2Pocalypse Nowβ, fame and ego began to work in conjunction to draw the ire and attention of law enforcement.
It was a life that Tupacβs mother had attempted to protect him from, with her own experience with law enforcement and the FBI. Tupac had almost been born in prison, had it not been for Afeniβs Shakurβs clever and genius defense of the Panther 21 trials, that catapulted her onto the national headlines.
After the trials, and Afeniβs release from prison, the Shakurβs moved frequently, avoiding the ability for them to be targeted and persecuted by law enforcement and the government. This would lead to multiple relocations in New York, and later a move to Baltimore, before finally settling in Marin City, California.
And it would be in California where Tupac would have his first encounter with the Oakland police department, establishing an adversarial relationship with law enforcement that would carry him throughout his years of fame and culminate with first responders, when he is ambushed and shot in Las Vegas, where he eventually succumbed to his wounds and dies on September 13th, 1996.
Legal Trouble in the Bay Area
In 1991, Tupacβs career seemed to be blossoming and he was coming off a touring high, as a roadie and up and coming rapper with the Digital Underground. Tupacβs demo, which would later become songs from his β2Pocalypse Nowβ album was being shopped around and although Tupac felt like things werenβt moving at the pace he desired, there was forward progress.
This was the situation that Tupac found himself in on October 1st, of 1991 when he exited a vehicle at 17th and Broadway, in Downtown Oakland and crossed the street, as he headed to the bank. Up until this point Tupac had not had any run-ins with the law and didnβt realize that he had committed a crime, by jaywalking.
The crime of jaywalking involves a pedestrian illegally crossing a street or roadway. This typically occurs when an individual crosses outside of a designated crosswalk or ignores pedestrian traffic signals. Jaywalking is considered a violation of traffic laws and is classified as a low-level offense. The specific regulations and penalties can vary by jurisdiction, but the essence of the crime is the same: crossing a street in a manner that disregards established pedestrian crossing rules, potentially endangering oneself and disrupting vehicular traffic. In many places, jaywalking is explicitly illegal and can result in a ticket or fine, but rarely does it result in anything major.
Unfortunately for Tupac, two police officers witnessed Tupac cross the street outside of a designated cross walk and use it as an opportunity to detain and questions Tupac, asking his name. When Tupac gave them his name, the police ridiculed him, finding his name strange and foreign and further instigated the situation, which resulted in raised tempers which resulted in Tupac being assaulted, cuffed and choked until he lost consciousness. When he woke up, he was badly bruised and bloody and headed to jail for resisting arrest. For Jaywalking. This came after the very brutal assault of Rodney King and a group of Los Angeles Police Officers who had been video recorded beating King, citing resisting arrest as their motive. This acquittal of these officers would later fuel the L.A. riots, causing millions in damages throughout California.
Tupac would file charges of police brutality against the Oakland Police Officers suing for $10M, but he would later settle for $43K, finding it easier to take the settlement and move on with his life.
This however would only be the start of Tupacβs legal woes, and not his last legal issue in the Bay Area. Almost a year later, on August 22nd, 1992, fresh off the shooting of his first movie, βJuiceβ, Tupac would return to Marin City, with the intention of showing the city where he grew up some love. There was an annual music festival where his old rap group, 51/50 was performing.
He showed up with an entourage and drama quickly ensued with some local toughs. Someone from Tupacβs camp drew a weapon and shots were fired, with one of the gunshots striking 6-year-old Qaβid Walker-Teal in the head, killing the child instantly. The family would later file a wrongful death suit which Tupac settled for a sum of $300K - $500K. This event would prompt Tupac to relocate permanently to Los Angeles, although he always claimed Oakland as his hometown.
Legal Trouble in the Rap Game
On April 5th, 1993, only 8 months after the shooting incident of young Walker-Teal, Tupac was arrested following an incident at Michigan State University, where he assaulted another rapper by the name of Chauncey Winn, a member of the rap group M.A.D., with a baseball bat, taking a swing at Chauncey, stemming over an argument over a microphone. Supposedly Tupac had borrowed two microphones from Chauncey worth $600 each.
While Tupac was performing, his microphone was intentionally turned off due to his use of obscene language during his performance and he threw the $600 microphone onto the ground. Chauncey picked the microphone up and handed it back to Tupac, asking him to not break the microphone. Tupac, who was using a baseball bat as a prop during the show, took a swing at Chauncey, then jumped off the stage into the crowd and the concert was shut down as chaos erupted.
Tupac would be arrested the following morning at the airport. He was released after posting a $50K bond but facing up to 4 years in prison for the felonious assault. Witnesses report that Tupac appeared intoxicated. Tupac would later plead to a misdemeanor charge and served 10 days in the Ingham County Jail.
Later that year, Tupac would find himself back on the legal hotseat when he follows the Hughes Brothers to a video shoot and physically assaults Allen Hughes for firing him from the movie βMenace II Societyβ, after Tupac and the Hughes Brothers failed to agree on the script and his role in the film. Tupac would later go on Yo MTV Raps and confess to the assault, which would end in a conviction on February 10th, 1994, on a single count of battery and assault for the attack. Tupac would serve 15 days in jail for the assault.
Tupac would continue to spiral, with another incident occurring on Halloween of 1993, in Atlanta, Georgia, when after witnessing a black man being brutalized by two white men, and one of the men brandishing a firearm, Tupac pulled out a gun from his car and shot the two men. Both men survived the shooting, but the two men turned out to be off duty police officers. All charges would eventually be dropped when it was discovered that one of the officers had removed the firearm, he was carrying from the evidence room, illegally. All charges were dismissed, but both officers filed civil suits which were later settled by Tupac Shakur.
Sexual Assault
Tupacβs legal woes came to culmination on November 18th, 1993, after a tumultuous year with multiple legal issues when Tupac and his entourage were accused of sexually assaulting a female fan by the name of Ayanna Jackson at the Tupacβs Park Meridien Hotel in New York. He was there filming his new movie, βAbove the Rimβ, when the incident occurred.
During the filming of βAbove the Rimβ, Tupac had become acquainted with local gangster Haitian Jack, who he modeled the character he played in the film, βBirdieβ after. He developed a close relationship with Haitian Jack although numerous friends warned him that Haitian Jack was a dangerous person and that he was out of his league. Tupac did not heed the warnings.
Tupac had met Ayanna Jackson through Haitian Jack and developed a relationship with the young fan. They had sexual relations prior to the accusation of sexual assault. On the day that the incident took place, Ayanna Jackson had gone to Tupacβs hotel and was in his private room giving him a massage, while his entourage were out in the common space of the suite. Sometime during the massage, members of the entourage entered Tupacβs room and according to Ms. Jackson, took liberties with her that were unwelcomed for which she had not consented.
Tupac claimed to have not been in the room at the time, but according to Ms. Jackson, he had encouraged the event and had done nothing to stop it from happening. She would file charges of sexual assault the next day. When charges were filed, Tupac and his childhood friend would be charged, but Haitian Jack would not be charged. This caused a rift in their relationship and Tupac began feeling like Haitian Jack had set him up. Tupac would spend the rest of 1994 fighting the case and pleading his innocence on talk shows, like Arsenio Hall, as he was dropped from movies and his career was placed on hold, pending the outcome of the case.
He began snubbing Haitian Jack publicly, which would eventually lead to the Quad Studio Shooting on November 30th, 1994, when Jimmy Henchmen, a close associate of Hiatian Jack hired a crew to rob Tupac of his jewelry. Tupac, who was armed and refused to not put up a fight was subsequently shot multiple times.
On December 1st, 1994, Tupac would be acquitted of the sodomy charges and gun charges, but would be charged with grabbing Ms. Jacksonβs buttocks, receiving a sentence of 18 months to 4.5 years. The judge set his bail at $3M, which he was unable to cover, and on February 7th, after several weeks of healing and recuperating from the shooting at the Quad Studios, Tupac was sent to prison.
Prison
Tupac began serving his sentence on the 7th of February of 1995 at the Clinton Correctional Facility as Inmate # 95A1140. His junior album, and quite possibly one of his greatest records was released while he was in prison, βMe Against the Worldβ on March 14th, 1995.
Prior to going to prison, he had met and started dating Kiesha Morris a Law Student, and the couple were married on April 29th, 1995. The marriage would be short-lived as they would divorce shortly after his release less than 6-months later.
Life for Tupac Shakur in Clinton Correctional Facility was a period of significant reflection and change. His short time in this maximum-security state prison was marked by a mix of isolation and creative productivity. While the specific daily details of his life inside the facility are not extensively documented, it's known that this period was introspective for Tupac, leading him to delve into reading and writing. He engaged with various books that influenced his outlook and music, contributing to his artistic evolution.
During this time Tupac focused on planning his future, contemplating his career and personal life beyond the prison walls. Despite the challenges of incarceration, Tupac managed to stay connected to the outside world, maintaining communication with his music industry contacts and preparing for his eventual release and comeback. This would eventually lead to him making a deal with Death Row CEO Suge Knight and what some would call Tupacβs Deal with the Devil, that began his road toward his ultimate demise.
Conclusion
The trajectory of Tupac Shakur's life was as dramatic as it was influential, mirroring the very themes of struggle and resistance that he so powerfully laid out in his music. From a young age, Tupac's existence was steeped in the societal issues of inequality and police brutality, themes that would continue to surface throughout his career and ultimately shape his legacy. His initial run-in with the law, an incident stemming from a minor jaywalking event, symbolized the beginning of what would become a tumultuous relationship with law enforcement. This incident not only highlighted the racial tensions of the time but also set the stage for Tupac's ongoing confrontations with authority.
Tupac's legal battles were as public as they were personal, with each case adding layers to his complex persona. From the wrongful death lawsuit in Marin City to the assault charges in Michigan, each incident fed into the narrative of Tupac as both a victim and a fighter, embodying the very essence of the "thug life" he represented. His time in Clinton Correctional Facility was a testament to his resilience; even behind bars, he managed to produce art that resonated with the masses and made plans for a future that was brutally cut short.
In his final days, after his release from prison and subsequent signing with Death Row Records, Tupac's life seemed to be a self-fulfilling prophecy of his lyrics. The move to Los Angeles, his final stand against the pressures that had pursued him from coast to coast, ended with his untimely deathβa conclusion that was both shocking and mourned by millions. Tupac Shakur's story is not just one of fame and legal woes but a poignant reflection of the societal issues that he bravely confronted in his music and in his life.