The events leading up to September 7, 1996, the tragic day Tupac was shot are as controversial as the shooting itself.  It was said that there were some problems between Deathrow’s lawyer and Suge’s right hand man, David Kenner and Tupac.  On August 26th, 12 days before Tupac was shot, he was on the set all day and at the studio all night.  On the 27th, he sent Yaasmyn Fula, who managed his business affairs, to the studio to get tapes of what he was done.  Deathrow would not allow her access to the tapes as David Kenner, Deathrow’s lawyer and Suge’s right hand man, denied her the tapes.  It’s rumored that Tupac had Yaasmyn write Deathrow a letter saying that Tupac had finished his last album and would be leaving Deathrow.  Tupac later went back to LA, and although he wanted to go to Atlanta to visit relatives, Suge convinced Tupac to go to the Tyson/Seldon fight in Las Vegas as he had promised.

Boxing Match

The Tyson vs. Seldon boxing match was held Saturday, September 7, 1996.  Tupac and Suge sat up front and Tupac cheered Tyson on as he had done so many times before.  The fight lasted only 109 seconds.  While walking through the lobby of the MGM grand after the fight the entourage noticed Orlando Anderson.  In a prior incident in a Lakewood Mall, Orlando Anderson stole Travon Lane’s Death Row medallion that happened to be a personal give from Suge Knight. Tupac stepped up to Orlando and said "You from the south?"  Tupac then punched him in the face knocking him on the ground, after which Suge and the Deathrow entourage proceeded to beat him.  Rumors surrounding the shooting have Orlando’s Anderson with Jerry Bonds driving the white Cadillac while Dwayne Keith Davis (Keefee D) was the shooter.  An article in Details magazine stated that Orlando and his brother wanted to start a studio, but didn’t have the resources.  Allegedly after the shooting they came into some money, and the possibility of a pay off for some role in the shooting is possible.  Anderson, an alleged crip who claims he’s not affiliated, also denied the shooting and stated he was a possible scapegoat.  He was shot 2 years later in an incident outside a car wash.

Heading to club 662 There were some strange occurrences in Las Vegas according to the book written by Tupac’s bodyguard Frank Alexander.  The first, was that permits were not sent ahead of time so they were not allowed to carry guns.  The second was that he ended up without his phone, and the third coincidence would come after the fight.  After the beating of Orlando Anderson the entourage returned to where they were staying at the Luxor Hotel, a block south of the Las Vegas strip.  Tupac changed from tan silk shirt and jeans to a basketball top and sweat pants and wore his Euphanasia Medallion.  The cars were delivered to the front, Tupac went with Suge, and Frank Alexander ended up driving Keisha’s car, with no gas, and supposedly no weapon.  They headed to Suge Knight’s Las Vegas residence on Monte Rosa Avenue.  They stayed there until after 10pm when they left towards Club 662 at 1700 East Flamingo Road.  Suge and Tupac were driving with Suge at the wheel of a newly purchased 1996 black 760 BMW sedan.  They were cruising down the strip playing Makaveli when at 11:05pm they were stopped for playing the stereo too loud and not displaying proper plates.  Of interesting note, is that the shooting took place just after the police stopped them, and this time may well have been used to plan the timing of the drive-by shooting.  After they were let go Suge and Tupac headed East on Flamingo road where they stopped for a red light at Koval Lane, half mile from the Strip.  One car pulled up a car-length ahead to the right and Kadafi, Frank and EDI were in the car behind them.  A jeep full of girls pulled up to the left and got Suge and Tupac’s attention, and that’s when it happened.

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3