Conspiracy Theory
The death of Tupac Amaru Shakur (aka Makaveli, the Don Killuminati) sent shock waves throughout the hip-hop nation. Much like the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, pratically everyone remmebers exactly where they were when they heard the news of Tupac Shakur's untimely demise. And like any beloved figure who is assassinated, the mysterious circumstances surrounding Shakur's case have caused many-a-folk to doubt the "official" account of his murder.
X-files nuts and the like have a smorgasbord of material to sift through: the fact that there was no public display of the body before his family chose to cremate his remains; the release of archival recordings with a title tailormade for conspiracy buffs, R U Still Down?; and there's a bootleg version of an Outlaw Immortals LP called Makaveli II with Tupac's voice all over it. These points-and much, much more-have generated several conspiracy theories that suggest Tupac may still be alive. The Source took a survery of the many theories concerning Tupac's still-unsolved murder. Here's out top 5:
Tupac and Suge Knight actually staged his death so as to avoid Pac's going to jail for the rape case that he was apealing.
Many fans point to a 1994 interview that 'Pac conducted where he intimated that if he were to go to jail, he'd like to die for the duration of his sentence and once he was released he would be magically ressurected. They also pointed out the fact that while Suge's car was shota number of times, he onlyrecieved a slight head wound. They also point to the fact that 'Pac's death would mean millions in potential sales to Death Row.
Tupac is helping the FBI in their ongoing investigation of Death Row. In exchange for his cooperation they helped him fake his death and he is now living under the witness protection program.
So far, The Source contacts at the FBI denys this. And given Tupac's vehement disdain for the FBI in particular, and law inforcement officials in general, for what they did to his family and the Black Panther Party, it seems extremely farfeched that he would turn to them for any kind of help.
Tupac is alive and living in exile with Assatta Shakur in a remote villa in Cuba.
Just take a look at the recent photo of Tupac and Fatal Hussein that appears in the ad for Fatal's upcoming LP. Conspiracy theorists say that the scenery and architecture in the backround resemble a tropical island like Cuba. But you could also resonably argue that there are places in California that may have a smililar look. Also, when The Source traveled to Cuba to cover hip-hop in that country and interviewed Assata Shakur, there was no sign of Tupac.
Just prior to his Death Tupac changed his name to Makaveli, a 16th century political theorist who is said to have advocated faking one's death in order to gain political power from your enemies. In addition, on the album cover of The Seven Day Theory, a small inscription reads Exit: 2Pac-Enter: Makaveli.
Conspiracy theorists suggest that Tupac may have followed Makaveli's advice and faked his death with the help of key people in the Las Vegas police and coroner's office in order to gain power over the people who were responsible for his shooting in New York (listen to the last song on the Makaveli LP). According to the theory 'Pac will wait until his enemies are off guard and will emerge from hiding and deal with them.
Tupac's death was too perfectly orchestrated and replete with too many bliblical and numerological references to be simply coincidental.
The Seven Day Theory depicts Tupac as a Christ-like figure being crucified on a cross. The liner notes credit a mysterious man named Simon as the executive producer of the LP. Incidentally, Simon was the man said to have carried Jesus' cross and was one of the first to witness his resurection. There are also many numerological factors that surround both figures. For instance, the car Tupac was riding in was shot 12 times. Jesus had 12 disciples; adding Jesus then makes 13. According to numerology, 13 is a number of transition, a time when people or things undergo a major change to some sort (Exit: 2Pac-Enter: Makaveli). Tupac died on the 13th of September.
These same theorists point to the enormous number of times that the number 7 appears in the Bible and in Tupac's death. Biblically speacing, the number is often associated with God and righteousness. As for 'Pac and the number 7, he was shot exactly 7 months afer he released his double CD All Eyez On Me, the 7th day of September and died 7 days later at 4:03pm (4+3=7). He was just 25 at the time of his death (2+5=7). You figure.
By Charlie Braxton courtesy of The Source magazine