Around 27 years after the murder of the legendary US rapper Tupac Shakur, the US justice system has charged a suspect in the long-unsolved case. The suspicion is “strong” that former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis is responsible for Shakur’s murder, said prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo in Las Vegas. According to new findings from the investigation, the defendant is charged with murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
Shakur was shot dead in Las Vegas in September 1996 while driving to a nightclub. Fire was opened from another vehicle. At the time, the rapper was only 25 years old, but had already become a star in the rapper scene.
The defendant Davis had previously admitted to having sat in the car in question. However, in a book published in 2019, he asserted that the shots were fired from the back of the vehicle – but he himself was sitting in the passenger seat.
The background to the crime is still unclear today. The investigation suddenly gained momentum in July after police searched a home in Las Vegas, which drew suspicion to Davis.
Shakur was one of the key figures in the industry-fueled competition between rappers from the US East and West Coasts. Although he was born in New York, he moved to California with his family as a teenager. There he became one of the most famous figures on the West Coast scene.
Just six months after Shakur’s death, his East Coast rival Christopher “The Notorious BIG” Wallace was shot and killed. Many therefore believe that both musicians were murdered as part of a rivalry between their music labels in Los Angeles and New York. However, music historians emphasize that the rivalry was played up for commercial reasons.
Shakur’s mother Afeni was active in the Black Panther movement and named her son after Tupac Amaru, a revolutionary Inca ruler. His songs mostly dealt with the problems of black Americans – from police violence to mass incarceration.
With his fierce lyrics and stage presence, Shakur is still considered one of hip hop’s most influential musicians. He sold a total of 75 million albums. His hits included “California Love,” “Changes,” “Dear Mama” and “All Eyez On Me.”
