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The Life And Death Of 2Pac

The Life and Death of 2Pac


In the stifling post-boxing match Las Vegas traffic jam, a new black
1996 BMW inched along impatiently, it's gold detailing glimmering brightly under
the street lights. Any attempt to catch a glimpse of the passengers within the
tinted windows revealed only a distorted reflection of the chaotic, yet
relatively motionless urban scene. The glass sunroof slid open and a dark
figure rose partly through the opening, like a tank commander surveying the
horizon for signs of the enemy. Discreetly the rear window of a nearby car
rolled down as it approached, and the muzzle of a gun emerged slightly. The gun,
almost indiscernible from the cavernous blackness inside the car, spewed out
thirteen bullets, each one punctuated by a startling yellow flash and a
reverberating crack that cut through the buzz of the traffic. In one blurred
and sweeping motion the black BMW roared to life, accelerating across the
traffic flow and towards the oncoming cars, retreating from the scene as the
dark figure collapsed li mply back into the vehicle.
This incident is not a scene from a DeNiro/Pacino mobster movie. Nor is
it an episode from an Oliver Stone or Quentin Tarrantino film. In fact, it is
not a scene from any movie, although the story will likely wind up as a made-
for-television drama. Rather, it is the dramatic finale of the life of
rapper/actor Tupac Amaru Shakur, who was shot four times during this escapade
while traveling from a Mike Tyson fight to a nearby club on September 7th. He
later died of the wounds, after six days of intensive care and several
unsuccessful operations.
Tupac Amaru, or 2Pac, as he spelled it --distinguishing him from the
violent Peruvian terrorist group of the same name-- was one of today's most
popular "gangsta rappers." His lyrics are usually vulgar, offensive, and
explicit, and glorify the type of life that he and many other gangsta rappers
lead. They depict violence, drug use, crime and sexual abuse as...