Biggie & Tupac - Wikipedia

2002 film

Biggie & Tupac
DVD cover
Directed by	Nick Broomfield
Produced by	Nick BroomfieldMichele D'Acosta
Starring	Christopher Wallace (archive footage)Tupac Shakur (archive footage)Nick BroomfieldRussell PooleVoletta WallaceBilly GarlandDavid HickenSuge Knight
Cinematography	Joan Churchill
Edited by	Mark AtkinsJaime Estrada Torres
Music by	Christian Henson
Distributed by	Roxie ReleasingLions Gate Entertainment
Release date	January 11, 2002 (2002-01-11)
Running time	108 min.
Language	English

Biggie & Tupac is a 2002 feature-length documentary film by Nick Broomfield about the murdered American rappers the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.

Broomfield suggests the two murders were planned by Suge Knight, head of Death Row Records. Collusion by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is also implied.[1] While the film remains inconclusive, when asked "Who killed Tupac?" in a BBC Radio interview dated March 7, 2005, Broomfield stated (quoting Snoop Dogg) "The big guy next to him in the car... Suge Knight."

Content

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The film alleges that Suge Knight had Tupac killed before he could part ways with Knight's Death Row Records label and conspired to kill Biggie Smalls to divert attention from himself in the Tupac murder.[2]

Broomfield's documentary is based on the theory and interviews of ex-detective Russell Poole. Poole claimed that the L.A.P.D. conspired to cover up Knight's conspiracy to kill both Tupac and Biggie. Ex-detective Russell Poole suspected ex-cop David Mack, and Amir Muhammed to have worked with Suge Knight to kill Biggie. Poole also alleged that he was forced out of the department when he brought information to his superiors incriminating fellow officers who had worked side jobs as bodyguards for Knight and his record label.

A key source for Poole's theory is Kevin Hackie. Hackie implicates Suge Knight and David Mack along with supposed crooked cops in the murder of Biggie. When pressed by Broomfield in the film, Hackie agrees that Harry Billups, also known as Amir Muhammed, was involved in the murder, although Hackie says he does not know why. Hackie, a former Death Row bodyguard, wrote in a statement filed June 6, 2004 that he had "personal knowledge" about Wallace's slaying, alleging that "persons within Death Row Records offered $25,000 to a law enforcement officer" to kill Wallace.[3]

Criticism

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Broomfield's documentary is described by the New York Times[4] as a "largely speculative" and "circumstantial"[4] account relying on flimsy evidence, failing to "present counter-evidence" or "question sources." As the Hartford Courant noted:

Broomfield's interview subjects aren't the most credible bunch. They include bounty hunter and ex-con Kevin Hackie, an ex-LAPD officer [Russell Poole on whose theory Broomfield's film is built] who talks about mysterious documents that never turn up; Mark Hyland, known for some reason as the Bookkeeper, who is in prison awaiting trial on 37 counts of impersonating a lawyer when he tells Broomfield that he was present when Knight and crooked cops arranged a hit on Biggie; and Biggie's mother, friends and bodyguard, who obviously have no reason to present Wallace as anything less than a hip-hop martyr.[2]

Moreover, the motive suggested for the murder of Biggie (as in the Russell Poole theory on which it relied)—to decrease suspicion for the Shakur shooting six months earlier—was, as The New York Times phrased it, "unsupported in the film."[4]

Later events

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In an interview, Hackie later told the Los Angeles Times that he suffered memory lapses due to psychiatric medications.[3] The Wallace family used his claims in the film as the basis of their $500 million lawsuit against the city of L.A. for Biggie's death. But Hackie later told the LA Times that the Wallace attorneys had altered his statements and he did not testify in their suit.[3] (The 500 million dollar suit was dismissed in 2010.)

A 2005 article in the LA Times, saying that another source for the Poole/Sullivan theory accusing Amir Muhammed, David Mack, Suge Knight and the L.A.P.D. in the Wallace suit was a schizophrenic known as "Psycho Mike" who confessed to hearsay and memory lapses and falsely identifying Amir Muhammed.[5] John Cook of Brill's Content noted that the LA Times article "demolished" [6] the Poole-Sullvan theory of Biggie's murder represented in the film.

In contrast to Broomfield's implication of Suge Knight in the death of Tupac, a 2002 two-part series by reporter Chuck Philips with the Times, titled "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?" based on a year-long investigation, reconstructing the events leading up to Shakur's murder including police affidavits, court documents and interviews with investigators, supposed witnesses to the crime and members of the Southside Crips [7][8] claimed that "the shooting was carried out by a Compton gang called the Southside Crips to avenge the beating of one of its members by Shakur a few hours earlier. Orlando Anderson, the Crip whom Shakur had attacked, fired the fatal shots. Las Vegas police discounted Anderson as a suspect and interviewed him only once, briefly. He was later killed in an unrelated gang shooting."[7]

See also

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• Notorious (2009 film)
• All Eyez on Me (film)

References

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1. ^ Biggie & Tupac, rogerebert.com
2. ^ a b Danton, Eric (November 9, 2003). "Biggie (rip) Vs. Tupac (rip)". The Courant. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
3. ^ a b c Philips, Chuck (June 20, 2005). "Witness in B.I.G. case says his memory's bad". LA Times. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
4. ^ a b c Leland, John (October 7, 2002). "New Theories Stir Speculation On Rap Deaths". New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
5. ^ Philips, Chuck (June 3, 2005). "Informant in Rap Star's Slaying Admits Hearsay". LA Times. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
6. ^ Cook, John (June 2005). "Notorious LAT". Reference tone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
7. ^ a b Philips, Chuck (September 6, 2002). "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?". LA Times. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
8. ^ Philips, Chuck (September 7, 2002). "How Vegas police probe floundered in Tupac Shakur case". LA Times. Retrieved July 23, 2012.

External links

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• Biggie & Tupac at IMDb
• Letter to the editor, Rolling Stone magazine

v t e Films directed by Nick Broomfield

Who Cares? (1971) Proud to Be British (1973) Behind the Rent Strike (1974) Juvenile Liaison (1976) Whittingham (1975) Fort Augustus (1976) Soldier Girls (1981) Tattooed Tears (1982) Chicken Ranch (1983) Lily Tomlin (1986) Driving Me Crazy (1988) Diamond Skulls (1989) Juvenile Liaison 2 (1990) The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife (1991) Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992) Monster in a Box (1992) Tracking Down Maggie (1994) Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam (1995) Fetishes (1996) Kurt & Courtney (1998) Biggie & Tupac (2002) Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003) His Big White Self (2006) Ghosts (2006) Battle for Haditha (2007) Sarah Palin: You Betcha! (2011) Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014) Whitney: Can I Be Me (2017) Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (2019)

v t e Tupac Shakur
Discography Songs Awards and nominations Death
Studio albums	2Pacalypse Now Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... Me Against the World All Eyez on Me
Posthumous albums	The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory R U Still Down? (Remember Me) Still I Rise Until the End of Time Better Dayz Loyal to the Game Pac's Life
Live albums	2Pac Live Live at the House of Blues
Remix albums	Nu-Mixx Klazzics Nu-Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits Beginnings: The Lost Tapes 1988–1991 The Prophet: The Best of the Works Tupac: Resurrection The Prophet Returns Best of 2Pac
Related albums	Nothing but Trouble (soundtrack) Sons of the P Juice (soundtrack) Poetic Justice (soundtrack) Above the Rim (soundtrack) Gridlock'd (soundtrack) Gang Related (soundtrack) A 2Pac Tribute: Dare 2 Struggle The Rose That Grew from Concrete The Rose, Vol. 2
Extended plays	Don't Go 2 Sleep
Singles	"Brenda's Got a Baby" "If My Homie Calls" "Trapped" "Holler If Ya Hear Me" "I Get Around" "Keep Ya Head Up" "Papa'z Song" "Cradle to the Grave" "Dear Mama" "So Many Tears" "Temptations" "California Love" "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" "How Do U Want It" "I Ain't Mad at Cha" "Toss It Up" "To Live & Die in LA" "Hail Mary" "Wanted Dead or Alive"
Posthumous singles	"I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" "Do for Love" "Changes" "Unconditional Love" "Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)" "Until the End of Time" "Letter 2 My Unborn" "Thugz Mansion" "Still Ballin'" "Runnin' (Dying to Live)" "One Day at a Time (Em's Version)" "Thugs Get Lonely Too" "Ghetto Gospel" "Untouchable" "Pac's Life" "Playa Cardz Right"
Other songs	"I Don't Give a Fuck" "Runnin' from tha Police" "Ambitionz az a Ridah" "All Eyez on Me" "Hit 'Em Up" "Are U Still Down"
Featured singles	"Gotta Get Mine" "Smile" "Playa Cardz Right"
Books	The Rose That Grew from Concrete
Stage	Holler If Ya Hear Me
Documentaries	Biggie & Tupac Tupac: Resurrection Tupac: Assassination Dear Mama
Outlawz	Kastro Napoleon E.D.I. Mean Hussein Fatal Mussolini Komani Young Noble
Related articles	Outlawz Digital Underground Afeni Shakur Assata Shakur Mopreme Shakur Mutulu Shakur Thug Life Death Row Records East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry Niccolò Machiavelli Orlando Anderson Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts All Eyez on Me (film) Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. City of Lies "Taylor Made Freestyle"

v t e The Notorious B.I.G.
Songs Discography Death
Studio albums	Ready to Die Life After Death
Posthumous albums	Born Again Duets: The Final Chapter The King & I
Compilations	Greatest Hits Notorious: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Singles	"Party and Bullshit" "Juicy" "Big Poppa" / "Who Shot Ya?" "One More Chance" "Hypnotize" "Mo Money Mo Problems" "Sky's the Limit" "Dead Wrong" "Notorious B.I.G." "Nasty Girl" "Spit Your Game" "Old Thing Back"
Featured singles	"Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)" "Can't You See" "The Points" "Runnin' from tha Police" "This Time Around" "It's All About the Benjamins" "Victory" "Runnin' (Dying to Live)"
Other songs	"Brooklyn's Finest" "Just Playing (Dreams)" "Notorious Thugs" "Going Back to Cali" "Ten Crack Commandments"
Related articles	Bad Boy Entertainment Sean Combs Faith Evans Junior M.A.F.I.A. Conspiracy "Player's Anthem" "I Need You Tonight" "Get Money" Lil' Cease Lil' Kim East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry "I'll Be Missing You" Biggie & Tupac Notorious City of Lies