Tupac Shakur homicide case reopened by Las Vegas police

Widely considered as one of the most influential rap artists of all time, Tupac Shakur died at the age of 25 after being shot in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A property search warrant has been served by police in Las Vegas in connection with the 1996 shooting of US rapper Tupac Shakur. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVPD) said the warrant had been served on Monday July 17 as part of the “ongoing” homicide investigation. Widely considered as one of the most influential rap artists of all time, Shakur died at the age of 25 after being shot in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Though his career lasted just five years, he has remained one of the most prolific artists of his generation, with more than 75 million records sold worldwide.

“LVMPD can confirm a search warrant was served in Henderson, Nevada, on July 17, 2023, as part of the ongoing Tupac Shakur homicide investigation,” a department spokesperson said, in a statement shared with the PA news agency. We will have no further comment at this time.”

No arrests have been made in the case, although Las Vegas police have previously said the investigation quickly stalled, in part because witnesses refused to co-operate.

Shakur’s death came amid his feud with rap rival Biggie Smalls, who was fatally shot six months later in March 1997. Both rappers were embroiled in the East Coast-West Coast rivalry, which largely defined the hip-hop scene during the mid-1990s. The feud was ignited after Shakur was seriously wounded in another shooting during a robbery in the lobby of a midtown Manhattan hotel. Shakur openly accused Smalls and Sean “Diddy” Combs of having prior knowledge of the shooting, which both denied. The shooting created a serious divide within the hip-hop community and fans.

New York-born Shakur represented the West Coast after he signed with Los Angeles-based Death Row Records and often traded verbal jabs in the media and through songs. Smalls and Combs hailed from the East Coast while representing New York City-based Bad Boy Records.

Shakur is known for hit songs including Ambitionz Az A Ridah and California Love. Both his 1996’s All Eyez On Me and his Greatest Hits collection have been certified Diamond, surpassing the 10 million sales mark and placing them among the top-selling albums of all time. Last month Shakur was honoured with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

It followed his April 2017 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, making him the first solo hip-hop artist to be recognised for inclusion in his first eligible year. The rapper also found success and critical acclaim as an actor, starring in films such as Juice, Poetic Justice, Above The Rim, Gridlock’d and Gang Related.

His life and legacy have continued to impact and influence culture today, from a groundbreaking performance via hologram at the 2012 Coachella Music Festival, to a spoken-word appearance on Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly. That same year the Grammy Museum opened Shakur’s first museum exhibit, All Eyez On Me: The Writings Of Tupac Shakur.

The first estate-authorised biography of Shakur is due to be published later this year.

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