From Chuck D to Keefe D – An Examination of the Conspiracy Theory Culture Surrounding the Murder of Tupac Shakur

September 14,1996 – Present

Published on October 6th, 2023

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I was recently reminded of an interesting motto or, perspective when confronted with a difficult situation involving someone close to me. This person sought to blame me for something which upon further evaluation, was clearly not my doing or my fault in any meaningful way. I stopped myself from reacting in an angry or, hostile way but did advise the other person of a phrase that fortuitously or, incidentally came into my mind : “Weak people Blame – Strong people Take Accountability and Learn”

I was not sure where this phrase came from, if it even exists or, how I thought of it – perhaps the instincts I have engaged in and have been serving while I have been in the mindset of writing for the past several years had prepared me to convert the intensity of emotion into something worthwhile and positive – resulting in my producing a useful verbal expression. Since, the process of writing seems to be one of calm reflection in the face of the pains or, problems we find ourselves victimized by in reality. In this instance, my anger was restrained and reaching for a higher meaning saved me from falling into my lower nature and striking back in anger.

I considered how often in our lives we seek to blame someone or, something almost immediately after we are faced with the pain, irritation or, annoyance presented to us by some problem or, other. Our judgement as human beings is profound and capable of comprehending nearly anything and yet in the immediacy of some problem or, tragedy we rush to judgement and somehow or, for some reason seek to assign blame. As if by blaming something we can put our minds at ease, even if we are wrong in how, what or, whom we blame and even if what we have blamed is not the cause of our anger or, trouble.

However, there is still a flip side or, rather a middle ground in relation to blame and accountability which is often missed. I believe that the reason people instinctively seek blame is because we understand that everything has a cause or, an origin. It is as if we are wired to seek this cause, even if cooler heads or, clear judgement does not always prevail when we first point to a problem. So, while it is true that wisdom would direct us to not rush to judgement and blame someone or, something too quickly before we have had a chance to review and take in all of the facts. While it is true that a sign of strength is a sign of restraint and even intelligence when confronted with the immediacy and the consequences of some problem. It is ALSO true that taking accountability does not mean that an innocent individual should blame themselves for something or, not seek justice – instead, accountability seems to involve knowing what role we played and also what role others played in the incident and assigning responsibility in accordance with the truth and in transparent agreement with everyone involved.

I thought about how we blame people for different things, from something trivial to something significant which in the worst case might even have fatal consequences. I thought about how assigning blame incorrectly can also have major consequences even if the assignment of blame was for something trivial initially. A police officer, an agent or, detective must find ways to organize all of the possible scenarios or, possibilities and investigate as thoroughly and as efficiently – as many relevant factors as possible – before reducing the assignment of blame to someone or, some group being linked to the committing of some crime. I thought about all of this most recently when a cold case which had lay dormant for nearly thirty years had finally broken new ground.

As many readers may be aware, within this past month, after the 27th anniversary of Shakur’s untimely death on September 13th, 1996 – a former gang member of the South Side Crips from Los Angeles, CA who now resides in Henderson, Nevada – Duane Keith Davis aka “Keefe D” was arrested on September 29th, 2023 and charged with the murder of Tupac Shakur. It is the first significant movement in a case which has laid stagnant for decades and which has captivated the imagination of the public worldwide for the same period of time.

THE BACKSTORY OF THE ARREST

Duane Keith Davis or, Keefe D as he will sometimes be called throughout this essay was arrested by the LAPD around the time of 2008-2009 for dealing the drugs, PCP and also Cocaine in large quantities. For anyone who is interested in the details of this case, a great book written by the lead Detective on that case, Greg Kading and titled, Murder Rap was published in 2011 and contains an account of how Davis confessed to being apart of the shooting which led to Shakur’s death. Kading was initially assigned to a task force to investigate the murder of Christopher Wallace aka, The Notorious BIG or, Biggie Smalls. Wallace was murdered in Los Angeles on March 9th, 1997, nearly six months after Shakur’s death which has long been considered to be a retaliation of the 2pac murder by rival gangs. Kading and his team picked up where Russell Poole, the retired LAPD Detective who initially led the investigation into the murder of Wallace, left off. However, by happenstance, Kading and his team learned of the involvement of the Compton South Side Crips gang with the entourage of Wallace and Sean Combs (aka Puff Daddy, P. Diddy) leading back to the 1990’s when both Shakur and Wallace were still alive and respective members of rivaling record labels, Death Row Records helmed by Suge Knight on the west coast and Bad Boy Records led by Combs. Kading learned that Combs and Bad Boy records staff were so concerned of their safety when touring in L.A. that they employed the security and protection of the rival LA gangs which were affiliated with Death Row records, the MOB Piru Bloods. When Kading and his task force started looking into the South Side Crips, the name Keefe D came up – someone who was closely associated with a man by the name of Eric “Von Zip” Martin who was himself based in New York City as a drug dealer and had close ties with Combs.

For context, Combs own father, Melvin Earl Combs was affiliated with the NY underworld himself and was an associate of NY Drug Kingpin, Frank Lucas whose life was portrayed by Denzel Washington in the film, American Gangster. It was uncovered that Keefe D was still very much involved in the drug business and Kading and his partner, Daryn Dupree eventually obtained enough information to arrest Davis. Once Kading and Dupri spoke to Davis, their focus was the BIG murder. Davis insisted he did not know much about this as his crew was aligned with Combs and Bad Boy years ago but Davis did inform Kading that he had knowledge of something else they might want to hear about – details of the shooting of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in September 1996.

In a nutshell, Davis states that he was in Las Vegas with his nephew Orlando Anderson and other members of the South Side Crips and after Anderson was assaulted and beaten by Shakur, Suge Knight and the Death Row entourage after the Mike Tyson, Bruce Seldon fight, he and his crew obtained a gun from Eric “Von Zip” Martin and went looking for 2pac and Suge. Eventually, they found Suge and 2pac driving past them on East Flamingo Blvd and made a U-Turn to come up beside them on the right side. According to Davis, Anderson was seated behind the driver in their White Cadillac and upon gaining a clear shot, Anderson fired at the black BMW which had Suge Knight driving and Shakur in the passenger seat. The Cadillac made a right on Koval lane and disappeared. The rest as they say is history. Shakur died from the four gunshot wounds he suffered, six days later on September 13th, 1996 and until recently, no significant arrests were made in the case.

The LAPD offered Davis a deal which basically consisted of him confessing to everything he knew of the Las Vegas shooting and murder of Shakur, under the cover of a Proffer Agreement. The rules of this agreement state that if anyone offered a Proffer Agreement either lies during the session by either intentionally deceiving Law Enforcement and it is found at a later date that they lied or, if anything that is confessed to during the Proffer Session is spoken about or, shared outside the session at a later point in time then the immunity offered by the session is voided or, revoked and consequent charges may be levied against the individual who was given the deal.

After Davis obtained this deal, he went on to eventually write a book about his life (yes, I know) – including recounting his experience and involvement with the shooting and murder of Tupac. In addition to this, since at least 2018, Davis has been giving interviews on platforms such as You Tube, specifically on the VLAD TV and The Art of Dialogue channels, discussing the 1996 shooting in detail. As a result, Las Vegas PD investigators found that he may have provided details that he previously did not provide to the LAPD and as a result, he has been charged with his involvement in the murder of Tupac Shakur.

MY PERSPECTIVE

The perspective I come from when examining the murder of Tupac Shakur is not entirely conventional. Having been of age to listen to music and consume popular culture when Tupac himself was alive – I was eleven years old at the time 2pac’s passing – as a result, I have been exposed to most if not more than the average amount of speculation, conspiracy theories or, news and chatter surrounding all of the mysteries related to his death.

I remember that all kinds of rumors, reports, gossip and speculation were buzzing on the internet on all types of websites and forums from 2pac fan websites to custom made websites on places like Geocities that contained all types of information or, speculation regarding what really happened to 2pac in Las Vegas . Orlando Anderson was named immediately as a suspect not only in the eyes of LVPD but also in the mind of the public – as it was reported that Anderson and Shakur were in a physical altercation in the MGM Grand Casino Lobby just hours before.

The official story is one that is easily available and can be found in nearly any report of the murder. In fact, Greg Kading himself has gone on the record to state that the 2pac murder was basically solved by his task force and that it has only not been prosecuted until now.

As a result, I do not want to explore the official narratives of the case or, the murder. Instead, I want to explore the prevalence of the wild and unfettered theories surrounding the murder which seemed to be the only progress the case saw for over 27 years. Since, as we know, Conspiracies occur everyday and conspiracy theories only abound due to lack of meaningful and satisfactory explanations provided for events. Oftentimes, the reason such theories arise is also due to the fact that – as is often uncovered later – the criminals themselves found ways to suppress evidence such as through the murder or, even natural death of key witnesses, the intimidation of witnesses as well as the successful disposal of key evidence which function to remove links between criminals and the crime itself.

I can only hope that one day, the mainstream media as well as the mainstream population and consumers of culture and media – realize that there are usually always practical reasons for why conspiracy theories arise and they are often symbolic of a search for the whole truth – which has not yet been satisfactorily – been uncovered and communicated.

What is is interesting to note about the conspiracy theory culture surrounding Tupac’s murder is that almost immediately after his death, a list known as Chuck D’s 18 Reasons Why 2pac Is Not Dead appeared on the internet. In my view, this list is the cause of most of the conspiracy culture emanating from Tupac’s death as it led fans and the public – hungry for answers for such a tragic and mysterious event – with answers as well as hope. For those who do not know much about the history of Hip-Hop, Chuck D is a founding member of the legendary rap group, Public Enemy.

In addition to the 18 reasons, we cannot discount the creativity and mind of Tupac himself, a highly gifted artist and creator as well as a clever thinker. Tupac’s entire life can be viewed from a perspective of being a problem solver for his own condition as well as the conditions of the community he represented and sought to uplift out of poverty and cycles of generational violence.

Tupac emerged from prison in the summer/fall of 1995 with a plan. Convinced he was setup and shot five times in November 1994 before his trial for sexual assault, which he also believed he was set up for – Tupac was ready to redeem his reputation and preserve his legacy as not only the Progeny of Black Panther Party Legend, Afeni Shakur (his mother) but also as a positive force for both his community and also the Truth in general. Shakur believed (as I believe) that telling the truth is important and assigning blame or, taking accountability, accurately and honestly – as I mentioned at the start of this essay – are necessary for a healthy and functioning community and society.

Apart from recording rap’s first double album final album, All Eyez on Me released on February 13th, 1996, Tupac wrote songs and recorded music at a speed which almost could convince future historians that he was aware of his coming demise. The final studio album Tupac recorded in 1996 was entirely his creation – from the concept of the cover artwork to production to naturally, all of the lyrics for the album. The name of the album itself contains a mysterious tinge of conspiracy galore: Makaveli, The 7 Day Theory, the Don Killuminati.

Ask any hardcore die hard 2pac fan from 1996 through the mid-2000’s when 2pac albums were still being released yearly (he produced that much content pre-1996) and they will passionately list not only information from Chuck D’s list but also that the ominous and mystical appearance of the number 7 in regards to 2pac’s death are signs that he either was a prophet or, as the cunning master manipulator, Niccolo Machiavelli whose name 2pac adapted into his new Pseudonym might suggest – faked his death is now alive somewhere in hiding.

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“Tupac is alive because there are too many coincidences” they might say. “Just consider the 7s” they will also say. Then list something like the below from memory:

Tupac died at age 25 – 2+5 = 7

Tupac died in 1996 – 1+9+9+6 = 25 = 7

Tupac was shot on September 7th = 7

Tupac survived 7 days in the hospital. The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th = 7

Tupac’s last album is literally called, “The 7 Day Theory (and so he’s taunting us)” = another 7

There are seven gunshots on the albums first track, “Bomb First” = another 7

The documentary “Tupac: Resurrection” was released 7 years after 2pac’s death = 7

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There are many other instances of 7 standing out in the life and death of 2pac that fans will say all point to them as being by design. Either providence or, from 2pac’s own planning and purpose to create his own mythology. Being not yet in Junior High when 2pac passed, I entertained these theories and consumed them as fanfare like many of my friends also did. However as I grew older, I learned to separate fact from fiction. While the instances of the recurring 7’s are indeed suspicious and perhaps intentionally planted, the idea that the Italian Philosopher and Statesman, Niccolo Machiavelli faked his own death is not true. Machiavelli did indeed live in exile after it was uncovered that he was part of a conspiracy to overthrow the ruling powers in Italy at the time – however – the rumor or, report that he faked his death is not true at all.

Machiavelli instead stated in one of his many philosophical works on power and examination of the politics of historical leaders kingdoms and governments – that if reports of the death of a general or, military leader were to be spread to the opposing armies intelligence during battle, that a military could use such a false impression to their advantage. Since, it is often the case that military leaders will subside or, draw back their forces in such instances and as a result, can become vulnerable and open to attack.

Such an idea is interesting, intriguing, cunning and devious indeed. Yet, in the realm of warfare and survival, it seems clever, smart and even brilliant. I have wondered if – through this idea- that examining the demise of Tupac Shakur might bring some worthwhile consideration and bear potential fruit.

As I passed through high school and then college, the theories around 2pac’s death did not really dissipate as this was still a period in which 2pac’s music was being actively released. However, as I grew older my own search for truth and senses for truth developed and were enriched with life experiences. I began writing and understanding how nature and survival function.

I began to wonder: What if there was something to those theories? What if 2pac was alive? Could it be possible?

So, the following is an examination of the alive theories as I dissect their logic, piece by piece:

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A Logic Tree of the Conspiracy Theories related to The Murder of Tupac Shakur

Anyone who understands how news reporting and investigation are linked will tell you that every news article – must cover the 5 W’s and How- the same way that a criminal investigator must seek to answer the same questions when attempting to solve a crime: Who, What, When Where, Why and How.

Who: Tupac Shakur (deceased), Marion “Suge” Knight (alive) (Victims) | Duane “Keefe D” Davis (alive), Orlando Anderson (deceased), DeAndrae Smith “Big Dre”, (deceased) (Assailants)

What: The Drive By Shooting of Tupac Shakur and shooting of Marion “Suge” Knight. Crimes: Conspiracy to commit Murder, 1st Degree Murder, Possible Possession of Illegal Firearms

When: September 7th, 1996. 11:00 PM to 11:15 PM

Where: Las Vegas, Nevada. East Flamingo Blvd. and Koval Lane

Why: Surface Reason: Retaliation against 2pac and Suge Knight for beating of Orlando Anderson hours before in the MGM Grand Casino Lobby Actual/Other Reason: Unclear as Death is also considered an Assassination and Shakur and his family were under FBI or, Law Enforcement surveillance at multiple points in life.

How: Drive by Shooting using Smith and Wesson 40 Caliber Glock 22 firearm.

The Theories

There are many different perspectives which can be examined regarding what exactly might have happened on the night of September 7th, 1996. There are so many theories which recount motives, reasons, causes, circumstances and can involve so many people that as the reader will see, it is astounding to view the breadth of how deep and how vast these theories extend and cover. The theories are a testament to not only the enormous mystery of Shakur’s death but also how great of a loss the rapper and poet represented.

The Suge Knight Theory

If we are to use the Makaveli album as our

The reader may be curious about about why I included the date duration of September 14th, 1996 – Present. above. It is because in my estimation, aside from the list of Chuck D’s 18 reasons likely igniting the fire of the conspiracy theories, in addition to Tupac’s own final album and his lyrics in general (more on this later) – a music video was released for the song, I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto on September 21, 1997 showcasing a reenactment of Tupac arriving via Helicopter to the fictional town of Rukahs, New Mexico, (Rukahs is Shakur spelled backwards) and the date at the start of the video reads, September 14, 1996. This brings us to our first concept for a theory.

The Helicopter Theory

In my estimation, it is the most bizarre contradiction and unexplored fact regarding the 2pac murder and aftermath that nearly every official account of what happened after the shooting states that 2pac was taken to the hospital by Ambulance. According to the official account, Suge Knight made a U-turn to drive toward the University Medical Center hospital and ended up stopping the car (which had a flat tire) a mile from the site of the shooting at the intersection of Las Vegas Blvd and Harmon Ave. At this point, they were pulled over by LVPD Bike Patrol who contacted paramedics through radio. Once paramedics arrived, they transported Shakur by Ambulance to University Medical Center hospital. A similar scene is also eerily dramatized and filmed before Shakur was murdered in the I Ain’t Mad At ‘Cha music video which showed Shakur being shot saving his friend and being taken by paramedics to the hospital but dying en route.

So what is strange about this account? Well, a woman who was interviewed by a local news station after the shooting named Paige Hemmis – states in this Youtube Video – that Tupac was taken away by Helicopter. The fact that she was interviewed after the incident is even on her Wikipedia page. Hemmis went on to become a Television Host known for her participation in  Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

So we have a witness (that is still alive) who clearly states that she saw a helicopter take 2pac away and we also have the actual paramedics whose names were Jim and Shane, state that 2pac was taken by them to the hospital by ambulance in this article.

Does anyone find this glaring contradiction unusual? Which is it – did 2pac get to the hospital by Ambulance or, Helicopter? And how or, why could both possibilities be true at once? Why is there no mention of a helicopter in the actual official account of events? Either Hemmis is lying OR, there was a Helicopter and if there was also a Helicopter did it actually take the real Tupac Shakur somewhere else as the I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto music video suggests? If so, who was taken by ambulance and why?

It is strange that no one, including the LVPD, looked into this contradiction involving two clearly witness based accounts which they could have followed up on. Even a layman would seek to inquire why a helicopter would be present near the scene of the shooting. Would not police want to know if the helicopter was connected to the murder of a world famous musician and actor? Could they not simply ask any agencies who monitored air traffic or, air patrol such as the Federal Aviation Administration or, the Nevada Wing Civil Air Patrol or, local news helicopters and even police helicopters if there were logs of any Helicopter traffic in this area of the Las Vegas strip. This is strange indeed considering how many people would be in Las Vegas during a Mike Tyson boxing match. The Helicopter Theory might also be referred to as The Helicopter Escape Theory although it is not clear what the purpose of

Many years ago, there was a theory which was posted on various 2pac forums and perhaps other forums or, parts of the internet that included a strange recounting of a very different version of events of what happened in Las Vegas on 9/7/96. No one knew or, knows who this anonymous poster was and while its likely their name was not Satoshi Nakamoto – no one really knew anything about them – and the versions of his theory were simply referred to by this same author as, No Grapes Theory.

The Mysterious “No Grapes Theory“

I would like to take a moment and acknowledge something regarding not only the theories surrounding 2pac’s death but also the life and mind of Tupac Shakur as well. Tupac did not graduate High School – yet, he was clearly a highly intelligent and well-read individual all the way back to his teenage years and perhaps even earlier. Tupac’s Reading List was transcribed from his first Manager, Leila Steinberg and can be found here. It is a long and eclectic list ranging from Fiction, Non-Fiction, History, Poetry, Philosophy, Theosophy, Autobiography, works on Mysticism and Freemasonry and even whole textbooks. In short, I have observed a strong and rich intellectual streak in the mind of this man and I believe that what most of the public perceives of Shakur is much like the phenomenon of the Iceberg Effect – in which only little is seen above the surface while most of the body and mass of the iceberg is underwater and only perceivable by exploring underwater depths. It is perhaps because I have always been convinced of Tupac’s intelligence and foresight (which can especially be gleaned from his speech, lyrics and interviews) that I have felt there is much more to not only his life but also his death that mainstream views of his image and reputation do not take into consideration. It is also perhaps for this reason that so many find his death or, sudden walk into a trap or, reckless and dangerous situation – unusual and even uncharacteristic of his intelligence.

The No Grapes Theory is a very clever name for a theory. If we search its name in Google we are immediately shown results such as Cognitive Dissonance (the first result google returned to me) and then the fable of the Fox and The Grapes (the second result google returned to me).

While I do not believe that this fable is ‘entirely’ representative of my interpretation of the cause of conspiracy theories, I believe that the fable actually points to the opposite behavior. I interpret the fable to mean that the fox is in denial. The fox sees that the grapes are valuable and worth obtaining for food but since they are impossible for the Fox to obtain (or, understand) then a false conclusion is adopted which is to believe in the delusion that the grapes are worthless.

THE GOVERNMENT ASSASSINATION THEORY

THE PAY OFF THE BLOCK THEORY

This theory has been amplified through the statements and speech made by Suge Knight over the years and also the influence Suge Knight and Death Row Records had over law enforcement and other legal authorities. Particularly, Knight has stated at least once that he paid the Coroner who conducted 2pac’s autopsy, a million dollars to go off into the sunset.

THE SUICIDE BY GANG VIOLENCE THEORY

This theory represents the idea that 2pac understood his fate and his destiny as a public figure, symbol or, inevitable martyr for his community and also due to the legacy of his Black Panther roots in his family history. As a result and according to this theory, Tupac accepted the possibility that if he continued to maintain his personal morals and ethics and his compulsion to speak truth to power in his life and in society- that he would continue to place his life in danger and possibly even lose his life as he nearly had in November 1994 and so chose to die at the hands of Gang Violence to allow his life and death to represent the problems in his community.

This is a self-sacrifice theory. Tupac also likely understood how he would be catapulted into a rare immortal fame as a Martyr and so his image and life would continue to represent and contribute to the

LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS

Question: IF as Duane “Keefe D” Ddavis says that both he and Marion “Suge” Knight worked for and reported to the same Boss (Anonymous) and if as Keefe D says, Suge handled the company and he handled the streets of their operations, THEN why would this individual and group (who allegedly profited from both the corporate and street operations overseen by both Suge and Keefe D) – allow for one of their biggest assets or, money supply (Tupac) to be murdered?

Objection 1: I object that Keefe D and Suge Knight did not plan – either independently or, in cooperation – to shoot or, kill Tupac Shakur on September 7th, 1996. The incident occurred randomly and was a direct retaliation to the Orlando Anderson beating which took place at the MGM Grand Casino earlier in the evening. As a result, the murder was random and not pre-planned via a Conspiracy.

Objection 2: Tupac Shakur chose to involve himself directly with gangs and also gang violence. The retaliation by a gang member (operating under their own gangs’ code of conduct) was something that could occur spontaneously and randomly and which appears to be the case with this murder. Once again, the murder seems to be random and not pre-planned via a Conspiracy.

Reply to Obj 1: If Shakur was indeed as valuable to the profits and the corporation of the Death Row and Interscope Record labels, then why would the most valuable commodity of a corporate entity, be allowed to address a security threat? It seems the basic negligence on the security teams part leaves the door open for a possible conspiracy coming from inside the organization.

Reply to Obj 2: The affiliation with gangs – allowed by the Record Label and organizations’ leadership – opens up the key talent’s life to enormous risk. Once again, it seems the fundamental negligence on the label’s leadership and security apparatus, leaves the door open for a possible conspiracy coming from the inside the organization.

On the Contrary, as we know, power corrupts and the more which seems to be working in one’s favor often brings the illusion that one is indestructible and that one’s momentum will remain constant. As a result, power deludes and blinds those who are seduced by its allure and those who indulge in and dare to test its limits. It is entirely probable that this could have been the case for Suge Knight, whose behavior and actions were bringing more heat and attention to the operations at hand and in this way, may have opened the door for someone else on the inside the organization, to plan to remove both Knight and Shakur (whose publicizing feuds and conflicts – were creating more problems than lessening the tensions of the conflicts which were bad for business).

I answer that, it seems that in the Music Industry, once a catalogue of music is compiled (Completed with Master Recordings retained) that Record Labels’ will often use creative methods to maximize profits for themselves, which often involves cutting others who are owed a piece of the pie – out of the profits. If hundreds of recordings, worth hundreds of millions of dollars were already in the label’s possession after being created by the artist (Tupac Shakur) then it may be probable to conclude that removing 2pac could ensure easier access to the content he had created and the profits these recordings represented.

…This is a Work in Progress…