Product Details

• Actors: Frank Alexander (IV), The Notorious B.I.G., Marshall Bigtower, Lil' Cease, Joe Clair
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Razor & Tie Theatric
• VHS Release Date: April 29, 2003
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000087F6N
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,940 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It would be an exaggeration to say that Nick Broomfield solved the murders of Biggie and Tupac. Nonetheless, he makes a convincing case as to who the perpetrators were and why they weren't brought to justice. Broomfield (Kurt and Courtney), who narrates and appears on camera, comes across like a scruffy Robin Leach, but he's done his homework and sniffs out the clues with the tenacity of a bloodhound. Time and again, he refuses to be intimidated--even when his life appears to be at stake. Fortunately, he was able to convince Voletta Wallace, beloved mother of Biggie Smalls (a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G.), to cooperate, and that opened many doors. Unfortunately, Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, refused to participate or to allow access to his music. She had nothing to fear. Broomfield is fair to both rappers, although the soundtrack is all-Biggie. Easily one of the most fascinating documentaries of 2002. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

From The New Yorker

Nick Broomfield's guerrilla interviewing techniques-he barges into his subjects' lives, wielding his boom mike like a nightstick-and his thick British accent have served him well in the past ("Kurt & Courtney," "Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam"). In his latest documentary, a look at the rivalry between the rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, his work reaches new heights of reckless fact-finding. With a naïveté that's truly disarming, he captures unrefined gangsta swagger, and his film digs into the unsolved murders of both musicians with a cheeky attitude that's smooth like butter. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biggie and Tupac, October 3, 2002

By 

SID "Punk" (BOSTON) - See all my reviews

Having read numerous books on Tupac, from Kathy Scott's first book, to the Vibe Hardback interviews and Frank Alexander's accounts, I thought there wouldn't be much more this docu-film could tell me about the murders of Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G.) and Tupac Shakur. I was wrong. Nick Broomfield is endlessly persistent in his attempts to interview all the leading figures to do with the case. The main coups are the two former cops who he interviews. One, a former member of the FBI undoubtadely puts his own life at risk as he talks about Documents that could prove the guilt of certain members of the LAPD involved in the Biggie murder, as well as the inevitable storm it would cause and the demand from the public for a full internal investigation. Not to mention completely stripping the LAPD, Las Vegas Inforcement and FBI of their credibility. He mentions being offered $250,000 for the documents, but as Broomfield cleverly fires the questions in, each recepient keeps their cards close to their chest and each take care in their answers. None more so than the guy in the Prison (forgot his name!) who is incarcerated for impersonating a Lawyer, and was involved in transferring funds from Phoenix for Suge Knight and various members of LAPD who worked "off duty" for the Death Row Records CEO. He is interview in his cell, with his lawyer present and is constantly reminded that he only has constitutional immunity, but not state. Even still he admits to carrying the "blood money". Both murders were well planned hits, orchestrated by Suge Knight. The motive? Money. Suge owed Tupac $10 million in record sales. Suge was a gangster in real terms, not just his media persona (drug trafficking, crooked cops and FBI, you name it). He panicked when he found out Tupac wanted to Audit Death Row for the money, and that Tupac wanted out of Death Row and had other offers. Cops killed Tupac in Las Vegas on Sept 7th 1996 in a smooth professional style hit organised by Knight. To take the heat off, he then organised the Biggie hit 6 months later. It was simply a smokescreen, and capitalised on a feud orchestrated by Knight some 12 months prior at a Music Awards Ceremony. Tupac had been convinced (wrongly) in Jail that Biggie had set up the hit in 1994 on Tupac. In fact, Tupac, while in Jail after the first attempt on his life, had been set up by undercover FBI agents in Jail, who filled his head with nonsense about Bad Boy. Biggie, in contrast was mild mannered. As was Puffy. They are not gangsters. They never will be, they never have been. Biggie's rapping about hardship when growing up was his media image, in fact it was rather more middle class, as described by his mother Valetta Wallace, who was interviewed on numerous occasions during the film. I really could go on, but if you watch the film then you'll find out. There is some good rare footage of Pac in his prime. He still remains to me one of the all time talented people ever to walk the planet (actor, rapper, poet), and Biggie was just a good guy who made some excellent music. If you know Pac's lyrics, you'll know they are quite brilliant even when "riding on his enemies". His public image was of a ghetto thug, and his upbringing certainly should have moulded him that way. But in actual fact he was articulate, hugely talented and sensitive. Something you just don't see. So go see the film, and the very interesting visit to Yule Creek Pen to see Suge (how they managed it I'll never know!) Nick Broomfield is excellent, although you wonder how he gets so much info for a little white British guy doing his own film, particularly when lives could be at stake. One other good moment is when he visits Biggie's bodyguard (who is about 6ft 7) and he identifies the murderer. And yes I will stop now. GO SEE!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent film!, July 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Biggie & Tupac: The Story Behind the Murder of Rap's Biggest Superstar (DVD)

This documentary is excellent and very chilling! I love 2Pac's music but if you don't, or don't even like rap, this film will still hold you in suspense. It presents a very controversial theory, that seems to be backed up very well, that Suge Knight is responsible for the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. There are many interviews and testimonies from different people involved with Death Row and the police. The director risks his own life and even gets an interview with Suge near the end. Even the original camerman feared for his life and someone else was brought in. I strongly recommend this film to fans of 2Pac, Biggie, Nick Broomfield, or documentary films in general. Sometimes there are scenes that don't seem really pertinent to the development of the story but they are highly interesting. This film is like a detective story with interesting information that we learn along the way. This film is as much about the making of it as the story. We learn about the hardships the director has as well as the lives of the two subjects and the people who knew them. It's an honest work that will keep you on the edge of your seat begging for more! :D

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2 True Rappers, September 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Biggie & Tupac: The Story Behind the Murder of Rap's Biggest Superstar (DVD)

This DVD is amazing. "Biggie and Tupac" really convinces you that the murder was really powerfull and smart. "Biggie and Tupac" has a lot of interviews, one thing that all the interviews had in common is that the name Suge Knight was included. This whole thing started with one of Suge Knight's nephews went to the east coast before the whole east coast-west coast war happend, and suge knight's nephew got killed there. Then the whole east coast-west coast war happend. One year before Tupac got murdered he was shot but he didn't die that time. When Tupac was in jail, some prisoners told him that Biggie was the one that tried to kill you. Then Biggie and Tupac split. It was told that Tupac and Death Row records were Mob Pyrus-(Bloods). Russel Poole sais that the L.A.P.D had crooked cops, and that Suge Knight had dozens of cops on his payroll. This DVD makes it obvious that Suge Knight was the one behind the whole thing. Now come on, its so obvious, Tupac threatened Suge Knight that he would leave Death Row Records and take all his unreleased music with him. So obviously Suge Knight didn't want that to happen so he had him killed. And he killed Biggie after to cause a distraction for the case of Tupac. I cant believe Suge Knight actually fooled everyone. I hope Russel Poole wins his case when he sues the l.a.p.d so that fat [jerk]d Suge Knight can go to jail again. Even biggie's mom sais it so, when she said "Why was the LAPD taking off on the day that Biggie and tupac got shot?" DUH!! Suge Knight controlls like half of the lapd so he told them to take off so he could get away with the killings. Everyone knows it was Suge Knight, but no one wants to talk because they're scared that Suge is going to kill them. Anywayz I dont have to worry cuz its just like the Bible says "What ever goes around, comes around". So since Suge Knight is getting away with this plot now, I guess later in his life he's gonna go to jail 4 lyfe. Imagine if Tupac and Biggie neva got shot, they would still be the kings of hip-hop, not even 50 cent or eminem or dr.dre could beat them. SOLUTE TO TUPAC AND BIGGIE.