The Killing of Tupac Shakur [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Cathy Scott (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A must have for fans. -- The TCC Connection

An autopsy photo should end all speculation as to whether the late rapper might still be alive. -- Kurt Loder, MTV-News

Product Description
Who did it and why? Tupac Amaru Shakur was the most popular rapper in the world. No one symbolized the violence at the heart of gangsta rap more than Tupac, and he ultimately fell victim to that violence, gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas at age 25. This raw, no-holds-barred account discloses new information, including exclusive photo evidence, about the unsolved murder of Tupac: the failed investigation, the rap wars, the killing of Biggie Smalls, the Bloods-Crips connection, and the many possible motives leading to the murder that rocked the music world.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 187 pages
• Publisher: Huntington Press; 1st edition (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 092971217X
• ISBN-13: 978-0929712178
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,221,881 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book that shows 2Pac's life, October 24, 1999

By A Customer

IF you listen to rap-hiphop music then this book is the one for you. Tupac starts his life as a little church boy, and ends up to be the most valuable rapper, one of americas biggest thugs, and the deadly target to the gang "Crips" of Las Vegas. Cathy Scott seems to be a great author. She is a Detective/publisher for the Las Vegas Police Department, and dealed with Tupacs death on the night of Sept. 6, 1996. The way that Scott expresses actions and scenes in this story makes the reader feel like he/she is right their that moment. Some scenes such as ones during his shooting seem rather gory, but fulfill the crime scene and really show what was going on. The description and the selection of words realy helps the reader to comprehend the dialogue, and police reports from the killing. Tupac's thug life was expressed with great dignity. He may have been one of the world richest, and most valuable rappers of all time, but Cathy goes to show clues that lead up as to why he may have been killed. Was it the way he expressed the lyrics and terms in his song, such as "Thug Immortal," or "Take Money," as he reffered to rapper Biggie Smalls in one of his songs that he produced, just before he died. When I read this book, I was set in a variety of different moods. I am a great fan of Tupac, and still was up until his death. I can relate, and see as to why he may have been killed. His lyrics and his actions were on the cocky side, such as "no niggah can drop me,". If you do not like to read about gansters, or hardcore rappers, then this wouldnt be the book for you. This book goes through tupacs young years, to his early ghetto years,to his first recording years, to his hits, and up until the night of his death. It is definately created for one who was a true fan of Tupac's. I feel that It is a great book. The author really helped me to get through the book smoothly and understand all of the terminology in the police reports and autopsys.

This book is to definately be read by readers over the age of 12. It has rather harsh language in the story, and some gore in the photos accessed in the book. Therefore, I recommend this book because it shows Tupac's struggles in life, and it is basically teaching a lesson about how gangters may be tough, and may be bad, but most of them do not survive in toaday's society. Therefore, I really recommend this book to all readers that are either fans of Tupac, or any other rap or hiphop singers.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DEAD OR ALIVE, TUPAC LIVES ON, February 3, 2000

By	"mel-z" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

I got this book to get the "whole story" on Tupac's death, because there was always bits of info and I never knew what the actual facts were. This book was really informative, it represented the facts and covered everything from the night of his death, motives for it, and it also discussed whether he's dead or alive. I love Tupac and although parts of the book were sad it brought all the circumstances around his death together, which was a real plus. I definately recommend this book for all Tupac fans!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is some heavy research. Very impressive., February 23, 1999

By A Customer

What really stands out about this book is the research. It's painstaking. The attention to detail is extraordinary. Most authors blow off this kind of detail, but Ms. Scott's extra effort helped me feel like I was there, riding in Tupac's car, or with police detectives. I'm more of a fan of crime stories and detective work than of rap music, but the story she tells about Tupac's life and background really makes me relate to and like the guy. Still, it is the exhaustive research and details of the investigation that made me unable to put this book down. Even if you know nothing of rap or Tupac, like me, this is a fascinating read.