Slow Burn – Season 3: Biggie and Tupac
Episode 6: “Til Somebody Kills You”
Air Date: December 4, 2019
Host: Joel Anderson

Episode Overview

This episode examines the final months of Tupac Shakur’s life, exploring how Death Row Records' volatile environment and Tupac's own conflicted ambitions set the stage for his tragic end. Through interviews, archival news reports, and vivid storytelling, Joel Anderson unpacks the critical choices, mounting tensions, and fateful decisions that culminated in Tupac's murder in Las Vegas.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Volatile Environment at Death Row Records

• Death Row’s Gang Affiliations:

  • The label's headquarters became a magnet for both Bloods and Crips. Snoop Dogg (a Crip affiliate) and label head Suge Knight (tied to the Bloods) fostered a dangerous mix.
  • [05:45] Lee Savage (Co-director, "Welcome to Death Row"):
    “There’d be Crips on one side on couches and… Bloods on the other side. And there’d be a donnybrook. It was this thing of violent episodes.”

• Gangster Image and Utility:

  • Security chief Reggie Wright explains that legitimate “tough guys” were not just for image—they served real purposes in dicey situations and gave credibility to the label’s gangster persona.
  • [06:32] Reggie Wright:
    “Gutter niggas recognize gutter dudes when they notice… you needed them because you can’t have your security guys going walking up to the club in New Orleans or wherever, ‘hey, where’s the weed at?’...”

Tupac's Evolving Position at Death Row

• Tupac’s Public Embrace of Gangster Culture:

  • Tupac gets MOB tattooed (publicly described as “money, organization, and business,” but also associated with the Mob Piru Bloods).

• Rifts Within Death Row:

  • Snoop Dogg, acquitted of murder, started distancing himself from gang life.
  • Dr. Dre, weary of violence and not fully supportive of Tupac, left the label.
  • Tupac himself began feuding with Dre, calling him out for disloyalty.
  • [09:47] Reggie Wright:
    “[Tupac] was like, ‘That’s a disloyal motherfucker. I don’t want to be around him. I ain’t feeling him.’”

• Dis Tracks and Smear Campaigns:

  • Tupac’s “Toss It Up” single included pointedly homophobic diss lines aimed at Dre.
  • Album artwork nearly depicted Dr. Dre being sodomized—graphic, confrontational, and ultimately toned down.
  • [10:27] George Price (Death Row publicist):
    “I said, Suge, I’m sorry, but I’m not gonna allow you to put that out. I took all that shit off of there.”

Tupac’s Attempted Breakaway & New Ambitions

• Dissatisfaction with Death Row’s Direction:

  • Tupac founded his own production company (Euphanasia) and planned an imprint under the name Makaveli.
  • He told film industry contacts he wanted to make movies that challenged stereotypes and portrayed black life differently.
  • [13:05] Allison Samuels (Newsweek):
    “I think he knew Death Row was going to be a roadblock for him because none of the major studios… were gonna deal with that… Nobody’s gonna do business with you with that.”

• Firing David Kenner (Death Row Attorney):

  • This was a watershed moment—Kenner had engineered Tupac’s release from prison; firing him was seen as a “first strike” signaling Tupac’s intent to go his own way and leaving him exposed.
  • [15:48] George Price:
    “Tupac was using Death Row as a means toward an end.”

The Trip to Las Vegas and the Night of the Shooting

• Mike Tyson Fight as a Magnet:

  • Tupac idolized Tyson’s combative spirit, making Vegas a significant draw.
  • Suge Knight, already rooted in Vegas, orchestrated a massive Death Row entourage for the event and afterparty.

• After the Fight: Confrontation with Orlando Anderson:

  • Trayvon Lane (Death Row affiliate and Blood member) spotted Anderson, a Crip who’d previously robbed him, and pointed him out to Tupac at MGM Grand.
  • Tupac, flush with bravado, attacked Anderson—an impulsive and dangerous escalation.
  • [27:18] Reggie Wright:
    “I hate that Pac, showing his loyalty, took off and did what he did.”
  • Security footage shows the beatdown, with Tupac as an active participant.

• Moments Before the Shooting:

  • Tupac, still energized, boasted about the fight (“I took him out faster than Tyson”) [30:13].
  • Tupac and Suge left for Club 662, blasting music; at 11:17 PM, a white Cadillac pulled up and opened fire.
  • Tupac was hit four times; Suge was grazed but able to drive away from the scene.
  • [33:40] Audio news report:
    “Tupac Shakur was riding in this black BMW when the gunfire erupted. Shakur was shot several times in the chest…”

The Aftermath and Tupac’s Death

• Hospital Vigil:

  • Tupac underwent multiple surgeries, including the removal of a lung. Supporters gathered at the hospital, hoping for recovery.
  • The city braced for possible gang retaliation; violence flared in Compton.

• Final Hours and Public Reaction:

  • After six days, Tupac died on September 13, 1996. His mother, Afeni Shakur, made the call to cease resuscitation.
  • [39:40] Kevin Powell (journalist):
    “There was mad people out there. There was a lot of Hummers. Everybody was playing Tupac’s music. I had some liquor. I went to that corner and I poured liquor on the ground. And I remember just crying and I was drunk and I don't remember anything else.”

• Narrative in the Media:

  • Mainstream outlets focused on Tupac as a cautionary tale of “gangster rap.”
  • [41:14] Allison Samuels:
    “I think they still didn’t understand… this is going to be someone, this is a legend... I was able to go through and just make sure, you know, we did this very respectful tribute to him.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lee Savage on Death Row’s environment [05:45]:

  “There’d be Crips on one side on couches and… Bloods on the other side… and there’s this sense that, oh well, to be authentic and to authenticate this music, we need to have the real, genuine articles…”

• Reggie Wright on the role of gangsters at Death Row [06:32]:

  “Gutter niggas recognize gutter dudes when they notice some... those dudes were bothered.”

• Frank Alexander (Tupac’s bodyguard) on Tupac’s response after the casino brawl [30:13]:

  “For Pac… bragging after a fight was like having a smoke after sex.”

• Kevin Powell on Tupac’s impact after his death [39:40]:

  “Everybody was playing Tupac’s music… I poured liquor on the ground. And I remember just crying and I was drunk and I don't remember anything else.”

• Allison Samuels on mainstream coverage [41:14]:

  “I think they still didn’t understand this… is going to be someone, this is a legend. And they wanted him in all the, you know, gang pedantic... and I was like, no, we're gonna have him looking wonderful and nice...”

Important Timestamps

• Death Row’s environment and gang presence: 05:00 – 08:00
• Tupac's beef with Dr. Dre, Snoop's distancing: 08:30 – 12:00
• Tupac firing David Kenner—break with Death Row: 15:00 – 17:00
• Tyson fight as backdrop for the tragedy: 19:00 – 24:00
• MGM Grand beatdown of Orlando Anderson: 27:00 – 30:30
• The shooting and its immediate aftermath: 33:30 – 36:00
• Vigil, rumors, and Tupac’s death: 37:00 – 41:00
• Media focus and legacy reflection: 41:00 – 44:00

Tone & Style

The episode is thorough, evocative, and deeply reported, blending hard facts with emotional testimony. Joel Anderson’s narration is direct yet empathetic, and the episode foregrounds both the paranoia and creativity that colored Tupac’s final days. Interview clips are candid and frequently raw, exposing the human costs of fame, loyalty, and violence in ‘90s hip-hop.

Next Episode Preview:
The story continues with the aftermath and investigation, as the podcast turns to the impact on the East vs. West feud and the fate of Biggie Smalls.