Hip-hop lost one of its brightest stars on the night of September 7, 1996. That evening in Las Vegas, Nevada, rapper Tupac Shakur — a towering presence in the world of rap — fell victim to a drive-by shooting that left him struck by multiple bullets. What followed has become one of music history's most infamous and enduring mysteries, shrouded in controversy that persists to this day.

Interesting Facts:

  • The night Tupac Shakur was gunned down was September 7, 1996.
  • Just moments after leaving a Mike Tyson boxing match, Tupac found himself at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas, where the deadly shooting unfolded.
  • Suge Knight, the CEO of Death Row Records, was behind the wheel of the car carrying Tupac when a white Cadillac rolled up beside them and unleashed a barrage of gunfire. Four bullets struck Tupac, hitting him in locations that included his chest and thigh.
  • Emergency responders rushed Tupac to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where medical teams performed multiple surgeries and ultimately placed him on life support in a desperate fight to keep him alive.
  • Tragically, those efforts were not enough. Tupac Shakur died from his injuries six days later, on September 13, 1996. He was just 25 years old.
  • The ripple effects of Tupac's shooting and death were felt across the entire music landscape, pouring fuel on the already fierce East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry. Frequently connected to that bitter feud, his passing stands as a watershed moment in hip-hop history — one that fundamentally altered the genre's trajectory and power dynamics.
  • To this day, Tupac Shakur is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most impactful rappers to ever touch a microphone. His catalog — rich with explorations of social justice, poverty, and the realities of street life — still strikes a chord with listeners around the globe. The scope of his influence on rap defies measurement, and his enduring legacy is reflected in record sales exceeding 75 million copies worldwide.
  • Who pulled the trigger that night, and what truly motivated the attack? These questions have spawned an endless stream of theories and investigations over the years. Remarkably, the case officially remains unsolved, a fact that continues to spark speculation, debate, and an abiding fascination with the life and death of Tupac Shakur.