April 06, 2005 @ 6:01 am
VIBE Cover Story: Hip Hop Murders - Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay
Conspiracy? Cover-up? Or were their lives too inconsequential to matter? When Tupac and Biggie were murdered with witnesses all around, we figured their killers would be identified and brought in any day. But it’s been more than eight years, and still there are no arrests or convictions. The same goes for Jam Master Jay and so many other slain African-American men who happened to have been rappers.
The cries of their mothers have been muted. The yearning of their fans goes unnoticed. And the justice due fallen men has been swept away by suspicious police departments, notorious for their insensitivity to minorities. But the ghosts loom. The memories live. And as Voletta Wallace's civil suit picks up steam, we can only hope that the spirit of truth will carry over to other forgotten cases. On his posthumously released LP Life After Death, the Notorious B.I.G. eerily rapped, "You're nobody 'til somebody kills you." But in these cases, the deceased aren't afforded any more respect than the living.
Here is the VIBE investigation.
Tupac: Haunted
More than eight years after he was gunned down near the Vegas strip, Tupac Shakur lives on in posthumous record releases, mysterious sightings, and in the faith of his followers. David Wielenga revisits the conspiracy theories and shrouded evidence surrounding 'Pac's murder.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
Biggie: Dead Wrong
Crooked cops, cover-ups, and confusion: There are plenty of excuses for why The Notorious B.I.G.'S murder investigation has gone nowhere for eight years. While Biggie's family mounts a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles and former LAPD brass, Cheo Hodari Coker searches for the truth. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
Jam Master Jay: Mourning Son
It's been nearly three years since Jam Master Jay was shot dead, and the police have barely scratched the surface in their investigation. And while the case remains open, the murderer is still at large. Keith Murphy pays a call on Jason Mizell's mother as she searches for answers. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
What Do You Think:
Is conspiracy or cover-up a factor in one of the unsolved murder cases of hip hop? VOTE HERE!
Page printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/news/magazine_features/2005/04/vibe_cover_story_hip_hop_murders_tupac_biggie_jam_master_jay/
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