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Is Tupac Shakur Still Alive?

By David Wong November 2, 2007 478,891 views
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A quick word...

The response to this article has been monstrous.

I published my first investigation into the supposed "death" of rapper Tupac Shakur back in 1999. Six years later, the overwhelming majority of search engine traffic to this site still comes from Tupac truthseekers seeking truth about Tupac:



I want to thank everyone for their support. In answer to the most common question, no, you don't need to donate to keep this site going. My love of Tupac is what pays me. That and the banner ads.




Tupac Shakur's life supposedly ended in September of 1996, a gangster who died a gangster's death, the victim of a drive-by shooting.

But in the years since, fans and friends of the rapper/actor have kept rumors alive that the star might not have died at the hands of an anonymous gunman that warm September night. It's here, at the supposed end of Shakur's life, where our journey begins.


Shakur, in 1995


The first album after Tupac's "death" was released in November of 1996: Makaveli: Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. The title aroused some curious glances from those who knew Shakur. The first part of the title refers to Niccol Machiavelli, an old-school Italian philosopher who believed the faking one's own death was a sure way to foil his enemies. Machiavelli's two most famous books, Discorsi dopra la prima deca di Tito Livio (Life With Tito) and Il Principe (Ill Communication) were both written well after his death. Some wonder if Tupac's reference wasn't a signal to the world that things were not as they seemed.

This is perhaps mere paranoia, as this album was obviously recorded while Tupac was "still" alive. But then, one year later, R U Still Down? is released in stores (November of '97). This was a full 14 months after the performer's death, and Tupac appeared in three videos in support of the album. When questioned about this, Tupac's manager Robert Bloomenstein said, "Tupac was a forward-thinking man. His performances in those videos were shot more than two months before his unfortunate 'death,' and in no way should indicate that Tupac is still alive."



Mr. Bloomenstein's words weren't enough to keep the rumors from spreading, however, especially after November of 1998. That's when Tupac released 2pac's Greatest, a greatest hits compilation that included six new tracks. Record company executives claimed that these tracks were also recorded years before; yet this is contradicted by the timeliness of the lyrics. Tupac makes references to the film Armageddon in one track and in another he congratulates the Denver Broncos on winning the Super Bowl - both events taking place well after Shakur was supposedly in the grave. Again, rumors of a massive hoax emerged. Bloomenstein again dismissed the talk as nothing more than rumor mongering.

"This is nothing more than rumor mongering," said Bloomberg. "Tupac was a hard-working, busy musician and the continued release of new material should in no way indicate that Tupac is actually alive and living in South America under the assumed name of Jamal Millwood."


From July 1998. Is that him?


The next few years turned out to be the most prolithic of Tupac's recording career. Still I Rise (with Outlawz) hit the scene in December of 1999. The "Lost" Tapes: Circa 1989 appeared in April of 2000 and The Rose that Grew from Concrete came in November of that same year. Tupac recorded tracks for Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000, a compilation of all of the artists Suge Knight claimed to have killed. He also performed live for an album called Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap: The Tunnel. New Tupac tracks then turned up on Cellblock Compilation: Face Off II and Too Gangsta for Radio, before an album of all-new Tupac tracks, Until the End of Time, appeared in 2001.

"I simply wish the public could let Mr. Shakur rest in peace," said Bloomenstein. "Mr. Shakur has actively denied all accusations about still being alive, and he will continue to do so until the day of his, uh... nevermind."

When the album Better Dayz appeared in November of 2002, many music critics noted that Tupac had released more albums since his death (seven) than many of the nation's top living artists.



When that fact is coupled with the references to the World Trade Center attack in one track of Better Dayz plus the curious title of the B-side single Empty Coffin, rumors again were rampant. Is it merely the product of a rabid fan base that cannot let go of their beloved hero?


Photo taken last summer


One player in this drama who is not speaking out is Tupac himself. Rumors insist that Tupac will be headlining shows in Chicago, Milwaukee and Indianapolis in the next few weeks. Shakur can also be seen starring in the new thriller Streets on Fire with Keanu Reeves this summer and will allegedly host Saturday Night Live in October of this year.

Add that to the CNN story in Spring of 2005 which clearly stated Tupac was alive...



...and the fact that Tupac's name is misspelled on his tombstone...



...and the case becomes more than a curiosity.

Will we ever know the answer? I doubt it. In six weeks Tupac Shakur is releasing his eighth posthumous album, titled Death Faker. Some fans say the title contains a hidden message which could be taken to mean that Tupac didn't really die on that September night nine years ago. Some also claim that certain tracks, such as Still Breathin' and I'm not dead, motherfuckers contain hints about the star's supposed passing.


What can it mean?


But even if Tupac's life is over, our search for the truth cannot be. And there are millions of fans who will not stop until they have it.


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810 Comments

Why is this the first site on google! There are maybe two good points in this article and the rest are dumb. The only reason I wasted 5 minutes of my life to make an account and comment on this website is mostly just for Dr.B.D.Joe saying some dumbasss shittt like "i think he is alive, just saturday we were listening to a tupac remix of beyonce's "if i were a boy"

explain that s**t and to tell everyone to LET HIM REST IN PEACE. and even if your not for real you are disrespecting the man. LET HIM BE.

IF YOU THINK HE IS ALIVE watch this video http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhe7g3syqUKAvx6m70... that came out in 2007 proving that the death of pac was inside death row and for Dr.B.D.Joe and other people that say he is still here because of songs and lyrics this documentary shows that tupac had over 125 unreleased tracks. It furthermore says that these tracks were also the main reason pac wanted to leave death row and start his on label (Makaveli)... but shug knight wanted the tracks for the same reason that the article says... pac has made more money and albums dead then when he was living. Also tupac was none to turn out sometimes 7 tracks a day witch can be seen in the 2003 resurrection film by MTV.

For me the only way he could fake his death because of the picture taken minutes before the shooting is after shotting in the hospital. There is a window that the bodyguards from the documentary and others say they were told he would prob live and that the next call said he was dead. If he did live and slip away it was to both insure his legacy an die a gangsters death and to prevent another assassination attempt, which was going to happen.

but for real do your research instead of speculating on these dumb articles and R.I.P. Tupac.

6/30/2009 6:15:24 PM
R.I.P

i think he is alive, just saturday we were listening to a tupac remix of beyonce's "if i were a boy"

explain that s**t

6/30/2009 3:50:38 PM
Dr.B.D.Joe

is he still alive if he is he need to come out it not like we
wouldt love hem any more i will still love him even if he did lie come back 2pac we miss u

6/28/2009 3:04:17 PM
malia

personaly i dont know what to believe anymore. I just hope tupac is still alive.

6/25/2009 4:28:38 AM
helloabc123

To be honest i tink Tupac is dead and gone even dow the evidence makes you believe the 7 day theory. I believe this was all a planned theory by Tupac in case of his young death people woukd investigate His murder and the other evidence to support this theory. 2pac was a big fan of Makaveli's writings who faked his own death for 20 odd years . 2pac said the only way he could live on his life out of the lime light was to live through the eyes of Makaveli. Their is too much evidence for it to be a quincidence such as, the time of clocks im his videos bein the same as his time of death before the event, and his records bein named "Ressurection" and "The empty coffin" , also in some of his songs when the lyrics are reversed they say things such as "Im still alive" and "im chillin with Hayes".
I Think this was a planned by Tupac as he realised it could never be proved true or false. This theory has lead to Tupac achieving that Legacy he always thrived for. This theory was intelligent by Tupac Shakur and with all this evidence people have began to believe this. Everybody has a different opinion on the 7 dat theory about the Death of the GREATEST rapper of all time.
R.I.P Tupac

6/24/2009 4:30:57 PM
JordanTuite

sorry it wasnt 1993 it was 1996, typo, my bad

6/22/2009 11:22:31 AM
bsilvat

["wait isnt tupacs name Lesane Parish Crooks not Tommy Maher..yu had me convinced until the gravestone..umm wasnt tupac cremated??

i think hes alive b/c of song lyrics and album titles and clues he gives i think hes waiting to make a HUGE COMEBACK one day when no one is expecting it."
No. His name was really Tupac Amaru Shakur. He wasn't creamated either because they never found his body. Him and Suge got shot at and booked it. Tupac is in Cuba and he's coming back in 2014. End of story.]

Yes his birth name was Lethane Parish Crooks, He was supposedly cremated the 14th of september 1993 the day after his death, which is impossible considering it was a murder case and the body was needed for fornesic evidence. Songs are now being released under the name Makaveli which is the name Tupac started using after being released from jail after studying a philospher by the name of Michiavelli who in the 16th century faked his own death. This is where his pseudonym Makeveli came from, and the name of his clothing line. There is quite a bit of evidence that says he is still alive but we will never know for sure, but just make sure that you have your facts straight before you make assumptions

6/22/2009 11:16:03 AM
bsilvat

ok who put this stupid report up here first he was cremated and his real name is Tupac Amaru Shakur and there is his a photo dead his body cut open and it is him because of his tatto thug life so if any one thinks he is still alive than you are really stupid and for him to be alive and hiding then that is stupid because he could be making alot of records and be getting paid out the ass

6/15/2009 8:38:16 AM
kyla1236

"wait isnt tupacs name Lesane Parish Crooks not Tommy Maher..yu had me convinced until the gravestone..umm wasnt tupac cremated??

i think hes alive b/c of song lyrics and album titles and clues he gives i think hes waiting to make a HUGE COMEBACK one day when no one is expecting it."
No. His name was really Tupac Amaru Shakur. He wasn't creamated either because they never found his body. Him and Suge got shot at and booked it. Tupac is in Cuba and he's coming back in 2014. End of story.

6/12/2009 9:31:35 PM
MrMoptop609

Snopes.com talks about the alleged CNN report for 2005. CNN didn't create it, someone else did. Just like the supposed malaria virus that created a "zombie" for 2 hours.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/tupac.asp

6/12/2009 7:44:57 PM
sosinical

HOW DO WE FIND OUT IF HE IS ALIVE? HOW DO THE FANS KNOW IF HE IS ALIVE OR DEAD? WE NEED A SIGN. WE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH.

6/10/2009 11:42:53 PM
CALIFORNIALOVE

Pac's dead. Stop not believe'n the real. You can wait a few and see. G O D done it this way. Pac knew he had to go through the process. Now it's time for the world to know why. Re-incarnated plus all the fun that comes with it. Tell me that's not raw?

6/8/2009 6:32:58 PM
Rod

tupac is on an island hiding out because of what he did (or) had someone do to biggie.. fake ass.. he makes good music, but take good people's lives away.

6/5/2009 10:29:08 PM
misspretty08117

wait isnt tupacs name Lesane Parish Crooks not Tommy Maher..yu had me convinced until the gravestone..umm wasnt tupac cremated??

i think hes alive b/c of song lyrics and album titles and clues he gives i think hes waiting to make a HUGE COMEBACK one day when no one is expecting it.

6/1/2009 10:05:20 AM
samanthacandace

Yo man Tupac Amaru Shakur is dead. Everyone who thinks he is alive, check out www.celebritymorgue.com and click on Tupac Shakur. There is a picture of Tupac dead with tubes coming out of his throat and surgical incisions all over his body. I hope this brings peace to the middle east, and good will toward conspiract theories.


I'm Chuck Niggett and I'll be here all week Bitches!!!!

5/30/2009 6:24:38 PM
chuckniggett

sorry guys but 2pac is dead. in the article it talks about how one of the songs on "Better Days" refers to the world trade center attacks, well if you paid attention in the 90's you would no that the towers were attacked in 1993 by a car bomb. as for all the songs that suggest he's not dead, he can never die, and how he fooled ya, well hate to break it to ya, but he's referring to when he was shot in the lobby of quad studios in NYC in 1994, which he blamed on Sean "puffy" combs and Biggie Smalls(RIP), which of course started the east coast/west coast hip-hop feud. as for the supposed sightings, there are many celebrity look alikes and impersonators out there, it's probably someone trying to get their 15 min of fame.
there's no doubt tupac shakur is one of (if not the best) rappers ever, however i have no doubt that he died in 1996,

P.S.
King Martin, get your facts straight. the album "Life after death" is not an album by tupac. it is an album by the Notorious BIG released on March 25, 1997 after his death on March 7, 1997.

5/27/2009 7:32:19 PM
BadBoy15

2 Things, 2 Pac is still alive and that grave stone is a bunch of bull s**t.

Gravestone it says Tommy Maher Died Feb 28 1975?
Gravestone = Fake

Tupac is still alive because he released an album before his death name "Live Before Death" and then he released another called "Life after death". He's obviously alive and hiding #1 for his safety. Rumors have been around that tupac and the President at the time were working together, and got tupac to an island by himself. CNN Doesnt lie aswell. If they have a hole artical about him being spotted there obviously not going to lie about it to get attention. He's still Alive. Tupac 4 Life.

5/27/2009 12:44:19 PM
KingMartin

Tupac, I know you have to be out there! Please be alive! I feel every song you ever rapped, or sang, or wrote. I am wishing that TMZ really got you on camera and that I really saw you alive and breathing again baby! You do not know what a good feeling it is to imagine the possibility that you are still here and how that feels to the people who admired you so greatly like myself, one of millions of people! I love you for everything you stood up for. I am now and have been somebody who understood you as an artist, the depth of your being and the flame you ignited across the world with your one of a kind lyrics, talent, and the beauty that is within you now and forever as a human being, child of God, and leader of people. You are the great Tupac Shakur, NOBODY CAN FILL YOUR SHOES or be the man you are.

5/23/2009 9:34:21 PM
WhereIsTupac

This commentary really had me going; it is so hilarious toward the end. Anyway Batzarro, "faking your death" is not illegal if you are in protective custody as part of a Witness Protection Program, which would explain the cooperation by law authorities in his mysterious murder (that consequentially happened on the very busy streets of Vegas and still no witnesses speak out). I used to believe that he was still alive but now I’m not so sure, except that I find it hard to believe there is only ONE circulating photo of his death (the very questionable autopsy photo) and that no one in the "Tourist" city of Vegas captured his murder or at least the aftermath of it on video or on camera. If the conspiracy was to cover up the real murderer and the police were involved, then that is a LOT of confiscation of tourists equipment and how do local police officers convince and persuade that many people to be silent after all these years? Not to mention how odd (and somewhat convenient) it seemed to have his body cremated? I lived in L.A. at the time of his death and remember the updated reports that he went from critical to stable condition- then suddenly he was dead. At that moment, all of L.A. was in question to why he suddenly had a turn for the worst and that is where the doubt began. All evidence of doubt or clearly relevant but in the end, after all these years, I would think he would have been revealed by now- but if he is in a Witness Protection Program (and believe me there could have been many reasons for him to be), then he may never resurface. Alternatively, he just may be dead and we are all wrong. None the less, I love him and always have… TUPAC FOR LIFE!!

5/23/2009 7:13:06 AM
silkjnaithan

Why the hell do all you people that think he's alive?? If he is he probably dont want you sad twats finding him.....

5/18/2009 6:12:36 AM
Carlosbrapbrap

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