How Did Biggie Smalls Die
How Did Tupac Shakur Die
Follow Biggie fans may finally get their chance to learn what happened to the legendary rapper 14 years after his death. The FBI recently released (heavily redacted) of their investigation into the 1997 slaying. While who killed Biggie still remains a mystery, the public does get an insight into the workings of the two-year FBI investigation and the details surrounding the life and deaths of two of rap’s biggest megastars. For those in need of a refresher: On March 9, 1997, Biggie, real name Christopher Wallace, was gunned down as he was leaving a music industry party in Los Angeles. His death followed the fatal shooting of rival Tupac Shakur 6 months earlier in Las Vegas. ( More on TIME.com: ) At the time, rumors swirled of a rap-rivalry gone wrong, with some speculating Biggie’s death was an act of revenge for Tupac’s killing. Some believed people in Biggie’s posse were responsible for Tupac’s murder.
Others thought it went even further and that Biggie and Tupac were casualties of a bigger conflict between their record labels. The two rappers had been friends until Tupac’s downward spiral into a life of violence made Biggie distance himself. Later, as Tupac landed in prison, Biggie’s career took off. There was also talk of police corruption and gang violence related to the larger than life characters, and the FBI became involved, starting a review of public corruption and civil rights violations.