A Las Vegas jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of murder for his role in the 1996 killing of rap legend Tupac Shakur. The verdict, delivered after decades of mystery, marks the first conviction in one of hip-hop’s most famous cold cases.
Before Shakur became one of hip-hop’s most recognisable figures, he was born Lesane Parish Crooks in East Harlem, New York City, on June 16, 1971. His mother, Afeni Shakur, later renamed him Tupac Amaru Shakur.
His upbringing was shaped less by the music industry than by political activism, poverty and frequent moves. The political consciousness surrounding his family and his mother’s involvement in the Black Panther Party would later become an important part of Shakur’s identity and music.
With over 75 million records sold worldwide, both 1996’s "All Eyez on Me" and his "Greatest Hits" collection have been certified diamond, surpassing the ten-million mark and placing them among the top-selling albums of all time.
Tupac Shakur's court case
Davis, a 63-year-old former gang leader, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon on Monday, 31 August. Although he did not pull the trigger, prosecutors proved that he orchestrated the drive-by shooting.
They argued that Davis ordered the hit and provided the gun used by his nephew, Orlando Anderson, to kill the “Hit ‘Em Up” rapper in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996.
The case relied heavily on Davis’ own words. According to reports, over the years, he admitted his involvement in a 2008 police interview, several podcasts, and his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend”. He repeatedly placed himself in the white Cadillac from which the fatal shots were fired.
Prosecutors explained that the murder was a retaliatory act. It followed a fight between Shakur’s crew and Davis’ nephew earlier that evening.
The violence was fuelled by deep-seated rivalries between the “Crips” and “Bloods” street gangs, as well as tensions between rival record labels.
The events leading up to the shooting began hours earlier at the MGM Grand, where Shakur and his entourage had attended a Mike Tyson boxing match. They encountered Anderson, who was associated with the “South Side Compton Crips”, and a fight broke out between the two groups.
Prosecutors argued that the altercation became the reason for the shooting later that night. Shakur was travelling in a black BMW with “Death Row Records” founder Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up alongside them at a red light.
Shots were fired from the vehicle, hitting Shakur four times.
Shakur was taken to hospital but died from his injuries six days later, on September 13, 1996. He was 25.
For years, the case remained unsolved, with unanswered questions about who was responsible and why it took authorities so long to make an arrest. Davis’ public comments eventually brought renewed attention to the investigation.
But while the circumstances around his death have remained a source of fascination, Shakur’s influence travelled far beyond the United States.
Tupac's influence touched South Africa
His music reached South Africa during a period when local hip-hop was still developing its own identity, and Tupac's image and storytelling resonated with a generation of artists and fans.
For Cape Town DJ and hip-hop veteran, DJ Ready D, Tupac’s music arrived in South Africa at a time when international hip-hop was not as readily accessible as it is today.
He told “The National” that he first encountered Shakur through “Digital Underground”, the group the rapper joined as a roadie and dancer before launching his solo career.
Ready D remembers the surprise of later discovering that the performer he had seen alongside “Digital Underground” was also a rapper in his own right.
As Shakur’s solo career developed, so did his public image, particularly the “Thug Life” persona that became closely associated with him.
However, DJ Ready D’s relationship with Tupac’s music was complicated by the realities of Cape Town at the time.
He shared that the East Coast-West Coast rivalry had begun to filter into local gang culture, making the decision to play certain artists more complicated than simply choosing what sounded good.
“There was a time when we actually had to be careful not to play Tupac’s music when we were in Cape Town, especially with the gang activity in Cape Town.”
He said he was advised to be cautious about what he played and when he played it. While he listened to Tupac and recognised his talent, Ready D said he gravitated towards other artists when looking for creative inspiration.
“He was a phenomenal storyteller, and we know that he comes from a Black consciousness background,” he said.
Still, he considers Shakur’s storytelling ability and political background significant, particularly given the influence of his mother, Afeni.
Through her political influence, and time as a member of the Black Panther Party, Afeni formed part of the rapper’s understanding of race, inequality and social struggle. Those themes became central to much of his work.
Speculation and conspiracy theories
Three decades after his death, Shakur’s influence remains visible across hip-hop, while the circumstances surrounding his killing have continued to generate speculation and conspiracy theories.
According to reports, Davis’ defence team argued that his accounts could not be trusted, suggesting that he had exaggerated his involvement because of the attention surrounding Shakur’s death.
His lawyer, Michael Sanft, described Davis as someone known for exaggerating stories.
The prosecution, however, relied on the consistency of Davis’ accounts over the years. Clark County District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo reportedly said during the trial that without Davis writing the book, he may never have been prosecuted.
The two-week trial included testimony from 25 witnesses, some of whom were reluctant to appear in court. Prosecutors also faced the difficulty of building a case nearly three decades after the shooting, with limited physical evidence and witnesses who had previously been unwilling to cooperate.
The length of time surrounding Shakur’s death also allowed numerous theories about his murder to take hold. One of the most enduring is that the rapper never died at all, with some fans claiming he faked his death to escape the pressures of fame, legal scrutiny or threats to his life.
Other theories centred on his posthumous album, “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory”, released under the name Makaveli. Some fans interpreted the use of the name, inspired by Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, as a clue that Shakur had staged his death and gone into hiding. There is no evidence that he did so.
The bitter East Coast-West Coast rivalry also became central to speculation about who ordered the killing. Some theories pointed to the feud between Shakur’s “Death Row Records” and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ “Bad Boy Records”.
One unsubstantiated allegation claimed that Combs had offered a $1 million (R16.1m) for Shakur’s killing, a claim he has repeatedly denied.
Other speculation focused on “Death Row” boss Knight, who was in the car with Shakur when the shooting happened.
Rumours over the years have suggested that Knight may have had a role in the attack or that tensions over Shakur’s future at “Death Row” could have provided a motive. These claims have never been established as fact.
Unanswered questions
For DJ Ready D, however, the conviction does not necessarily bring an end to the questions that have surrounded Shakur’s death since 1996.
“I think I’m kind of conflicted and still a little bit confused, but I think it brings some form of closure to others,” he said.
He believes the verdict is unlikely to end the speculation surrounding the case, particularly among Shakur’s most dedicated fans.
“I don’t think the hip-hop community or the die-hard fans would be 100% satisfied with only Keffe D being sent in.”
South African rapper, songwriter and actor PdotO also reflected on Tupac’s legacy, sharing his personal top five Tupac songs on Instagram and a photo of the late rapper.
His selection leaned towards some of Shakur’s more introspective songs, including “Staring at the World thru my Rearview”, “Life Goes On”, “Unconditional Love”, “So Many Tears” and “Hold Ya Head”.
PdotO captioned the post: “Time can be an Ally as well as An Enemy. RIP.” (sic.)
The songs he chose speak to the parts of Tupac’s music that continue to connect with listeners decades later, particularly his writing about loss, survival, pain and perseverance.
The verdict reportedly brought an emotional moment inside the courtroom, with Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, crying as the decision was read. Davis’ son was also seen covering his face with his hand.
Davis is being held without bail and has said he plans to appeal. He is due to be sentenced on October 13, 2026.
The verdict may have closed one chapter of the case, but Davis’ legal battle is not over. Shortly after the Las Vegas jury found Davis guilty, Sanft told NBC News that the defence was already preparing for an appeal.
“We were preparing for the appeal, so even Mr. Davis knew that going in. Even before the first set of jurors came in for jury selection, we knew it was going to be an appeal issue,” Sanft said.
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