It has been close to 25 years since the unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur and Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace rocked the Hip Hop world.
Still, conversations about their deaths remain a hot topic to discuss, as investigative documentaries and fact-based dramas attempt to break down the connections to dirty cops, local gangs, and the entertainment industry.
Filmmaker Nick Broomfield, who twenty years ago gave the world the documentary “Biggie & Tupac,” will release a new feature “Last Man Standing: Suge Knight and the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace” on Wednesday, June 30 at a special one night only World Premiere.
The film has testimony from people who were afraid to talk in the late 90s and early 2000s about the cases because Suge was still out in the world terrorizing people.
Nick Broomfield enlisted Richard “RJ” Bond, the director of “Tupac Assassination,” as the Executive Producer of the film.
“Nick and I have had a really great time both looking at new information out there,” stated RJ Bond.
“So many people have been more willing to talk since [Suge] Knight’s incarceration for killing Terry Carter,” he continued. “But it was also fascinating for me to look at footage Nick shot 20 years ago, which have taken on an entirely new meaning today- especially when it may not have resonated back then when we did not know as much.”
Broomfield also shared his motivation for continuing to document these two cold cases, “After finishing ‘Biggie & Tupac’ in 2002 I became increasingly troubled by the treatment of LAPD detective Russell Poole who had come up with evidence that LAPD officers were involved in the hit on Biggie Smalls.”
“Russell was vilified by the LAPD and over the years I watched as his health and wellbeing declined. In August 2015 Russell died of a massive heart attack during a meeting at the LA Sheriff’s headquarters where he was still arguing his theory of the Biggie Smalls murder,” the award-winning documentarian added. “It was a tragic end that Russell didn’t deserve, however, a few years later people started talking more freely after Suge Knight (whom Russell accused of commissioning the hit) was sentenced to 28 years in prison in 2018.”
AllHipHop.com recently interviewed another filmmaker Brad Furman about his movie, “City of Lies,” that used the Randal Sullivan book “LAbyrinth” to dramatize this true-to-life investigation that Poole discovered and how he was discredited and pushed to the side.
The film starred Johnny Depp as Poole. This film is also produced by the Christopher Wallace Estate and approved by the Shakur estate.
Broomfield also said, “I believed in Russell and I believed in his theory, and people who had never spoken before, who didn’t know Russell Poole, came forward with new evidence never heard before that supports his allegations that LAPD officers were involved.”
With all of this attention, the hope is that the Shakur Wallace estate achieves justice.
At the June 30th World Premiere “one night only nationwide pre-recorded Q&A with Director Nick Broomfield hosted by Trevor Nelson.
The general release for “Last Man Standing: Suge Knight and the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace” takes place on July 2nd in theaters and later on streaming services.