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The Unsolved Murders of Rap Kings Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.
Was it an East vs. West gang war or is there more to the story?
Two of the biggest rappers of their time died untimely deaths in eerily similar manners in back-to-back years 1996 and 1997. They were both shot to death in drive-by shootings and were both aged a mere 25 years at the time of their death.
The tragic losses were a culmination of one of the biggest “feuds” in the hip-hop music industry, especially within the “gangsta rap” scene. Tupac Shakur was the pride of the West, while Christopher Wallace aka “the Notorious B.I.G” or simply “Biggie” was the star from the East Coast.
The Origins of the Rivalry
The 90’s scene in the hip-hop music industry was dominated by the rivalry between East Coast and West Coast fans and artists. The feud began when East Coast artists were frustrated by the increasing number of rejections from West Coast record labels and were angry at the rising popularity of West Coast hip hop.
Seeing an opportunity to launch a record label as a platform for East Coast artists, record producer Sean LOVE Combs (yes, his legal name based on an official name change is Sean LOVE Combs, with an all-caps LOVE) aka “Puff Daddy” decided to rejuvenate his…
