LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� An , the latest twist in one of the biggest unsolved cases in hip-hop history.
Duane 鈥淜effe D鈥� Davis was arrested on suspicion of murder early Friday morning and has been indicted on a murder charge in Las Vegas.
The case returned to the spotlight in July when Nevada authorities in connection with the rap star鈥檚 shooting death.
Here鈥檚 what to know about one of the most infamous fatal shootings in hip-hop history:
WHAT鈥橲 NEW IN THE INVESTIGATION?
Authorities on Friday arrested Davis, who's name has long been linked with Shakur's death. He is the relative of a man who emerged as a suspect shortly after the rapper鈥檚 killing.
Shakur was gunned down while riding in a car on the Las Vegas strip on Sept. 7, 1996.
In July, authorities executed a warrant in the nearby city of Henderson at Davis' house. He's the uncle of Orlando Anderson, one of Shakur鈥檚 known rivals who authorities long suspected shot the rapper. Anderson denied involvement in Shakur鈥檚 killing at the time, and died two years later in an unrelated gang shooting in Compton, California.
by The Associated Press shows detectives collected multiple computers, a cellular telephone, 鈥渄ocumentary documents,鈥� a Vibe magazine that featured Shakur, several .40-caliber bullets, two 鈥渢ubs containing photographs鈥� and a copy of Davis鈥� 2019 memoir, 鈥滳ompton Street Legend.鈥�
WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT SHAKUR WAS SHOT?
The 25-year-old rapper was traveling in a black BMW driven by in a convoy of about 10 cars, apparently headed to a nightclub, after watching Mike Tyson knock out Bruce Seldon in a championship fight at the MGM Grand.
Shakur, Knight and associates were involved in a fight at the hotel.
While driving down the Las Vegas Strip, a white Cadillac with four men inside pulled alongside the BMW while it was stopped at a red light. One person opened fire, riddling the passenger side of Knight鈥檚 car with bullets, police said. Sitting in the passenger seat, Shakur was shot four times, at least twice in the chest. Knight was grazed by a bullet fragment or shrapnel from the car.
Shakur was rushed to a hospital, where he died six days later.
WHAT IS THE RAPPER鈥橲 LEGACY?
Shakur is one of the most prolific figures in hip-hop, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli. His professional music career only lasted five years, but he sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including the diamond-certified album 鈥淎ll Eyez on Me,鈥� which was packed with hits including 鈥淐alifornia Love (Remix),鈥� 鈥淚 Ain鈥檛 Mad at Cha鈥� and 鈥淗ow Do U Want It.鈥�
Shakur had including 鈥淢e Against the World鈥� in 1995 and 鈥淎ll Eyez on Me鈥� in 1996, along with three posthumous releases: 1996鈥檚 鈥淭he Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,鈥� 2001鈥檚 鈥淯ntil the End of Time鈥� and 2004鈥檚 鈥淟oyal to the Game.鈥�
The six-time Grammy-nominated artist was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Snoop Dogg in 2017.
As a rising actor, Shakur starred in several popular films such as John Singleton's 鈥淧oetic Justice" with Janet Jackson and Ernest Dickerson's 鈥淛uice.鈥� He also played major roles in 鈥淕ang Related鈥� and 鈥淎bove the Rim.鈥�
In April, a five-part FX docuseries called 鈥� : The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur鈥� delved into the past of the rapper鈥檚 mother, Afeni Shakur, as a female leader in the Black Panther Party, while exploring and becoming one of the greatest rap artists of all time.
Earlier this year, Shakur received a on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
鈥淗e defied the distinction between art and activism,鈥� said radio personality Big Boy, who emceed the ceremony.
Shakur has been remembered with museum exhibits, including 鈥淭upac Shakur. Wake Me When I鈥檓 Free鈥� in 2021 and 鈥淎ll Eyez on Me鈥� at the Grammy Museum in 2015. Oakland officials have said a stretch of an will be renamed after him.
WHAT ABOUT HIS BIGGEST RIVALRY?
Shakur鈥檚 death came amid his , who was fatally shot six months later. At the time, both rappers were in the middle of the infamous East Coast-West Coast rivalry, which primarily defined the hip-hop scene during the mid-1990s.
The feud was ignited after Shakur was seriously wounded in another shooting during a robbery in the lobby of a midtown Manhattan hotel in 1994. He was shot several times and lost $40,000.
Shakur openly accused B.I.G. and Sean 鈥淒iddy鈥� Combs of having prior knowledge of the shooting, which both vehemently denied. The shooting sparked enough of a feud that created a serious divide within the hip-hop community and fans.
The New York-born Shakur represented the West Coast after he signed with the Los Angeles-based Death Row Records. He often traded verbal jabs with New York-natives B.I.G. and Combs, who hailed from the East Coast while representing New York City-based Bad Boy Records.
Diss tracks were delivered to drive home their ferocious points across. Shakur released the aggressive single 鈥淗it 鈥橢m Up,鈥� which took aim at B.I.G., who on the other hand returned with 鈥淲ho Shot Ya?,鈥� a record that was received as a taunt. However, B.I.G. claimed the song was not directed toward Shakur.
MORE ON SHAKUR'S LIFE AND CAREER
Shakur was born June 16, 1971, in New York City. He later moved to Baltimore and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he began writing raps. He eventually made his way to Marin City, California, near San Francisco, and continued to write and record.
As a member of the Grammy-nominated group Digital Underground, Shakur appeared on the 1991 track 鈥淪ame Song鈥� from 鈥漈his Is an EP Release鈥� and on the album "Sons of the P.鈥�
That same year, Shakur achieved individual recognition with the album "2Pacalypse Now,鈥� which spawned the successful singles "Trapped" and "Brenda鈥檚 Got a Baby."
The album, with references to police officers being killed, drew notoriety when a lawyer claimed a man accused of killing a Texas trooper had been riled up by the record. Then-Vice President Dan Quayle targeted "2Pacalypse Now鈥� in his 1992 battle with Hollywood over traditional values.
In 1993, Shakur followed up with the sophomore album, which produced songs 鈥滻 Get Around," "Keep Ya Head Up鈥� and "Papa鈥檢 Song,鈥� and he was nominated for an American Music Award as best new rap hip-hop artist.
The following year he appeared with hip-hop group Thug Life on the "Above The Rim鈥� soundtrack and on the group鈥檚 album "Volume 1.鈥� In a photo on the album liner, he framed his face between his two extended middle fingers.
He was convicted of sexually abusing a fan in 1994 and served several months in a New York prison .
While incarcerated, Shakur indicated he was rethinking his lifestyle. He had support from Black leaders including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who counseled him while he was locked up.
鈥淭hug Life to me is dead. If it鈥檚 real, let somebody else represent it, because I鈥檓 tired of it,鈥� Shakur told Vibe magazine. 鈥滻 represented it too much. I was Thug Life.鈥�
Shakur was up-front about his troubled life in the 1995 release 鈥淢e Against The World,鈥� a multimillion-selling album that contained the ominously titled tracks 鈥滻f I Die 2Nite鈥� and 鈥淒eath Around The Corner.鈥�
鈥淚t ain鈥檛 easy being me. ... Will I see the penitentiary, or will I stay free?鈥� Shakur rapped on the album, which produced the Grammy-nominated "Dear Mama鈥� and standout singles "So Many Tears鈥� and 鈥漈emptations.鈥�
The Las Vegas shooting occurred as Shakur鈥檚 fourth solo album, "All Eyez on Me,鈥� remained on the charts, with some 5 million copies sold.
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Ritter and Yamat reported from Las Vegas. Writer Travis Loller in Nashville contributed to this report.
Jonathan Landrum Jr. And Ken Ritter And Rio Yamat, The Associated Press
