Some Tupac fans remain convinced the rapper did not die in a drive-by shooting in LA in 1996, with the wild conspiracy theory still going strong on what would have been his 53rd birthday
Legendary rapper Tupac Shakur would have turned 53-years-old today (June 16) and there are still some fans who are convinced he is alive and well, blowing candles out somewhere in the world.
Tupac was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in LA on the night of September 7, 1996, and died in hospital six days later – with the rapper aged just 25. Only in September of last year did Las Vegas police arrest a suspect – Duane ‘Keefe D’ Davis. He pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled for November this year.
Conspiracy theorists have long claimed Tupac is still alive, with some suggesting he escaped to Cuba. Others claim he found out about a plot to assassinate him and switched with a body double.
Even Suge Knight – the founder of Death Row Records who was with Tupac on the night he died – has played into the wild conspiracy. He stated in an interview in 2017: “I mean when I left that hospital me and Pac was laughing and joking… I don’t see how someone can go from doing well to doing bad.” When asked if he genuinely thought Tupac could be alive, he added: “With Pac you never know.”
The ludicrous claims have been furthered by a number of supposed sightings as well as videos purporting to show Tupac alive after his death. One such resurfaced video has racked up more than 229,000 views on YouTube, and shows a man with similar facial hair and a bald head talking on the phone. The title claims it shows Tupac “alive in 2020” at the age of 48.
The comments section is full of the rapper’s fans who are convinced he is still alive and that this video is evidence. One states: “Yo, I can’t front, this guy really looks like Pac. Especially when he turns and is smiling. This is possibly the clearest video evidence that I’ve seen of Pac being alive.”
Another says: “Tupac amaru shakur lives!!! Come back pac and show them what hip hop rap is!!” And a third says simply: “Yes it is tupac.”
Yet there are also those who see through the wild conspiracy, with many comments calling on people to let Tupac “rest in peace”. One reads: “Just let the man rest in peace, he was taken too young, life isn’t fair, but at least he left a legacy behind.” Another says: “If y’all don’t let this man rest smh.”
