Tupac's legacy in Baltimore lives on as man remains jailed on charges for 1996 drive-by shooting death
BALTIMORE -- Tupac Shakur was murdered 27 years ago in Las Vegas after leaving a heavyweight boxing match.
After years of rumors about who was responsible, a man was recently charged with his murder for allegedly ordering the hit that killed the famed rapper.
If you were around in the 1990s, you may recall Tupac, the lyrically gifted man born in New York's East Harlem, whose mother moved him to Baltimore in 1984 for a better education.
"When you talk about the culture of hip hop, when you talk about the progression of hip hop and 50 years, as we're celebrating hip hop, you're talking about Tupac Shakur," said Persia Nicole, a radio personality from Baltimore's 92Q Jams.
When Tupac moved to Baltimore, he entered eighth grade at Roland Park Middle School, ninth grade at Dunbar High and then at the Baltimore School for the Arts where he studied acting, poetry, jazz and ballet.
But it was all of that, along with his social activism, that inspired his music.
"Everybody wanted to do what Tupac was doing," Nicole said. "Everybody was wearing the bandanas. Everybody was doing what he was doing. You have social activists, community activists, you have rappers, you have poets, and then you have Tupac. He was all of those things."
Tupac was known for being super socially conscious as a rapper and actor. However, being in the rap game did not come without its violent feuds.
On Sept. 7, 1996, authorities said Tupac and his entourage attacked a rival gang member, Orlando Anderson, in a Las Vegas casino lobby, which police said led to Tupac being ambushed by gunfire after leaving Mike Tyson's boxing match.
All these years later, rumors and countless interviews by police turned to charges after a search warrant of a residence in Henderson, Nevada.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis is now charged with murder with a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement.
"This case was presented to the grand jury which ultimately led to Davis being indicted on charges of murder," said Jason Johansson, homicide lieutenant at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
It's a small dose of long-awaited justice for Tupac.
"But we don't have the shooter," Nicole said. "The alleged shooter has already now passed, so we have the uncle of the shooter that's in custody. It does give closure, but at the same time, it gives what happened."
While the world will never truly know what happened on that night in 1996, Tupac's legacy has never died.
His childhood Baltimore home where he lived at age 13 on Greenmount Avenue, was sold in May of this year.
The street bears his name as Tupac Shakur Way, highlighting his impact, even in death.
"I think Tupac will forever leave a big stamp on all of our lives," Nicole said. "I think the biggest way to continue his legacy and to make sure justice is served in some type of way is to do what he always wanted to happen and that's to bring positive vibes. He was just trying to make sure that, us as the culture and the community, got closer together and he had a message, just making sure, If you listen to his music, read his poetry and that will continue to let his life, live forever."
Davis is set to have his next court appearance in Las Vegas on October 19.
