The predecessor to Tupac & Biggie (2002) is premiering on Starz this Thursday (Dec 23rd). The said documentary is titled Last Man Standing: Suge Knight and The Murders of Biggie and Tupac. Nick Broomfield, who directed the first documentary, breaks down significant events that led up to Tupac and Biggie’s demise. Not only does he get an in-depth view from sources that worked inside of Death Row Records, but he also interacts with close friends and family members of Suge Knight, Tupac, and Biggie.
Last Man Standing: Suge Knight and The Murders of Biggie and Tupac is a memorable film that’s purely binge-worthy. From the very start, viewers get a better understanding of Suge Knight’s sentencing and rise to fame. In 2015, Knight received a 28-year sentence for manslaughter in connection with the hit and run death of music executive Terry Carter in the parking lot of a Compton fast-food restaurant.
The movie also speaks on Knight’s dark past, involvement with gang members, and how he got dirty cops to participate in vile acts like drug trafficking. Without giving too much away, I’d like to add that Knight recruited gang members on his team, which in turn caused him to become overly dominant. He also mistreated members on Death Row Records and the artists that I am shocked he got a slap on the wrist. The documentary itself will show audiences what really happened behind closed doors. According to some sources involved in said film, Suge Knight’s influence changed Tupac’s personality. Tupac, who once was caring and an advocate for social justice, took on a gangster persona that unfortunately caused him to pass.
Not to mention, viewers will see how the divide between particular gangs/West Coast and East Coast caused others to die before their time. It also shows the corrupt dealings that happen within the police department.
Tupac Shakur had been convicted of a sex abuse charge in connection with a gang rape that took place in New York in 1993 and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Suge Knight facilitated his release from New York’s Clinton Correctional Facility and moved from Interscope to Death Row Records. After that, Shakur was loyal to Knight and the Mob Piru Bloods.
Tracy Robinson, Tupac’s producer, said Interscope Records should’ve gotten him out of jail because it would’ve been a whole different scenario.
Other individuals that took part in the documentary are Joe Cool (Crip bodyguard, Snoop Dogg’s cousin), Yaasmyn Fula (Tupac’s second mother), Kendrick Wells (Tupac’s friend and an assistant at Death Row Records), Demetrius Striplin (Tupacs friend), and Krystal Anderson (Suge Knight’s niece), to name a few.
Overall, the documentary, produced by Compton resident Pam Brooks, digs deeper into the LAPD’s involvement in committing crimes for Suge Knight. Last Man Standing: Suge Knight and The Murders of Biggie and Tupac also provides intel on Suge Knight’s rise to power, Tupac and Biggies fight, their murders, and what really went down when Death Row Records was up and running.
In an interview with The Independent, producer Pam Brooks explored the film’s underlying theme.
“It’s about closure, basically,” she stated. “It was crucial how Suge Knight crewed up with the LAPD and that just shows you how lowlife they are for a little bit of change. They make good money, but it just shows you how it’s about control. It’s all about control.”
Make sure to check out the documentary on Starz!
