Blood Feud
An attack on Tupac Shakur launched a hip-hop war
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The November 1994 assault on Tupac Shakur remains a source of fascination and frustration to law officials and fans. No one was ever charged in the attack.
In 1994, Tupac Shakur was ambushed, beaten and shot at the Quad Recording Studios in New York. He insisted that friends of Sean 'Diddy' Combs were behind it. New information supports him.
By Chuck Philips, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
6:00 AM PDT, March 17, 2008
NEW YORK -- Cameras flashed as paramedics carried the victim into the glare of Times Square on a stretcher. Blood seeped through bandages from five gunshot wounds.

Tupac Shakur had been beaten, shot and left for dead at the Quad Recording Studios on New York's 7th Avenue. As he was borne to a waiting ambulance through a swarm of paparazzi on Nov. 30, 1994, the rap star thrust his middle finger into the air.


It was a portentous moment in hip-hop -- the start of a bicoastal war that would culminate years later in the killings of Shakur and rap's other leading star, Christopher Wallace, better known as the Notorious B.I.G.

The ambush at the Quad remains a source of fascination and frustration to music fans and law enforcement officials alike. No one has ever been charged in the attack.

Now, newly discovered information, including interviews with people who were at the studio that night, lends credence to Shakur's insistence that associates of rap impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs were behind the assault. Their alleged motives: to punish Shakur for disrespecting them and rejecting their business overtures and, not incidentally, to curry favor with Combs.

The information focuses on two New York hip-hop figures -- talent manager James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond and promoter James Sabatino, who is now in prison for unrelated crimes.

FBI records obtained recently by The Times say that a confidential informant told authorities in 2002 that Rosemond and Sabatino "set up the rapper Tupac Shakur to get shot at Quad Studios." The informant said Sabatino had told him that Shakur "had to be dealt with."

The records -- summaries of FBI interviews with the informant conducted in July and December 2002 -- provide details of how Shakur was lured to the studio and ambushed. Others with knowledge of the incident corroborated the informant's account in interviews with The Times and gave additional details.

According to this information, Rosemond and Sabatino, infuriated by what they saw as Shakur's insolent behavior, enticed him to the Quad by offering him $7,000 to provide a vocal track for a rap recording.

Three assailants -- reputedly friends of Rosemond -- were lying in wait. They were on orders to beat Shakur but not kill him and to make the incident look like a robbery, the sources said. They were told they could keep whatever jewelry or other valuables they could steal from Shakur and his entourage.

A member of Shakur's posse cooperated with the rapper's enemies, relaying their offer of a $7,000 payment and keeping them informed of his whereabouts on the night of the assault, according to the informant and the other sources.

Rosemond, who has served prison time for drug dealing and weapons offenses, has been described by Vibe magazine as "one of the most respected and feared players in hip-hop." His Czar Entertainment represents rappers Shyne, Too Short, Gucci Mane and the Game.

Rosemond has long denied any role in the Quad incident. He declined to be interviewed for this article, but his lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, dismissed the new information as "ancient double-hearsay allegations."

Lichtman noted that Rosemond had never been charged or questioned in connection with the attack -- a sign, Lichtman said, that federal authorities have "discounted" what the informant told them. Rosemond "was not involved in the assault and will not be prosecuted for it," Lichtman said.

Sabatino declined to comment.

Combs, whose business empire includes Bad Boy Records and clothing and fragrance lines, also declined to comment.

The FBI documents do not name the informant. The Times learned his identity and verified that he was at the Quad on the night of the assault. When contacted, the man said the FBI records accurately convey what happened, and what he told investigators. He and the other sources interviewed for this article discussed the events of Nov. 30, 1994, on condition that their names not be published.

Their accounts are consistent with Shakur's own. In interviews and on recordings, the rapper blamed Rosemond, Combs and their associates for the attack and promised to get even. The rest is on this link:

http://www.latimes.com/ne...ory?page=2
[Edited 3/17/08 7:21am]

I wish they could all die simultaneously, and give us our music back

I KNEW IT! I don't think BIG had anything to do with it but Puffy... I never trusted that bitch-ass mark. And he ruined hip-hop/R&B in the process. Fucking bama.

If they spent their time learning to play a musical instrument, they wouldn't have time for all this fighting and killing bullshit. Oh well, that's what happens when people that don't deserve a recording contract get one. They have too much time left on their hands when they get through pushing buttons and talking over someone else's old song in the studio.

abigail05 said:

Wow!

I wouldn't exactly put it that way, but I think many of these people are nothing but no talent thugs who have been given a record deal so the executives can cash in on the experience of the hood. It's too bad these guys just don't stay in school and get an education and a job. Most of them won't have a penny to their name a few years down the road and they'll be looking for a way to make it

Why are we still talking about this dude like he actually did something important or even good with his life?

I mean he didn't deserve that and I feel for his family, but really.

People talk about him like he was X and they have all these conspiracy theories.

He's no different than Ray Ray up the block. He messed with thugs and the lifestyle, so he got shot. The End.

Dance said:

Can't argue with that...

The informant inside 'Pac's posse was Stretch. That's why he was shot and killed exactly a year later.

As for Jimmy.....I've heard stories. I have the same management as Pras who is Jimmy's best friend. From what I know, I wouldn't put it past him.

Dance said:

Timmy84 said:

True. If you look at 'Pac from 91 to 94 then again in 95-96, it's almost like a whole different person.

He's one of the few rappers from the past 15 years who I even respect.

abigail05 said:

Truly uncalled for

Empress said:

Tupac actually respected the craft. He studied music and dance growing up and worked to get a record deal

he was shot in vegas , the most lit city in the world and there were no witnisses?
right something smells fishy . and im almost certain that eiter pac and wallace had the samer murderer , or they both had friends from the hood who took revange on one another.

vainandy said:

Dance said:

I agree. I mean dude made a few good records but when he made the all eyes
on me cd that was launched on death row people talked about this dude like
he was the god of hip hop. Give me a fucking break.
I can name a dozen rappers who were better.

Graycap23 said:

Idiots for $200. Tupac was a little bit more prolific at the time, he had a duality that other rappers would not dare to put on an album. Maybe you should spend some time and listen to his music, before you shit on it.

phunkdaddy said:

Ok name a dozen that year that had better albums?
Have you even heard a tupac album, or you just going off what MTV news told you?

vainandy said:

Alamine said:

No smart ass. I actually have listened to a few pac albums and i don't watch
mtv news or bet news for your info. I actually thought me against the world
was a solid album and his best. All eyes on me was just a bullshit album that
everybody came along for the ride. I actually know of quite a few people that
agree with me. I don't wish to relive 1995 as you do to name rap albums cause
quite frankly i don't give a shit but if you read my post i said i can name
a dozen rappers who are better than tupac. Case closed.

[Edited 3/17/08 19:38pm]

Alamine said:

are you talkin all eyez on me? i just listened to it agn for the first time in forever.its almost perfect album. and he recorded it in like 2 weeks i recall(??)

Timmy84 said:

Don't let The Sugar Bear (Suge Knight) off the hook so easily. He was a crooked record executive. He just didn't try to hide it like Sean Combs.

And lets not forget about the stunts he pull on Eazy-E & Vanilla Ice.

Dance said:

I take it you never been told about the Church of 2pac.

But anyway, here's the website inspired after Pac: http://www.thuglifearmy.com/

phunkdaddy said:

I'm a Tupac fan and I can honestly say that All Eyez On Me is one of my LEAST favorite albums of his. I love 2Pacalypse Now, Strictly 4 My N***az, and Me Against The World, but I only like a couple of songs on AEOM, along with Makaveli. Now the posthumous albums? I LOVE R U Still Down

The nWo agrees that All Eyez On Me is the weaker album


Oh yeah, fuck Suge Knight

goes hides under the bed before Suge sees me

Also, although Tupac wasn't the greatest rapper or lyricist, it was the way he delivered and emphasized the lyrics. He was also multi-dimensional, something I can't say about Biggie

About time they did something.

Most of the stuff in thi article has been proved wrong a long time ago.

You people ought to be fucking ashamed of yourselves. I know people on this board don't really have the biggest respect for hip-hop, but we're talking about a dead man here. A dead man, who's murderer still hasn't been caught over a decade later!!!

He may not have made the music YOU liked, that doesn't mean it's cool to talk about him like he's worthless. Like he wasn't a human being.

Fuck all the snark on this shitty little message board!!!

phunkdaddy said:

id like to see this list of 12 rappers who are better than pac and why
and if you know 12 rappers, then there is no way you can agree with a Dance post lol
[Edited 3/17/08 22:52pm]

bboy87 said:

The 2pac I became a fan of was the one you heard on his first 3 albums, without question.

BTW, the nWo (the pro wrestling stable) was inspired by All Eyez On Me & Thug Life. It's not something that you wanted to hear, but it's true!