I
recently had the pleasure of watching a complimentary copy
of Biggie & Tupac, a documentary directed by Nick  Broomfield.
The film investigates the murders of two of rap music's biggest
stars and rather convincingly points the finger at Death Row
record label CEO Suge Knight.
Broomfield, who also directed the shocking
film Kurt & Courtney, again tracks down those who were
closest to the two stars and eventually makes his way to
the big man himself, Suge.
A large part of the film revolves around
Broomfield's conversations with Biggie's mom who in my opinion
made some very interesting comments regarding some of his
lyrics. In Juicy, his first hit
single, he claims that he lived in "public housing"
in a "one room shack" and he sold drugs in front
of buildings etc... But these are
facts that Mrs. Wallace disputes. She says that in all of
the 20 years that he lived with her, she always had dinner
(obviously) and never lived in a "one room shack".
And according to one of his Biggie's boyhood friends who
now manages a grocery where they used to bag groceries together,
Biggie NEVER EVEN SOLD DRUGS. Is the bigger story thatcame
out of this documentary the fact that Biggie Smalls &
his music is a fraud?
The
most convincing evidence that Suge & Death Row were
involved in both killings is that a bunch of people he talked
to including an ex bodyguard claimed that they owed Tupac
over 10 million dollars and he was planning on leaving the
label. He was also planning on taking all of his unreleased
material with him.
Other
highlights of the film are the methods in which Broomfield
retrieves him information. He shows a blind  determination,
often putting himself in possible
danger in order to get an interview. While in Suge's prison,
Broomfield walks right up to him and asks if he can have
a word. He also treks through Tupac's old neighborhood
in Baltimore where he meets up with a shady character who
claims to be one of his boyhood friends. He even offers
to play some early recordings they made together and ask
they walked through the back alleys, he warns the filmaker
that this is a "very dangerous neighborhood."
When Broomfield asks if he can have a copy, the guy responds
that he can't have it for free and that it is "priceless".
As he attempts to play the songs, the boombox played nothing
but silence.
Broomfield's
unique approach to his films often results in very interesting
& humorous situations. If you have never seen
one of his films and even if you are not a rap fan, I highly
recommend this flick. His other notable films I would
suggest are 1998's Kurt & Courtney, then 1995's Heidi
Fleiss: Hollywood Madam.
More information can be found at: NickBroomfield.com
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