Prominent Hip Hop journalist/author Kevin Powell, who was also a cast member on the first season of MTV’s The Real World, has filed a federal lawsuit against the creators of the Tupac Shakur biopic, All Eyez On Me, which he says relies heavily on interviews he conducted.
The articles in question were published in Vibe Magazine around the mid-’90s and focused on Shakur’s two major influences — civil rights and gangster rap, but Powell has also penned cover stories on Shakur for publications like Rolling Stone. According to the suit, All Eyez On Me‘s executive producer L.T. Hutton did an interview earlier this month where he admitted he looked at “all of the interviews” with the late Hip Hop luminary to make the movie. Powell took to his personal Facebook account to clarify his stance.
“After a great deal of thought and consultation with many, including my attorneys, I have filed a federal lawsuit against the producers and writers of ALL EYEZ ON ME, the new Tupac Shakur biopic, for copyright infringement,” Powell posted on Facebook. “After viewing the movie twice in the past few days, it is clear that my exclusive Vibe cover stories on Tupac Shakur (when he was alive), were lifted, without proper credit or compensation of any kind to me, and used in ALL EYEZ ON ME.
“As the owner of the copyright to these articles, ALL EYEZ ON ME infringed on my rights by using content and narrative that was exclusive to my writings,” he continued. “I am seeking justice and a resolution in this matter that is fully fair to me and all the work I’ve done throughout the years, as an author and protector of the Tupac Shakur narrative.”
Throughout the movie, Shakur is interviewed by a journalist (played by Hill Harper) while in prison just as Powell did in real life. Sources close to Powell told TMZ multiple people have asked him if Harper’s character is based on him.
Powell is reportedly asking a judge to immediately block the film from playing in theaters and award him a slice of the profits it’s already raked in. Despite mixed reactions from fans and critics alike, All Eyez On Me earned $27 million during its opening weekend and landed in the #3 slot in the box office charts.
HipHopDX reached out to Powell’s lawyer Keith White, who said: “Kevin Powell has consistently worked to cover and protect the Tupac Shakur narrative with integrity and dignity. To that end, Kevin took creative license to protect the complex human being that was Tupac Shakur. This included fact-specific narrative changes and character creation in an effort protect the legacy that Tupac was still building.
“Kevin’s exclusive and intimate access to Tupac Shakur came as a result of the trust established over the years,” he added. “The narrative that Kevin developed from many intense and exclusive moments with Tupac should not have been used in any film without Kevin’s approval and consultation.”
DX attempted to contact L.T. Hutton, but did not hear back.
Funny how he files it right after the film was released….
Duh! How is he supposed to know they jacked his material before he saw the movie. He had no idea they were using his material because they didn’t reach out to him to clear it… dumbass.. how is someone gonna sue for samples if they haven’t heard the song yet… was he supposed to sue during filming while he had no idea what the movie would look like?
first they say it didn’t happen now someone is saying they stole their stuff, people make up your mind…and I wonder did he know they were using his likeness in the movie and if he did what did they expect them to use. If they had came up with bogus questions then he would have said it didn’t happened as well
If you’re gonna use someone’s likeness in a movie then you should expect them to ask permission.. if they didn’t ask then they can’t use it. It’s obvious that Kevin powell had a mountain of info about PAC that was used in the movie without his consent. And honestly the movie sucked. He could’ve added to the accuracy since he’s the one who conducted the interviews. And they didn’t use bogus questions, they used his. That’s stolen property
but that is it according to the producer, they went to these people with me also wanting to know why those who have problems with the film not at least look into it to see what they were using. like I said if he had used bogus questions in the movie then they would have complained about. that The problem that I am having with all the criticism is that these people waited till movie came out before saying anything, they talk about how much Pac meant to them but didn’t make sure that the integrity was there. Just like Jada, she even spoke with the woman who played her during production and still complained, and my feeling behind that is will and her have produced all these other movies why didn’t she produce this one giving us the accuracy it needed versus waiting to have something to say after it is made, that young lady was very hurt over her comments because she thought she was doing her justice…..
out of all these screenings they should have had these important people there to see it. Honestly 2pac’s mother didnt even approve of the movie. The producer f*cked up by leaving 2pac’s family out of the creation of the movie. It shouldnt have been made period. And honestly it looks like a c-list movie based on interviews.
2pac forever
2pac to the end of time
Because certain steps needed to be taken in issues like this, it’s necessary for the movie to release first before taking action, and that means even if Kevin knew beforehand that he was excluded yet his likeness and materials were sourced without his consent. Just because that movie is a biopic that claims to be “the untold story” does not mean that it is indeed true and accurate. For whatever reason, LT Hutton blatantly omitted ALOT of information and very important people who were key in Pac’s life story and career. And to tell a ” true story” in such manner is telling a real story at all, and instead, severely distorts the facts and legacy of an individual who had already put those facts on clear display for world view. How do you screw that story up?! That movie is so damn glossed over and half baked in most of the scenes it’s pathetic… and a serious disservice to Pacs life and legacy. It is clear now that the movie is taken for face value because people who saw it that don’t do the research or had followed Pac during his time alive, view the movie as facts. This confuses the real and true perception of who Tupac is, what he stood for and his message. The parts in the movie where Suge is SUPPOSEDLY slick punkin Pac behind his contract? Pac was raising all out hell behind that shit. He was even threatening to audit Death Row to find out what was owed to him as well as what he might owe, and how legit the conditions of his contract really were. Pac was working like a race horse to leave that situation, as many already knew. Pac wasn’t letting Suge punk him out. He was trying to keep shit as amicable as he possibly could alot of the time, but him and Suge were not on great terms. That biopic was done in piss poor ass taste without any real regard to Pac himself, his mother, Jada, his aunts and sister, his image and the integrity of his character and those who were key components to Pacs inner circle outside of the Outlaws, which include Kevin Powell. LT Hutton don’t give not a single solitary f**k about a Tupac. He didn’t make a Tupac movie. LT HUTTON DID NOT MAKE A TUPAC MOVIE. LT made an LT Hutton movie featuring a caricature of Tupac Shukur while using certain individuals like Lalah, Shock and Money B, Edi to give the film a layered sense of credibility, authenticity to its story and legitimacy…. yet Pacs mother gets sued?? But it’s doing just the opposite. And that’s insulting and tasteless regardless of whatever opinions differ from that fact.
Go read a book. Ignorant idiots like yourself shouldn’t be bashing someone who obviously sounds more educated than yourself and are making a valid statement. Don’t be mad at KrownedKing. Be mad at your upbringing and the choices YOU made that supposedly put you in a hateful spot bc others choose to be bright. Foh
The worldstar blogs is that way bitch. Get to it.
I thought Hill Harper’s character was him lol. The interview was for vibe magazine.
Why he asking a judge to block the movie from showing i theaters when he’s suing for a slice of the profits?!? All i heard is that the movie is garbage and lot of stuff in it didnt even take place How you not gonna at least reach out to the people that knew the man and get the facts right. Is the movie as lame as people been saying?