The Hip Hop community banded together to pay Tupac Shakur his proper respects yesterday, September 13, on what was the 20th anniversary of his untimely death at the age of 25.
A new revelation was also made regarding the last photo taken of Makaveli the Don.
Following the September 7, 1996 ill-fated Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon fight, Pac and Suge Knight cruised on the Vegas strip in the Death Row Records CEO’s ’96 black BMW 750iL when a then, 29-year-old UCLA film school student named Leonard Jefferson had an encounter with the soon-to-be-dead rap icon that would go on to become part of an urban legend bigger than the both of them.
During a new interview with Complex, Jefferson revealed that he actually had a bit of history with Pac, as they both inhabited the same city.
“It was crowded and a lot of celebrities were coming in,” Jefferson recalled of the hustle and bustle of the MGM Grand’s lobby, which was also the scene of a Death Row brawl with an alleged gang member, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, who is also said to have been the one to fire the shots that would eventually kill Shakur.
“Ironically, I saw 2Pac and his crew pass by us. I kind of knew him when I was a student at UCLA film school. We had hung out with some of my coworkers. That was pretty much the extent of my acquaintance with him. I didn’t go over to him then because I figured I would probably see him later.”
Later that even, Jefferson would have the chance to interact with Pac, for what would be his final photo-op.
“I came to a light at Harmon Ave. and I looked over and saw some shiny rims on a BMW. I looked over and it was 2Pac and Suge. I said, “Yo, what up, Pac!” He paused for a second, then he recognized who I was and said, ‘Yeah, what up, man,’ he said.
“I asked what they were doing tonight, and he said they were going to Club 662 and I should come over. I said, “Alright, cool…hey, let me grab a picture really quick.” My camera was in the center console so I just grabbed it, then snapped that picture. Right after that the light changed green and they pulled off. I got a few cars behind them and then they made a right turn.”
Around 11:15pm, the BMW was shot up, hitting Shakur four times and sending him to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Jefferson vividly remembers that unnerving imagery as well.
“I got on my phone and called California Pizza Kitchen to cancel my order. All of a sudden, heard, “POP! POP! POP! POP!”
All of a sudden I see the black BMW turn around and take off. It made a wide U-turn right in the middle of the street and started following Suge. It was a procession of cars, like two or three; there was a Lexus that the security guard was driving. I had a ‘96 Chevy Suburban. You can see it in the reflection in the picture I took of Pac.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1sVT3WlvnI
We were speeding, maneuvering through the traffic—I just got caught up in the moment. We got back to the Strip and I saw that Suge went up on the curb. I don’t know how he got up there, I guess he was avoiding someone or a car and then came back down. He had a flat tire; the car started limping. I proceeded through the intersection as well and we got back to Harmon, the street I first saw Pac at, and came to a stop. I pulled into the turning lane behind the Lexus and just sat there. I was just looking to see what was going on. I knew there was a shooting but I didn’t know at that time that 2Pac or Suge had been shot.”
Conspiracy theorists have often cited how Knight was involved in the shooting, for a number of unfounded reasons, but according to Jefferson’s recollection, he was just as traumatized as anyone who had just seen anyone have bullets ripped through their flesh.
They also jacked him up because, well, that’s what police are accused of doing from time to time.
“Suge gets out and starts yelling, “My man Pac is shot, Pac is shot!” One of the officers goes around and aims his gun at the passenger side. Then, all of a sudden, while I’m sitting there, a cop runs up to me, cocks his gun and tells me to put my hands on the steering wheel. Another pulled me out of the car and laid me on the ground. I said, “What’s going on?” But they wouldn’t tell me. One guy had a knee on my back.”
Although Tupac was transported from the site of the crime, the aftermath didn’t get any less hectic. Investigators actually confiscated Jefferson’s camera as evidence, jeopardizing the photo’s very existence from seeing the light of day.
“The chaos was still going on when the ambulance pulled up. I saw them putting 2Pac on the gurney, then they put him in the ambulance and took off. One of the officers came back, stood me up, took the handcuffs off me, and said, “You’re free to go,” he remembered, only for the same officers to take him back to the station hours later, admitting they “fucked up” for releasing him in the first place.
“We fucked up, we need you back at the scene, the detectives are there and we should not have let you leave the scene.”
At first I was asking why, if they had all of my information, but then I asked, “How did you find me?” They knew where I was staying but there were hundreds and hundreds of people there. “How did you find me?”
“We’re police officers,” they told him.
A few days later, Pac succumbed to his injuries and Jefferson was left with the potential of being somewhat of a celebrity, all because he had the last living relic of the man whose life the country was mourning over. He had the picture verified by Tupac’s fiancée Kidada Jones [Quincy Jones’ daughter] and even turned down paid TV interviews, although seizing the opportunity was ideal for his bank account at the time.
To this day, the photo still isn’t synonymous with his name.
“I now work in the movie industry with film directors and producers, and no one really knows I took that picture,” he continued. “I worked on a Nas video where they used the picture I took in the video, and I didn’t tell the director, I just kept it to myself.”
“Just seeing how people talk about it on the internet, how it’s fake — it gets to me. I took the picture. I know it’s real. This picture has taken on its own life because conspiracy theorists think Pac’s not dead, he’s in Cuba somewhere, just from that picture. It’s interesting how you hear about people doing things with the TMZs and how people turn stories around, but now I’m a part of it, and I know it’s real.”
Follow Leonard Jefferson on Instagram @picturecarlen.
Now just instead of shooting a picture he should have shot a rifle at suges head blew it to fucking pieces and tupac would still be alive….if only what should have been…lol we all know that fat piece of shit had a hand in pacs demise….why everytime i read somethinf about him suffering in prison it puts a smile on my face…
what puts a smile to my face is everytime i see that pic of dj vlad holding a towel to his bloody face…rick ross and them 305 boys stomped vlads ears together..they put hands and feet on him…beat him to a pulp…cleaned his clock real properlike…beat him like a old virginia slave…played a friendly game of kickball with vlad’s chin…them boys tap danced on vlad’s forehead…vlad didnt even fight back…if them 305 boys was on some funny shyt they coulda fisted vlad and he woulda done nothing…lmaoooo. vlad tried to sue for 4 mill and only got 300k which is what ross makes in 2 shows…dont believe me google “dj vlad gets ears stomped together”
its actually well documented that suge had crips killed in retaliation for pac…killed biggie in retaliation for pac ……the cop who saw pac last said there was geniune concern when pac got shot from suge and anyone who thinks he did it ..is crazy………death row/reggie wright turned against suge and even helped him violate parole … ….the casino fight violated his probation…..he loved pac , other than ripping him off for money……was riding in the car with tupac was fired on …. people saying suge had a hand in this…really push the truth back ….all those suge thoeries were smokescreens….watch “murder rap” …thats who killed tupac!!!!! stop with the suge killed pac shit ….its doing pac an injustice..misinformation
“Reggie turned against Suge.” That why Suge put Reggie in charge of DR while incarcerated until 2002, because Reggie (without Suge) is responsible. Makes perfect sense. Pac knew he was a “dead man walking.” I guess he just KNEW that Orlando and Keefe were gonna get at him. I guess that’s crazy logic, right? Lolz
head of death row security reggie wright jr (cop/most likely fbi) / sharitha knight/puffy/southside crips/ possibly trevon lane/ snoops cousin lil half dead/with police cooperation (most likely LV AND LA) and possibly fbi (through bad boy-puffy-haitian jack angle-informants) …. all had a hand in the death of tupac shakur….not suge knight …do your research bro
Look at the date on the picture. Its a fake
Are you stupid boy?
No keys in the ignition.
Those 2Pac conspiracy theorists are DUMBASSES, plain and simple.
Coulda been photoshopped who knows its shit like this that get us talking and takes our attention away from the bigger picture which is pac ain’t here he gone homie
fake STORY …AFTER ALL THESE YEARS NOW HE WANNA COME OUT LMAOOOOOO YEA RIGHT!!!!! HE GOT ON THE PHONE??? IN 96 A COLLEGE STUDENT HAD A CELLPHONE ?? BULLSHIT …ITS ALL STAGED …HE HAPPEND TO KNOW PAC LOL YEA OK IM NOT STUPID
Not once did he say he took the picture with a cell phone. What are you talking about?
What you all keep missing I remember first seeing this picture before it the pistol that 2pac was holding in his hand was blurred out in red .you can see he’s holding the gun on his leg with his finger on the trigger now tell me homie wtf is blurred out for like nobody remembers n something well I do and I’m hear to tell you PAC was a man of action he was quick to grab a gun and use it so then why didn’t he shoot back when he was being shot at that night when he had a gun in his hand ?2pac has proved in his past that he wasn’t afraid to bust on anyone willing to try him even popping rounds at cops like it wasn’t nothing .bow that’s something to think about .2pac had a gun on him and he didn’t use it so why not .
So there’s something about being shot 5 times that kind of stops you from using your fucking arms. What do you mean why didn’t he use it? How long does it take to get shot 5 times? 5 seconds roughly. It’s not like in the movies regardless of what you want to think. Even the most gangster of gangsters get shot once they’re not gonna be shooting back like you think they would be. The police killed tupac plain and simple he never saw it coming.
I’ve worked with Leanord and this story is true.
I doubt Suge would have the shooters aim their guns at 2pac while he is sitting right next to him in the line of fire. He is so big if a bullet missed Pac it was bound to hit Suge. Plus, a college student in 1996 with a cell phone and a brand new Suburban. That dont sound right. How did this photographer student live so well?
He was 29 years old and in college not some youngster with no money. And when did he say anything about a cell phone? He took the picture with a camera not a camera phone.
I believe the camera man story 100% buhh anything could’ve happened. I just wish it didn’t R I P Pac
The date on the picture was the day the film got develope Tupac couldn’t do it smh
I feel so sad reading how tupac died.
If Tupac was shot on the 7th of September 1996, how is rhe picture dated 9 8 ’96?
Really bro? You can’t be that stupid.
How is picture in bottom right hand corner dated 9 8 ’96 if Tupac was shot on the 7th of September 1996?
Well people that aren’t idiots know that the date that ends up on the photo is the date the pictures are developed you waste of life. He was shot on the 7th the photos were developed the next day.
Holy shit……He IS holding a gun….. blatantly blurred out in red. ?? WTF….why have I never heard anyone point that out before or notice it? ?
That’s weird
oh yeah? then whys there no key in the ignition? almost like he faked it
oh yeah? then whys there no key in the ignition? almost like he faked it
oh yeah? then whys there no key in the ignition? almost like he faked it
Im just saying I’ll shut up about it as as soon as someone tells me how the hell does Tupac supposedly pull up beside you when Suge is acting as if he is driving yet no keys in the ignition and this was way before push to start JUST ASKING
THERES NO KEYS IN THE IGNITION!!🫥 Pac might still be alive!?
Heyyyyy itsssmeehh Sophie
Heyyyyy itsssmeehh Sophie. I love Too Pac! Rip Too Pac …