Keefe D Arrested as Suspect in Tupac's Murder Case
The Tupac Shakur murder case reopens with Keefe D, aka Duane Davis arrested in connection to the incident. We discuss it here!
By: Gentel Sharrie
In 1996, the world lost a legendary figure when Tupac Shakur was tragically murdered in the streets of Las Vegas during a drive-by shooting. This unsolved murder has continued to captivate the public's imagination for decades. However, recent developments in the case have shed new light on this long-standing mystery. The arrest of Keefe D, whose real name is Duane Davis, has sparked renewed interest in the investigation.
Keefe D, a member of the South Side Compton Crips gang, now faces first-degree murder charges in connection with Tupac's killing. What makes this development particularly intriguing is the fact that Keefe D was reportedly inside the Cadillac at the time of the fatal shooting. This chilling incident occurred following the highly anticipated Mike Tyson and Bruce Sheldon fight at the MGM Grand. Keefe D himself confirmed in an interview that he was in the back seat of the vehicle from which the shots were fired at Tupac. His arrest includes charges of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, as well as intent to promote, further, or assist a criminal gang.
The investigation into Tupac's murder has spanned an astonishing 27 years, leaving many to wonder if Suge Knight, the former CEO of Death Row Records and the man who bailed Tupac out of jail, will finally break his silence and testify regarding the arrest of Keefe D. Suge Knight played a pivotal role in Tupac's career, helping him release some of his most iconic hits, such as All Eyez On Me.
While Suge Knight was present on that fateful night when Tupac was gunned down, he has steadfastly refused to cooperate with authorities or divulge any information related to the shooting. This stance is significant, given that Keefe D and Suge Knight are the only two surviving witnesses out of the six individuals present that night. Law enforcement officers have stated that Keefe D allegedly procured the weapon used in Tupac's murder.
As this complex and enduring case continues to unfold, the world remains on edge, hoping that this arrest may finally bring closure to the untimely and tragic demise of one of hip-hop's most beloved icons.
Suspect accused in killing of Tupac Shakur in 1996 makes court appearance.
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OutKast’s 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below' Becomes Highest-Selling Rap Album In History
It's been two decades since Outkast blessed us with their diamond-certified masterpiece Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. It's now officially the highest-selling rap album in history! We discuss it here!
OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
By: Joshua Martin
This one is for the real hip-hop heads! It's been two decades since Outkast blessed us with their diamond-certified masterpiece Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, and guess what? It's now officially the highest-selling rap album in history!
Andre 3000 and Big Boi's fifth studio album as a duo, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, has clocked in a whopping 13 million units sold domestically, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as of Sept. 29th. And in a bold move, they've officially dethroned Eminem's legendary The Eminem Show.
Big Boi himself couldn't contain his excitement and took to the 'Gram to share the moment with all the fans out there.
Now, let's talk about the hits! Hey Ya!, Roses, and The Way You Move were absolute bangers that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100. Undeniable chart-toppers to say the least! And those accolades? Outkast scooped up Grammy Awards left and right, including Album of the Year, Best Rap Album, and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Hey Ya!.
As a pleasant surprise for the OutKast lovers, the Atlanta-bred hip-hop legends are bringing back Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and Aquemini on vinyl for their 20th and 25th anniversaries, respectively. They're releasing limited edition variants just for the die-hard fans. Only 2,000 copies will be up for grabs in October and November. Making it an intimate purchase to be cherished by the hip-hop lovers who get their hands on it!
When we talk about Outkast's career, we're talking about platinum after platinum album! Every single one of their albums has gone platinum at least once, with Stankonia from 2000 selling over five million copies and counting. That's some legendary success right there.
While Michael Jackson's Thriller is still holding the title for the best-selling album of all time, certified platinum a whopping 30 times by the RIAA. Outkast is definitely on the path to taking this title as well!
Although Outkast hasn’t released music since 2017, the dynamic duo continues to make history, and we're here for every moment of it. Stay tuned for those limited-edition vinyl releases, and keep groovin' to the timeless sounds of one of ATL's most legendary and influential rap groups!
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Lil Wayne's Surprise: Pre-Carter VI Project Is Unveiled as 'Tha Fix Before Tha VI'
Today the world’s favorite rapper Lil Wayne announced that Tha Fix Before Tha VI will be released soon. We discuss it here!
On July 27, 2013, Lil Wayne took the stage in Raleigh, NC, for a performance during his 2013 America's Most Wanted Tour.
Credit: Steve Sykes/Shutterstock
It’s a great day in music, especially if you’re a Wayniac. If you were ready and waiting for another Lil Wayne project the wait may be over soon. Today the world’s favorite rapper announced that ‘Tha Fix Before Tha VI’ will be released soon. With no date or further details than a pre-save link, you can rest assured that Lil Wayne fans all over the world are ready to hear this! Although we haven’t gotten a solo project from Weezy since Trust Fund Babies dropped in 2021, he has maintained his reputation of getting on anybody’s track and hitting it with that ‘Wayne Train’.
Continuing to satisfy our desire for more music with phenomenal features, you can catch the Grammy-Award winning artist on some of the hottest tracks like Mario’s Main One, NLE Choppa’s Aint Gone Answer, and Metro Boomin’s Annihalate that landed on Spiderman: Across The Spiderverse soundtrack. Back in February, the A Milli rapper dropped a fire track produced by Swiss Beatz that featured a DMX sample leaving fans wondering if a new masterpiece is in the works. On September 1st he dropped another single called ‘Kat Food’ continuing to raise speculations of another project in the works.
Mario, Lil Wayne - Main One (Official Music Video) ft. Tyga
As we continue to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop the original Hot Boy has been given his flowers on multiple occasions this year. He received the BMI Icon Award at the 2023 R&B/Hip-Hop Awards and was honored at the 2023 Billboards Power Players event for being inducted into the Billboards Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. He was also honored with the Global Impact Award at the Pre-Grammy’s Black Music Collective. After a three-year wait for a solo project, Weezy F is ready to give us a taste of what is to come on the ‘Carter VI’. Be sure to pre-save the link to ‘Tha Fix Before Tha VI' so you can get the heat first when it drops on all streaming platforms!
Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Tribute feat. Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, LL Cool J & More | 2023 VMAs
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The Legendary Tale of Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Hip-hop, this is the story of the legendary West Coast music duo Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade. We discuss it here!
The Legendary Tale of Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade
By: Vince Wilson
The year 2023 is the year of the ever-evolving culture and music we call Hip Hop. Born in 1973 in the borough of Bronx, New York, Dj Kool Herc threw a party that would become the inception of today's most popular form of music around the world. Hip Hop would eventually spread throughout the states, and make its way to a small town on the West Coast in California called Compton. I’m talking about Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade.
Mixmaster Spade
Before becoming pioneering West Coast MCs, Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade met in grade school as dancers and pop lockers who liked each other's style and the friendship grew from there. In the 70s when Mixmaster would visit his grandmother in New York in the 70s, he would bring back tapes from The Treacherous 3 and The Crash Crew. He would see the DJs throwing block parties in the park and be inspired to come back to LA to get his first DJ set and mixer, inevitably making his mixtapes in 1983. Mixmaster Spade was known for pioneering the sing-rap style that would become more common in the 90s with artists like Nate Dogg and Bone Thugs N Harmony.
Toddy Tee would first gain notoriety around Compton and South Central LA as a teenager making tapes and parody raps. Taking popular rap songs of the time, Like ‘Roxanne, Roxanne’ and flipping it to Roc Man Roc Man or flipping, ‘I need a beat’ to ’I need a b*tch.’ Their mixtapes would go platinum in the hood as Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade would push them throughout the city and swap meet shelves as their tapes became bootlegged throughout California to the Bay.
Toddy Tee
Hearing Toddy Tee, Leon Haywood a soul and funk artist and producer scoured the Compton streets searching for young rappers like Mc Serch, looking for Nas in Queens Bridge. Leon Haywood's name probably doesn't stand out much, but you know his music, with his 1975 song “I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You’, which would be sampled by Dr. Dre and become the foundation for ‘Nothin' But A G Thang’. He would sign Toddy Tee to his label EveJim, produce and master his local hit, which would become his biggest song to date, the Batteram. The catchy chorus and hypnotic beat would set Kday airwaves on fire in 1985.
The Batteram was LAPD's new weapon of choice, a tank-like vehicle used to bash down doors and houses in predominantly black and brown Los Angeles neighborhoods. The Batteram was military weaponry, a product of Reagan’s ‘War on Drugs’ in the 80s and a budget that ballooned for police and mass incarceration in the coming decades. Toddy Tee was rapping about what was going on in his neighborhood, something pre-internet and social media, there wasn't any way to know unless national news picked it up or word of mouth. Batteram is the West Coast version of The Message, becoming an example that hip hop can be more than just party music and have a more authentic meaning to depicting black life.
Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade would continue to release songs in the mid and late 80s including local favorites like ‘Genius is Back,’ ‘Gangsta Boogie,’ and ‘Do You Want to Go to the Liquor Store.’ They would team up to release their second biggest song post-Batteram in ‘Just Say No.’ Also released a video, Just Say Now an anti-drug record during a time when crack was consuming inner cities around the nation. The duo would continue to release music throughout the 80s and early 90s as a more raw form of gangsta rap would gain ground causing Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade to eventually fade out of relevancy rather fast.
Toddy Tee Ft. Mix Master Spade - Just say no (1986)
Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade’s impact was undeniable as the first of their generation, inspiring a wave of West rappers that would take over the next decade, while also helping usher in a new crop of West Coast talent, including King Tee, Compton Posse, and super producer Dj Pooh under Mixmaster Spade’s label imprint LA Posee. Toddy Tee would influence a young Eazy-E to rap and before he was with N.W.A., Toddy Tee had a young Dr. Dre produce a couple of tracks for him after seeing the young DJ spin records. The West Coast trailblazer would even bring block parties to Compton like Mixmaster witnessed in New York.
In Hip-hop's 50th, there has been a lot of reflecting on the greats and pioneers of the storied history of the culture, and Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade are essential to that story. Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade ignited West Coast rap. They deserve their flowers.
Rip Mixmaster Spade.
Toddy Tee & The Bateram Crew-L.A. Is A Jungle
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Meet Gentel Sharrie, Head of Media Coverage for 247 Live Culture!
Email: Gentel@247LCTV.com