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'Slow Burn' Season 3 Turns Its Investigative Eye To The Murders Of Biggie And Tupac

Joel Anderson is the new host for season three of Slate's podcast Slow Burn. Lisa Larson-Walker/Slate hide caption

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Lisa Larson-Walker/Slate

Music News

'Slow Burn' Season 3 Turns Its Investigative Eye To The Murders Of Biggie And Tupac

The new season foregrounds conversations over conspiracy to shed new light on the murders of '90s hip-hop's biggest stars: Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.

'Slow Burn' Season 3 Turns Its Investigative Eye To The Murders Of Biggie And Tupac

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Fired Over Too Much Tupac? A Rap-Loving Bureaucrat From Iowa Says He Hopes Not

Tupac Shakur, photographed in New York on Nov. 29, 1994. New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images hide caption

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New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images

National

Fired Over Too Much Tupac? A Rap-Loving Bureaucrat From Iowa Says He Hopes Not

The former head of Iowa's Department of Human Services says that, ideally, his dismissal will lead to "having open discussions about race and what we have in common, instead of what separates us."

From Chuck Berry To Tupac Shakur: Taking Stock Of The 2008 Universal Fire

Chuck Berry in the Chess Records recording studio. The New York Times reports that originals of Berry's Chess catalog were burned in the 2008 Universal fire. Gilles Petard/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption

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Gilles Petard/Redferns/Getty Images

Music News

From Chuck Berry To Tupac Shakur: Taking Stock Of The 2008 Universal Fire

The loss from the 2008 Universal Studios backlot fire was thought to be a few movie sets and film duplicates. But Jody Rosen reports that it was one of the largest losses in recorded music's history.

From Chuck Berry To Tupac Shakur: Taking Stock Of The 2008 Universal Fire

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Realizing Tupac Wasn't Cool, 20 Years Later

Rapper Tupac Shakur arrives at New York's Radio City Music Hall on Sept. 4, 1996. Todd Plitt/AP hide caption

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Todd Plitt/AP

Opinion

Code Switch

Realizing Tupac Wasn't Cool, 20 Years Later

I was probably 9 years old at the height of my obsession with Tupac's "Hail Mary." I didn't know what I was capable of then, but I was not to be trifled with.

Episode 17: Why Do We Still Care About Tupac?

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Tupac Shakur's Legacy, 20 Years On

"I think he knew from the very beginning, 'I have a very short window to live. I've got to create a body of work,'" writer Kevin Powell says of Tupac Shakur. Mark Peterson/Corbis via Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Peterson/Corbis via Getty Images

Music News

Tupac Shakur's Legacy, 20 Years On

Two decades after Tupac's death, writer Kevin Powell, who covered the rapper for Vibe magazine, unpacks the impact of his music and the complexities he embodied.

Tupac Shakur's Legacy, 20 Years On

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Tough Love: Kwame Alexander Remembers Tupac

Tupac Shakur attends a New York club in 1994. The rapper died two years later, in September 1996. Steve Eichner/Getty Images hide caption

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Steve Eichner/Getty Images

Music

Tough Love: Kwame Alexander Remembers Tupac

The charismatic yet contradictory rapper Tupac Shakur died Sept. 13, 1996. To mark the 20th anniversary of his death, poet Kwame Alexander has this commentary.

Tough Love: Kwame Alexander Remembers Tupac

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20 Years Ago, Tupac Broke Through

Tupac Shakur on the set of Poetic Justice. Everett Collection / Rex USA hide caption

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Everett Collection / Rex USA

The Record

20 Years Ago, Tupac Broke Through

In January of 1993, Tupac Shakur was 21 years old. He was about to drop his contradictory second album, which would launch him to superstardom.

20 Years Ago, Tupac Broke Through

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How That Tupac Hologram At Coachella Worked

Near the end of his headlining set at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts festival, Snoop Dogg (left) performed next to a hologram of the deceased Tupac Shakur. Christopher Polk/Getty Images hide caption

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The Record

How That Tupac Hologram At Coachella Worked

A trick of light made the rapper, who has been dead for more than 15 years, the most talked about musician after the first weekend of this year's Coachella festival.

How That Tupac Hologram At Coachella Worked

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The Pre-Game Songs That Send Matt Barnes Soaring

Matt Barnes goes up for the dunk at a January game against the Utah Jazz. Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE/Getty Images hide caption

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Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE/Getty Images

Music Interviews

The Pre-Game Songs That Send Matt Barnes Soaring

The forward for the Los Angeles Lakers says there's one rapper whose music he counts on to get pumped up before stepping onto the court.

The Pre-Game Songs That Send Matt Barnes Soaring

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Media

'LA Times' Says Source for Tupac Story Is Phony

The Los Angeles Times is investigating the veracity of documents that were the basis for an investigative story in the newspaper last week. The Times reported that the assault on rapper Tupac Shakur in 1994 was perpetrated by associates of rapper and entrepreneur Sean Combs, also known as P Diddy or Puff Daddy.

'LA Times' Says Source for Tupac Story Is Phony

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Technology

Tupac Statue a Laughing Matter?

News & Notes Web producer Geoffrey Bennett talks with Farai Chideya about the stories building buzz on our blog, including listener reaction to a recent bloggers' roundtable segment about a statue of rapper Tupac Shakur.

Tupac Statue a Laughing Matter?

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Reflections On Tupac From Afeni Shakur

Since his murder in 1996, Afeni Shakur has worked tirelessly to preserve Tupac's legacy. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Music Interviews

Reflections On Tupac From Afeni Shakur

"I know that my son was an honest person and an honest artist," says Afeni Shakur of her son, "and what he gave from himself through his art was the depth of his humanity."

Reflections On Tupac From Afeni Shakur

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Music Interviews

Growing Tupac's Legacy, 10 Years After His Death

Ten years ago Wednesday, the rap-music world lost one of its most revered and controversial icons — Tupac Shakur. The musician's mother, a former Black Panther activist, has launched a number of charities in her son's name.

Growing Tupac's Legacy, 10 Years After His Death

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Day to Day

Slate's Summary Judgment: 'Looney Tunes', 'Master and Commander,' 'Tupac: Resurrection'

Slate contributor Ben Williams boils down the critical reviews for the week's new movie releases, including Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Master and Commander and Tupac: Resurrection.

Slate's Summary Judgment: 'Looney Tunes', 'Master and Commander,' 'Tupac: Resurrection'

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