The FBI has released portions of its file on the late rapper and Black Panther, Tupac Shakur, who was gunned down in a 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. Shakur was the passenger of former Death Row Records muscle CEO, Suge Knight.

The heavily redacted FBI files reveal Shakur and the late rapper Easy E, were allegedly being threatened and faced extortion attempts by the Jewish Defense League. The FBI was unable to prove the claims.

Tupac Shakur

Easy E came into contact with the Jewish Defense League, via his business partner at Ruthless Records, Terry Heller. He contacted them for assistance with Suge Knight, who stole his artist Dr. Dre by force, using fellow gang members armed with bats, pipes and chains.

For years, many have named Knight as the culprit behind Shakur's killing and that of his friend turned rival, the Notorious B.I.G. Knight was a passenger in the car on the night of Shakur's slaying, even claiming he was shot in the head and bullet fragments remain lodged in his skull, medical reports dispute that claim.

The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) and Badboy CEO Sean Combs (P. Diddy) faced constant threats from Suge Knight. Wallace was murdered shortly after in 1997 by a known associate of Knight.

Shakur was the only victim in the car, took several bullets to his head and body, while Knight walked away from the incident in perfect health. Knight owed Shakur $20,000,000 in royalty payments he kept refusing to pay and the rapper was getting ready to leave his label. 

Knight had become rich in the entertainment industry, from strong-arm tactics and financial theft, even bragging on MTV News that Death Row Records had become a billion dollar company. Shortly after, the IRS moved in on him for tax evasion and the police arrested him in a separate indictment for probation violation. Knight also lost everything in a few short years, including his homes.