As one of hip-hop's most iconic figures, 2Pac's legacy shouldn't be boiled down to auctioning off his old possessions or chicken sandwiches. Thankfully, award-winning director Steve McQueen is set to direct an authorized documentary about the legendary MC's life and work.
As a press release reveals, the documentary has been sanctioned by the Shakur estate, with the film by the 12 Years a Slave director set to examine 2Pac's work as both entertainer and activist. In addition to McQueen, the estate has brought Nigel Sinclair's White Horse Pictures and Jayson Jackson (What Happened, Miss Simone?) into the fold as producers.
Estate trustee Tom Whalley and 2Pac's aunt Gloria Cox will executive produce alongside Jeanne Elfant Festa of White Horse. Interscope Records and Universal Music Publishing Group — who control the bulk of 2Pac's catalog — are both reportedly giving the project their full support.
However, the film does not yet have a title or release date.
"I am extremely moved and excited to be exploring the life and times of this legendary artist," McQueen said in a statement. "I attended NYU film school in 1993 and can remember the unfolding hip-hop world and mine overlapping with Tupac's through a mutual friend in a small way. Few, if any shined brighter than Tupac Shakur. I look forward to working closely with his family to tell the unvarnished story of this talented man."
Whalley added, "Tupac's timeless message resonates today as strongly as it did when I first discovered him in 1990, possibly more so. His legacy is unfortunately seen now through the refraction of the headlines, the controversy, and the tragic way his life ended. We will show the artist and the young man who existed beyond the news."
Of course, the forthcoming 2Pac biopic All Eyez on Me will arrive in theatres on June 16, on what would have been the rapper's 46th birthday. You can watch a trailer for that film here.
As a press release reveals, the documentary has been sanctioned by the Shakur estate, with the film by the 12 Years a Slave director set to examine 2Pac's work as both entertainer and activist. In addition to McQueen, the estate has brought Nigel Sinclair's White Horse Pictures and Jayson Jackson (What Happened, Miss Simone?) into the fold as producers.
Estate trustee Tom Whalley and 2Pac's aunt Gloria Cox will executive produce alongside Jeanne Elfant Festa of White Horse. Interscope Records and Universal Music Publishing Group — who control the bulk of 2Pac's catalog — are both reportedly giving the project their full support.
However, the film does not yet have a title or release date.
"I am extremely moved and excited to be exploring the life and times of this legendary artist," McQueen said in a statement. "I attended NYU film school in 1993 and can remember the unfolding hip-hop world and mine overlapping with Tupac's through a mutual friend in a small way. Few, if any shined brighter than Tupac Shakur. I look forward to working closely with his family to tell the unvarnished story of this talented man."
Whalley added, "Tupac's timeless message resonates today as strongly as it did when I first discovered him in 1990, possibly more so. His legacy is unfortunately seen now through the refraction of the headlines, the controversy, and the tragic way his life ended. We will show the artist and the young man who existed beyond the news."
Of course, the forthcoming 2Pac biopic All Eyez on Me will arrive in theatres on June 16, on what would have been the rapper's 46th birthday. You can watch a trailer for that film here.