Tupac Murder Trial, Biggie Estate Ruling, Ellie Goulding Lawsuit & More Top Music Law News
In this week's Legal Beat newsletter, a long-delayed Tupac trial, a decision on Biggie's catalog, an explosive lawsuit from Ellie Goulding and much more.
Nearly three decades after the tragic murder of Tupac Shakur in 1996, a trial is underway in an attempt to bring justice for one of the most infamous crimes in music history. The Las Vegas drive-by shooting, which claimed Tupac's life, remains one of the country's great unsolved mysteries. However, Duane "Keffe D" Davis was arrested in September 2023 and charged with first-degree murder, accused of orchestrating the attack.
The trial commenced on Monday, and it certainly did not disappoint. Prosecutors presented secret recordings of Davis talking about the shooting, as well as excerpts from his tell-all memoir, which boasted about his involvement in the crime. These excerpts were used to emphasize the damning evidence that would be heard directly from Davis himself.
Keffe D's defense attorney argued vehemently that the memoir was nothing more than "fiction" designed to sell books. Unable to be corroborated with real evidence, the attorney likened the book to "bulls-t" in front of the jurors. The attorney pointed to a card that read "Keffe D was known to do this" to underline his point.
The trial will continue over the next few weeks, with Billboard providing updates on the proceedings as they unfold.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
