{
  "id": 5105495,
  "title": "Tupac Shakur's close friend Mutah Beale on murder verdict: ‘I thought he would walk free’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/tupac-shakurs-close-friend-mutah-beale-on-murder-verdict-i-thought-he-5105495",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-02T14:03:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2026/09/02/tupac-shakur-case-mutah-beale-outlawz/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mutah Beale, a former Outlawz rapper and close friend of Tupac Shakur, expressed surprise at the 2021 conviction of Duane \"Keffe D\" Davis for the 1996 murder of Shakur. Beale, who was a member of Shakur's rap collective, stated that he initially believed Davis would not face conviction. Davis was found guilty of first-degree murder, resulting in Shakur's death six days later. Beale, formerly known as Napoleon, converted to Islam in 2002 and retired from music. He now resides in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he co-owns a barbecue restaurant and serves as a consultant for businesses entering the kingdom. Despite his absence from the music industry, Beale remains a supporter of Shakur's legacy, emphasizing that Tupac had a positive impact on his life and that of his family. Beale also clarified that his move to Saudi Arabia was driven by a desire for a safe environment for his children, rather than fleeing from Shakur or any other individual.",
  "summary": "Mutah Beale, the former Outlawz rapper and close friend of Tupac Shakur, says he was surprised by Monday’s conviction of Duane “Keffe D” Davis for the 1996 murder of Shakur. “To be honest, it was like a 50-50 with me when it came to how it would turn out,” Beale tells The National . “It just seemed to me that this guy was going to walk free, so to hear the guilty verdict really was unexpected.”…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "‘It always comes around’: fans react to conviction in Tupac Shakur’s murder 30 years later",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/it-always-comes-around-fans-react-to-conviction-in-tupac-shakurs",
        "published": "2026-09-02T11:59:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Tupac Shakur's close friend Mutah Beale on murder verdict: ‘I thought he would walk free’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/tupac-shakurs-close-friend-mutah-beale-on-murder-verdict-i-thought-he",
        "published": "2026-09-02T14:03:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}