Everything You Need to Know About the Tupac and Diddy Conspiracy Theory Everyone Is Talking About
The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis has resurrected one of hip-hop’s oldest and most explosive conspiracy theories. He contends that Sean “Diddy” Combs paid to have Tupac Shakur killed. Davis’s accusations have brought the conspiracy, which was floated again in a civil lawsuit against Diddy, back into mainstream headlines. The timing of the accusations is no coincidence. Keffe D is currently standing trial for his connection to Tupac’s 1996 slaying, one of hip-hop’s longest-running murder mysteries. Here is everything you need to know about the bombshell claims.
Theories that Diddy had Tupac Shakur killed have been floating around for years
Rumors that Sean “Diddy” Combs was directly tied to Tupac Shakur’s death have circulated for decades. Fans discussed it before social media eventually gave the conspiracy theory greater reach. Still, Keffe D’s accusations, in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, are the first time the theory was given real legs. In the book, Davis wrote about a conversation he had with Combs. He claims the music mogul asked him to handle “a couple of problems I need to be handled.” Davis contends that Diddy was referencing Suge Knight, who was in the car with Tupac the night he died, and Tupac.
Davis wrote that he told Combs he could make it happen. Later, he referenced what he called a “million-dollar bounty.” Still, he never specified an exact price during that conversation. While the story is laid out in the accused killer’s memoir, he and his defence team have tried to walk back the confessions made inside those pages. At one point, his defense team even called him an unreliable storyteller.
The allegation gained mainstream attention again when Ashley Parham, a woman who filed a lawsuit against Diddy for sexual assault, alleged he orchestrated her rape after she accused him of being involved in Tupac’s death. She alleges she made the accusation during a 2018 video call with the rap mogul. Parham went on to claim that she was raped by Diddy and others a short time later. According to KTVU, Parham’s civil lawsuit was dismissed; Diddy was not charged with any crime related to her claims.
In December, the conspiracy theory made headlines again when Sean Combs: The Reckoning was released. The documentary, produced by Netflix, claimed that roughly a year before Shakur’s killing, Combs told a room full of gang members he’d pay any amount to have Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight killed. The story told in the docuseries is markedly different from Davis’ allegations.
Diddy’s name came up during the trial, too
While the conspiracy theory has been floated for years, it moved from rumor to sworn testimony during Davis’ trial. Jurors heard unsealed recordings of Davis’s interviews with law enforcement, in which he claimed Combs offered $1 million for the murders of Knight and Shakur. The recording was corroborated by three others.
Retired LAPD detective Daryn Dupree testified that Combs was supposed to funnel payment through an intermediary known as “Zip Martin” to Davis as compensation for the killing. Davis has alleged that money never actually materialized. Dupree also testified that Davis told him Combs solicited Tupac’s murder during a conversation at Greenblatt’s Deli in Los Angeles. Combs’s former employees both corroborated the alleged bounty, claiming that Diddy offered $1 million for Shakur’s murder.
The motive for the possible bounty remains unclear. Still, for years those interested in the cold case have argued that an East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop rivalry, allegations that Diddy and The Notorious B.I.G. were responsible for an earlier shooting, and a series of gang ties were the motive behind Tupac’s death.
The Notorious B.I.G., whose legal name was Christopher Wallace, was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1997. His death came just six months after Tupac was killed. His murder remains unsolved.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has not responded
Combs has not been charged in connection with Shakur’s death. He has consistently denied any involvement. Sources close to Combs told TMZ that he had “absolutely nothing to do with the Tupac murder,” and did not pull the trigger or set it up. While there have been rumors that he may testify, with Davis’s defense team floating the idea, it seems unlikely to happen.
The unnamed source who spoke to TMZ contends that it would be “a waste of time” if prosecutors ever called him to testify. Combs, who is serving a 50-month sentence for unrelated charges, has not issued an official statement following the accusations.
