Despite a huge falling-out they had in the 1990s, the director Allen Hughes will direct a five-part docuseries on Tupac Shakur, which is said to be “the first definitive, comprehensive project on Shakur with the full cooperation of the estate.”
According to Variety, Hughes will have complete access to all of Shakur’s songs, both released and unreleased, as well as his poetry. He’ll also play an executive producer role.
Hughes, along with his brother Albert Hughes, directed the video for Shakur’s “Brenda Got a Baby” in the early ’90s and cast him in the 1993 film “Menace II Society.” But the late rapper, who was supposed to play the part of a supporting character called Sharif, was fired because he wanted a bigger role. The part eventually went to Vonte Sweet instead.
“We at a table reading and Tupac’s just annoyed. We’re trying to read and he’s just annoyed,” said Tyrin Turner in 2013, who played the lead role of Caine in the film.
Things would really come to a head between Shakur and Hughes on the set of a music video for rapper Spice1, because Shakur and his entourage were accused of assaulting the director.
“As we started getting closer, Allen is on the ground or whatever, but it was like he was fighting like 30 people,” Turner described.
Hughes eventually pressed charges, and in March of 1994 Shakur was found guilty of assault and battery. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail, 30 months of probation and 45 days of community service.
“If Pac had been in the movie he would’ve outshined everyone,” said Hughes about Shakur’s “Menace II Society” role. “It would’ve thrown the whole axis of the movie off if Tupac was in it, because he was bigger than the movie.”
Shakur was gunned down at age 25 in 1996 on the Las Vegas Strip. At this time, a release date has not been announced for the docuseries.
