Influential West Coast rapper and actor Tupac Shakur was shot four times on Sept. 7, 1996, during a drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas Strip shortly after leaving a boxing match. Marion “Suge” Knight — then Death Row Records boss — was driving at the time. The rap star died six days later.
Recently, fellow Death Row Records artist DJ Quik revealed that he narrowly escaped being on the scene of the violence thanks to his mother, who refused to let him attend the boxing match that evening.
During a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, the award-winning entertainer recalled the day of Tupac’s shooting and how Suge insisted that he join him for the WBA heavyweight champion fight between Bruce Seldon and Mike Tyson. Tyson won by a first-round TKO so easily that crowd on hand grew angry and began shouting “fix.”
However, The “Dollaz + Sense” emcee said his mom Delma Armstrong quickly intervened, telling the publication, “My mom was so gangster,” He continued, “She made Suge and them leave when they tried to get me to come with them to the Tyson fight that night. She said, ‘If y’all don’t get away from my motherf—n’ door I’m gonna start blastin’. I’mma call the police first then shoot y’all in y’all motherf—n’ ass.’ She had all the guns.”
Tupac and the Death Row boss attended the fight without Quik, and after leaving the MGM Grand where the bout was held they drove off, reportedly heading to Suge’s Club 662 venue. Soon afterward, a white, four-door, late-model Cadillac pulled up to the car’s right side, and a passenger in the back seat lowered their window and started shooting into the vehicle. The rapper was shot four times in his chest. His murder has remained unsolved. Fans and friends have had their theories.
Quik further spoke on his mother, whom he described as “The most amazing person ever,” adding that “she was beyond words because she was beauty.”
He added, “She was like ‘Keep on Trying’ from the Impressions. These were the records she used to listen to. Wes Montgomery’s ‘Bumpin’ on Sunset.’ I’m like, ‘Damn, Mama, you playing records called ‘Bumpin’ on Sunset’ from Verve Records?’ My moms was a tastemaker. She gave me the line, ‘If you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready.’”
