Why Tupac was fired from Menace II Society

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 24 September 2024

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1993, a gritty and unflinching crime movie called Menace II Society was released to huge acclaim.

The debut picture from the teenage directors, Allen and Albert Hughes, provided a deep dive into the harsh realities faced by many young African Americans growing up in Los Angeles.

But behind the scenes, all was not well and the violence on-screen bled into real life.

Rap sensation, Tupac Shakur – who had originally been cast to feature in the movie – had fallen out with the directors and was sacked during production.

He promised retribution against the Hughes brothers, and his retribution would eventually land him time in jail.

More than 30 years on from the movie’s release, Allen Hughes shares his memories of that time with Matt Pintus.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Tupac Shakur pictured in 1993. Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before this BBC podcast kicks off I'd like to tell you about some others you might enjoy.
0:05.0	My name's Will Wilkin and I Commission Music Podcast for the BBC.
0:08.0	It's a really cool job, but every day we get to tell the incredible stories behind songs, moments and movements,
0:14.7	stories of struggle and success, rises and falls, the funny, the ridiculous.
0:19.2	And the BBC's position at the heart of British music means we can tell those stories like no one else.
0:24.5	We were, are and always will be right there at the center of the narrative.
0:28.6	So whether you want an insightful take on music right now or a nostalgic deep dive into some of the most famous and
0:34.4	infamous moments in music check out the music podcasts on BBC Sounds.
0:40.9	Hello this is the Witness History Podcast from the BBC World Service with me
0:48.7	Matt Pintus. Today the Box Office Smash that landed Tupacchakore in jail.
0:56.0	In 1993, Twins Alan and Albert Hughes' debut movie, Menister Society, was released to huge acclaim.
1:05.0	But behind the scenes, the movie's violent themes had started to bleed into real life.
1:12.0	It's July 1993 on the set of the music show
1:16.5	the om TV Raps in Los Angeles America.
1:20.1	The whole world.
1:21.1	All right, tell you what you did. The The 22 year old rap sensation Tupac Chacor is causing a commotion.
1:30.0	They fired me but did it in a roundabout punk snitch way.
1:33.0	So I caught them on the streets and beat their behind.
1:35.6	You know what I'm saying?
1:36.6	I was a negative thing to eat.
1:39.0	The Hughes brother he's talking about
1:41.3	is Alan Hughes, the movie director who fired two-part from the set of his
	...

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