Nick Broomfield revisits the deadly hip-hop beef he covered in 2002’s Biggie and Tupac and uncovers deeper truths about America
Amid a bleakly compelling film, the climactic scene of Nick Broomfield’s Biggie and Tupac, released in 2002, was particularly memorable. Mostly for the palpable air of menace exuded by the hulking hip-hop magnate Suge Knight as he prepared to sit down with the mildly flustered documentary-maker. Particularly because Knight – who had been head of Tupac’s record label, Death Row Records, and was accused of being involved in the murder of at least one of the rappers – was in prison at the time and guards were nearby. What could he possibly do? And yet his charisma and presence were potent.
Almost two decades on, Knight’s hold on the imagination of those around him has waned. After a spell on the outside, he’s now back in prison. He’s 56 now, and while you still wouldn’t trifle with him, that’s the kind of age at which a man might start to regret making so many enemies. People aren’t so scared of Suge Knight any more. They’re starting to talk. Accordingly, Bloomfield has returned to America for another poke around inside a double murder case that has seemingly puzzled the finest minds of the LAPD for more than a quarter of a century.