Television network USA have commissioned a pilot for a new crime drama about the 90s murders of feuding rappers Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur. Entitled 'Unsolved', the pilot will be written by Kyle Long (Suits) with Anthony Hemingway (Red Tails, The People v O.J. Simpson) to direct. The series is based on the investigations, which occurred in 1996-1997. Casting and other production details have yet to be revealed.
Based on the murder investigations of former LAPD detective Greg Kading
Kading, who will act as the programme's consultant, had previously authored the book, "Murder Rap: The Untold Story of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations", on the subject of the unsolved cases.
However, according to the book, Kading alleges that he was taken off the investigation as he was close to solving the murders, which he blamed on Sean 'Puffy' Combs (also known as the rapper P. Diddy) and record producer Suge Knight. In addition, he also claimed there were covers up and hiding of critical evidence, including recorded confessions from hitmen. After Tupac was murdered in a drive-by shooting, Biggie was a suspect in the case. His family, in turn, supplied invoices, suggesting that he was at a New York studio at the time of the killing.
This is not the first project inspired by the murders
Before the pliot, the mysterious murders of Tupac and Biggie inspired a documentary, "Biggie and Tupac "(2002), by experimental documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield, as well as two biopics: the 2009 Biggie-centric film, "Notorious", directed by George Tillman Jr.
(Soul Food, Men of Honor, The Longest Ride). Meanwhile, in 2017, Tupac will get his own film, "All Eyez On Me", directed by Benny Boom (Next Day Air, S.W.A.T.: Firefight). On top of that, Tupac got an interactive biography, containing a variety of photos and personal artefacts, entitled "Tupac Shakur Legacy", and on April 15, 2012, Snoop Dogg performed a duet at the Coachella Music Festival with a hologram of the late rapper, created by digital effects firm Digital Domain.
