1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: Disgraceland is a production of Double Elvis. The story about 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: the Notorious Big, his background, his beginning days as a 3 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: crack dealer and an artist, and his path as a 4 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: man and a musician, not to mention his beef with 5 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: friend Tupac Shakur is so complex that two episodes were 6 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: needed to properly tell this story. If you're just getting 7 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: hip to this now, I suggest you hit pause and 8 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: go back to the last episode of Disgraceland, part one 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: of the Notorious Big story. Or if you're looking exclusively 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: for a deep dive into the East Coast West Coast 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: beef between Biggie and Tupac, check out the entire episode 12 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: dedicated to this subject in season one of Disgraceland. You'll 13 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: also want to check out the two part episode dedicated 14 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: entirely to Tupac Shakur, his career and his artistry that 15 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: is availab earlier in season seven of Disgraceland. Here we 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: get into the famous rivalry, but we also get into 17 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: the Notorious BIG's life after Tupac, his inspiration as an artist, 18 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: and the mystery behind his still unsolved murder. We also, 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: of course, get into the great music that the Notorious 20 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: Big made unlike that music I played for you at 21 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: the top of the show. That wasn't great music. That 22 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,119 Speaker 1: was a preset loop for my melotron called Gangster White 23 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: Walls MK. Two. I played you that loop because I 24 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: can't afford the rights to want to be by the 25 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: Spice Girls. And why would I play you that specific 26 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 1: slice of greasy girl power cheese? Could I afford it? 27 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: Because that was the number one song in America on 28 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: March ninth, nineteen ninety seven, And that was the day 29 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: the Notorious Big was shot and killed, kicking off one 30 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: of the most mysterious music industry murders of all time. 31 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: On this episode, a dead rivalry new inspiration, a mysterious 32 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: murder in the Notorious Big. I'm Jake Brennan and this 33 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: is disgrace laand the Notorious Big was laid up in 34 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: the hospital with a shattered leg, a result of the 35 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: car accident that had occurred the night before and would 36 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: keep him in the hospital for three months. His head 37 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: was full of confusion, his big belly filled with fear. 38 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: His boys had come by to visit, brought him a 39 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: boombox and some of his old mixtapes to help him 40 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: pass the time Who Shot Ya? At the B side 41 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: from his hit single Big Popa came on and immediately 42 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:11,119 Speaker 1: began to irritate him. This was the song Tupac used 43 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: against him, the song POC claimed Big had written about him, 44 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: the song that supposedly proved Tupac's insane theory that Big 45 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: and Puff were behind Tupac shooting at Quad's studios that night. 46 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 1: The song was instrumental in the beef narrative between the 47 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: two men. Despite the fact that Big and Puff had 48 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: recorded who Shot You before Tupac was shot, it made 49 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: no sense. A lot of things about Tupac Shaku made 50 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: no sense. For all his paranoia, fear, and public fretting 51 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: about dying young, he liberally insulted some of the most 52 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: dangerous gangsters on both coasts, and for someone who frequently 53 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: rapped about equality and oppression and individual freedom, Tupac had 54 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: no problem aligning himself with a man who was seen 55 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: as one of the most violent oppressive forces in the 56 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: music industry. Shook Knight, owner and label boss at Death 57 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: Row Records. Unable to move from the bed, Big grabbed 58 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: an open can of pepsi from his bedside table and 59 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: launched it at the boom box in hopes of nailing 60 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 1: the stop button. He missed, laid his head back on 61 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 1: his pillow, let the painkillers do their thing, closed his eyes, 62 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: and passed out the song play it on. The Mitsubishi 63 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: Montero wasn't known as a gangster's whip, which suited its 64 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: owner just fine. From the outside, it looked like any 65 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: other modern day suv tooling down venture or boulevard in 66 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. Practical but popular. Overbuilt by its Japanese makers 67 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: with more horsepower than needed, the Montero was a sneaky monster, 68 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 1: just like its driver. Inside the suv was tricked out 69 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: with a television set and vcr ridiculous indulgences for the 70 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: interior of a mid market autumn, especially back in the 71 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: nineteen nineties. Now the eighties era blockponk wired to the 72 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: massive subwiffer in the back of the suv that was 73 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: a necessity for any player, low key or not. A 74 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: man's car stereo was his calling card on the block. 75 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 1: Without that bass rolling out of your ride's windows at 76 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: nausea inducing volume in Middle Earth, rattling low frequencies, well, 77 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: let's face it, you were just another geek on the street. 78 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: Much like the geek and the LTD, he just pulled 79 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: up next to him. What the fuck was he yelling about, 80 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: stupid motherfucker with his men's warehouse shirt and tie telling 81 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: him to turn down his shit. Fuck you, motherfucker. The 82 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: driver the Montero ignored the driver in the Ford LTD 83 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: and then decided that he wasn't not only going to 84 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: turn down his music, he was going to turn it up. 85 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: He cranked the stereo the sub raged. The driver of 86 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:53,799 Speaker 1: the LTD, white, middle aged, was beyond defended. It didn't 87 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: help matters that he hated rap music, the same type 88 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: of music that was inconsiderably blasting from the Monte Taro, 89 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: whose driver was black. So mister LTD began shouting out 90 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: of his window even more furiously. Mister Montero shouted right 91 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: back and was animated, now in fact, more angry than 92 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: the originally agreed man in the LTD who started this 93 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: whole mess by telling him to turn it down in 94 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: the first place. Of course, mister LTD would claim that 95 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 1: mister Montero started the mess when he had the disrespect 96 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: to blast his rap music at ear splitting volumes in 97 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: the middle of the day on a public street, no less, 98 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: it was offensive. The shouting continued until mister Montero killed 99 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,720 Speaker 1: the volume so that mister LTD could hear clearly what 100 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: he was about to say next. And what he said 101 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: was this, you better shut the fuck up, white boy, 102 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: or I'm going to put a cap in your ass. 103 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: With that, he drew his peace. The light then turned 104 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 1: green and mister LTD blasted through the intersection. Something clicked 105 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: in mister Montero and he instinctively gunned it in hot 106 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: pursuit of the LTD, and the chase was short lived. 107 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: At the next stalled intersection, with mister Montero once again 108 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: pulled up alongside his forward mister LTD wasted no time 109 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: and drew his own gun, and before mister Montero knew 110 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: what was what, mister LTD, in a tragic case of 111 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: reverse road rage, aimed, fired, and very efficiently shot and 112 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: killed mister Montero. Mister LTD, the shooter, it turns out, 113 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: was a white LAPD undercover narcotics officer named Frank Laiga. 114 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: Perhaps more shocking, however, was that mister Montero, the dead 115 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: black dude who brandished his piece first was a seven 116 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: year veteran of LAPD's Pacific Patrol. Another cop named Kevin Gaines, 117 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: and perhaps most interesting about this entire fiasco was that 118 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: the green Mitsubishi Montero with the tricked out blockpunk the 119 00:07:56,120 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: car Officer Kevin Gaines was driving again Office Sir Kevin 120 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: Gaines was registered to death Row Records. Officer Gaines was 121 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: driving to death Row Montero because he was on Sug 122 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: Knight's payroll as paid security. Many LAPD officers moonlighted as 123 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: security detail and many of them were gainfully employed by 124 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: Shug Knight and Death Row Records because having cops on 125 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: your payroll was smart for many reasons. Number One, people 126 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: didn't fuck with cops. Number two, when they did, and 127 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:28,679 Speaker 1: shit hit the fan and you and your gang banging 128 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: buddies found yourself in trouble with other cops. Other cops 129 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,439 Speaker 1: tended to believe other cops, as in the one Sug 130 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: paid to protect him Slash pull him out of the 131 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: fans spitting shit when he needed them to. Further connecting 132 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: Officer Kevin Gaines to death Row was the fact that 133 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: he was dating Sharitha Knight. Sug Knights soon to be 134 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: ex wife and Snoop Dogg's ex manager. Any way you 135 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: cut it, Officer Gaines was down with death row so 136 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: believed another officer, the decorated Detective Russell Poole, who was 137 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: assigned to the case to figure out why one white 138 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: LA cop, mister Ltd shot and killed another black LA cop, 139 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: mister Montero, also known as Officer Kevin Gaines. The press 140 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 1: was gunning for the easy narrative of undercover racist white 141 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: cop kills defenseless offt duty black cop, but the facts 142 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: uncovered by Detective Pool led him into an entirely different 143 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: investigative direction, one that involved a different murder, entirely the 144 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: murder of the notorious BIG's friend in rival Tupac Secure 145 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: Tupac's death, the car accident that shattered his leg and 146 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: felt like a near death experience, and the painful recovery 147 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: time alone in the hospital. It all gave Biggie Small 148 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: a newfound sense of creative urgency and purpose. He set 149 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: out to not only finish his next record, entitled Life 150 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: After Death, but to make it a better and more 151 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: impactful album than his highly successful debut, Ready to Die 152 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: with Tupac, Dead with Shog Knight, now in jail sentenced 153 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 1: to nineteen ninety six for an attack on a Crips 154 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: gang member in serving a nine year prison sentence, and 155 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: with Doctor Dre and Snoop Dogg making noise about leaving 156 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: death row records, the white hot flames of the East 157 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: Coast West Coast Beef from the previous year had been 158 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: reduced to flickering embers. Big saw it as his duty 159 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: to use his platform, to use the deeper success and 160 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: brighter spotlight that his new album would bring to do 161 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: something more than rep the aspirational hip hop high life 162 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: Blounts Brau's expensive cars. He wanted to unite the coasts, 163 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 1: bring the West Coast rap family peacefully into the fold 164 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 1: with his beloved East Coasts. Perhaps it was hubris, but 165 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,679 Speaker 1: for whatever reason, Biggie believed he could do this, and 166 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: so too did Sean Puffy Combs, if for no other 167 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: reason than the financial windfall a bicoastal audience would bring 168 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: to bad Boy Entertainment, which was in part why they 169 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: were both currently out on the West Coast. In February 170 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: of nineteen ninety seven, with sug in prison, La was 171 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: wide open. No more Beef or so Big and Puffy 172 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: thought the two and their entourage were able to come 173 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: and go as they pleased. During the day, they set 174 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 1: up BIG's new record, video shoots, interviews, that sort of thing, 175 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 1: and at night they freely bounced from this club to 176 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: that club without fear of any sort of beef. But 177 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 1: old wounds cut deep, and Biggie was still paranoid enough 178 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: to wish that on that night, as he and Puff 179 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: and their entourage made their way through the streets of 180 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: Los Angeles and their fleet of rented gmc chevy suburbans 181 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: that they'd opted for the bulletproof armored siding they'd scoped 182 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,439 Speaker 1: earlier in the week Beverly Hills Motoring. Nothing he can 183 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: do about it now. To ease his anxiety, he let 184 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: his head sink back into the suburban's leather headrest and 185 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: allowed the music to wash over. The bass boomed. Everyone 186 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: get on the ground. This is a fucking robbery. The 187 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: police issued MD four stun grenade did the trick. Non lethal. 188 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: Sure it didn't kill anyone, but it scared the fuck 189 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: out of everyone. Inside the Bank of America on South 190 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 1: Hoover on that day in Los Angeles, a flash grenade 191 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: of thunderous proportions. Immediately upon its detonation, pants were pissed, 192 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: the taste of copper crept into everyone's mouths. Customers and 193 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 1: bank workers alike instantly feared for their lives. It was 194 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: sudden chaos, and despite there being only one assailant, the 195 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: situation was immediately well within his hands with one gun drawn, 196 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 1: the infamous Tech nine semi automatic, a gun that it 197 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: seemed was designed for one purpose, and one purpose of only, 198 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 1: the quick massacre of scores of people in seconds, a 199 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: fact not lost on anyone within the confines of the 200 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: bank that day. The bank robber blined it to the 201 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 1: pretty assistant branch manager behind the desk, one of the 202 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: only people in the bank not rendered into a useless 203 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: puddle of fear. She loaded two bags with more than 204 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 1: seven hundred grand in cash and calmly handed them to 205 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: the bank robber, who instantly fled the scene. Brazen, old, stupid. 206 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:31,199 Speaker 1: The pretty assistant branch manager, it was later discovered, had 207 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: ordered twice as much cash from the brinks truck on 208 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: that day. Why when her cool demeanor at the scene 209 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,319 Speaker 1: was revealed to investigators, she immediately fell under suspicion as 210 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: being an accomplice in the bank robbery, a suspicion later 211 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: confirmed when the pretty assistant branch manager cracked under questioning 212 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 1: and admitted that, yes, she was indeed in on the robbery. 213 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: Her boyfriend was the robber, but it wasn't her idea, 214 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: It was all his and his name was probably was 215 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: you guessed it. Another LAPD officer who grew up in Compton, 216 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: a childhood friend of Suge Knight, was arrested, tried for 217 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: the bank robbery, convicted, and sentenced to fourteen years in prison. 218 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: Legal documents revealed in a twenty seventeen documentary that a 219 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: quote unquote reliable jailhouse informant went on record to say 220 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: that needed the money from the bank robbery to pay 221 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: off a contract killer, a killer who went by the 222 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: street name Amir. We'll be right back after this word 223 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: word word. It wasn't known whether d was at the 224 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: party that night, but lots of sug Knight's other friends 225 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: sure were. Sug may have been locked up, but this 226 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 1: was still la still his town. As for any quote 227 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: unquote a mere character. If he wasn't at the party, 228 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: he was at least aware. One member of the party's 229 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: megawat Guest List nineteen ninety seven Soul Trained Music Awards 230 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: after party was officially the hottest ticket in town on 231 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: the night of March eighth, which is saying something considering 232 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: that this was Hollywood, where a list, movie and music 233 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: stars get after it in public on any given night. 234 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: Even still, this party was different, especially for Big and Puff. 235 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 1: The industry was fully aware that the Notorious BIG's much 236 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: anticipated follow up album was about to drop at the 237 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: end of the month, so this party, though not directly 238 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 1: thrown by Biggian Puff, did serve as a celebration of 239 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: sorts for them, a sort of unofficial record release party. 240 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: Given the mailstream of industry hype surrounding Life after Death, 241 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: at that moment, Bad Boy Entertainment was in full flex 242 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: out on the West Coast. If anyone in the history 243 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: of the music industry was ever serious about manifest destiny, 244 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: it was the supremely ambitious Sean Puffy Comb's conquering the 245 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: West was high on his agenda, so on that night, 246 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: Bad Boy rolled deep. The party was held at the 247 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 1: Peterson Automotive Museum on Fairfax and Wilshire. If you've been 248 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles anytime during the past few decades, you've 249 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: probably seen this building. It's the massive, amorphous, candy stripe 250 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: blob of architecture that looks like something out of one 251 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: of Jack White's nightmares, which is to say, it's a 252 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: cool looking building. And on this night, it was packed 253 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: with some of the coolest looking people. And when I 254 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,960 Speaker 1: say packed, I mean way packed, like way past whatever 255 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: the fire code allowed for Shaquille O'Neill, Chris Tucker, Wesley Snipes, 256 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Missy Elliott, Genuine and too many 257 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: other celebrities to mention crammed into the venue, which was 258 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: also stacked with models, wanna be starlets in industry suits, 259 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: all there to celebrate. Biggie's new single, Hypnotized came on 260 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: and the place went nuts. Big and Puff sat back 261 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: in their booth and took it all in. It was 262 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: the success hoped for, playing out right in front of 263 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,719 Speaker 1: their eyes, being celebrated out on the West Coast like this. 264 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,560 Speaker 1: It was special, something that a year ago was unimaginable. 265 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,199 Speaker 1: Nineteen ninety seven was going to be their year, the 266 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: year of bad boy, but real bad boys were also 267 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:21,479 Speaker 1: in attendance. A mix of bloods and crips gang members 268 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 1: circulated throughout the crowd and their respective reds and blues 269 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: innominous presence, But on this night so far anyway, there 270 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 1: was no static, no gang science being thrown, no flexing 271 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 1: of any sort. Who was that kind of party? People 272 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 1: just wanted to get down, celebrate, blow off steam until 273 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: the cops showed up with the fire department to shut 274 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: the whole event down. The place was packed to dangerous proportions, 275 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: with thousands of people jammed inside and hundreds more outside 276 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: still waiting to get in. At well past midnight, Biggie 277 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: Puff in their entourage hung back a bit while most 278 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: everyone else made for the egg sits. They took photos 279 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: with fans, enjoyed the last SIPs of their drinks, took 280 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: it all in, savoring it, and when they finally got 281 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 1: to their cars, they broke out from the Peterson Automotive 282 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: Museum and a five car entourage. Puff was being driven 283 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: in the lead suburban, big chauffeur behind him in a 284 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:21,160 Speaker 1: green suburban. Behind him, some friends in a Chevy Blazer, 285 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 1: an off duty cop they'd hired for extra security, trailed 286 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,959 Speaker 1: that vehicle and bringing up the rear. Some more friends 287 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,199 Speaker 1: in a white limousine and they were of course headed 288 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: to the after after party, but not if the man 289 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:36,880 Speaker 1: in the black Chevy and Pala had anything to say 290 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: about it. The sixty four in Paula, particularly the lowrider 291 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 1: model from nineteen sixty four, is the gangster whip, especially 292 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: for West Coast gangbangers. In the nineties. Easye had both 293 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: a sixty four in Paula and a sixty three model. 294 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: Dre featured the car and his videos for a Nothing 295 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: but a g Thing Me Ride. In still Dre videos, 296 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: Ice Cube, not to be outdone by his former bandmates, 297 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: shows off the sixty four Gangster Paula and his iconic 298 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: tribute to South Central La in the video for it 299 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,679 Speaker 1: Was a Good Day and That's Just The former members 300 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: of NWA Skilo did the same and is hysterical I 301 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: wish video, as did countless other hip hop stars. You 302 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 1: didn't need a fancy, tricked out Cadillac provided you whip 303 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: around in a sixty four in Paula, or so went 304 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,160 Speaker 1: the thinking of gangsters real players in West Coast car 305 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 1: aficionados in the nineties. The ninety five in Paula was 306 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 1: not gangster, but its gangster lineage would have been impossible 307 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: to overlook. In fact, for the criminal minded, the sixty 308 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: four in Paula's gangster appeal would have most certainly given 309 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: the special shine to its late model offspring. Owning a 310 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: ninety five Chevy and Pala SS back in the day 311 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:58,119 Speaker 1: was kind of like owning a Mini Cooper, now lame 312 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: as those cars are. If you own you're at least 313 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 1: signaling and understanding of something cool from the past, I guess, 314 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: except to understand the IMPALA's past coolness, you need to 315 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,199 Speaker 1: be aware of a gangster life and by extension, the 316 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: criminality that accompanies gang life. But again, the ninety five 317 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,720 Speaker 1: Impola was not gangster. It was a cop car. Gangsters 318 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 1: could give a shit about the ninety five I Paula, 319 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,439 Speaker 1: but wanna be gangsters and cops, well, that was a 320 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: different story. The ninety five im Paula was a low 321 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: key muscle car, which was rare in the nineties and 322 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,679 Speaker 1: was why cops loved them. Different departments used them all 323 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: over the country. The seventh generation in Paula had a 324 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: big va and was built like a tank, but still 325 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 1: in comparison to the sixty four, the ninety five was 326 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: pretty late. Even the SS model, even in black and 327 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: especially on that night, contrast against the glittery beamers bends 328 00:20:55,840 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: his limos in suv caravans. The suv at the ahead 329 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 1: of the bad Boy caravan, the one with Puffy in it, 330 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 1: made it through the light at Fairfax in Wiltshire. Biggie's 331 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: suv just behind Puss didn't make the light and rolled 332 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,400 Speaker 1: to a stop in the left hand turn lane at 333 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: the intersection. As it stopped, a black ninety five Chevy 334 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: Impala SS rolled up quietly next to it. The driver 335 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: of the ninety five Impaula did not take his eyes 336 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: off the road ahead, despite the fact that it would 337 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,479 Speaker 1: have been pretty clear to anyone with a sense of 338 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,439 Speaker 1: Hollywood that there was more than likely a famous person 339 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: sitting just feet from him in the passenger seat of 340 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: the car next to him, and there was music blaring 341 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 1: from the suv that was obviously part of a fleet 342 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: of SUVs, and they were so close in proximity to 343 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: the Peterson Automotive Museum that was at the very moment 344 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: surrounded by beautiful people exiting into the night, and given 345 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 1: the glitz and hubbub, it was beyond odd that the 346 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: driver of the Impala didn't turn to his left to 347 00:21:57,119 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 1: sneak a look at who the famous person riding next 348 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: to him. It was like he already knew who. It was, 349 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: like he was the one trying to go unnoticed rather 350 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: than the celebrity next to him. Lil Cease in the 351 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: back seat behind Biggie Street smart that he was, immediately 352 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,400 Speaker 1: grew suspicious. The man behind the wheel of the Impala 353 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: was dressed in a sharp white shirt with a bow tie. 354 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: He was black, wore black glasses, kind of had a 355 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:26,919 Speaker 1: Nation of Islam look. Cease noted that he had his 356 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: left hand on the wheel, his other hand in his lap, 357 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: and then he saw the gun, a forty caliber automatic. 358 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: It appeared in a flash and immediately started blasting seven 359 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:42,200 Speaker 1: quick shots at close range, direct into the passenger side 360 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: window and door of the suv parked next to him. 361 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,920 Speaker 1: Five of the shots hit the notorious Big The man 362 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:49,879 Speaker 1: in the Impala slammed his foot on the gas and 363 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: took off into the night. The shots rang out loud 364 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 1: up ahead Puffy's suv slammed on the brakes. Puff immediately 365 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: sensed what had happened and bounded out of the truck 366 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,439 Speaker 1: in an instant began sprinting back toward the intersection, and 367 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:06,120 Speaker 1: there was chaos all around him. The partygoers outside Peterson 368 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:08,920 Speaker 1: immediately picked up what had happened. They were shouting, they 369 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,360 Speaker 1: just shot Big, They just shot Big, screamed. Squealing tires 370 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: and the final barrows of going back to calis still 371 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: bumping from BIG's truck, with the track's author bleeding out 372 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: in the passenger seat. A little sea screwed out from 373 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:21,879 Speaker 1: behind Big in the back and started pointing in the 374 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: direction of the escaping Impalla. Puff made it back to 375 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 1: Big suburban in what seemed like an eternity but was 376 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,919 Speaker 1: really no time at all. His own driver arrived on 377 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 1: foot behind him, and they both jumped into the suburban. 378 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:35,480 Speaker 1: Puff began to comfort Big, who, by the looks of it, 379 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: was in bad shape. Puff's driver, with the truck and 380 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 1: gear and floorated in the direction of nearby Cedar Sinai Hospital. 381 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: They ran every red light along the way, but it 382 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:50,440 Speaker 1: didn't matter. Despite arriving in minutes, the damage was done. 383 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 1: Biggie was hauled out of the truck and into the 384 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: emergency room, unconscious and barely alive, and the doctors did 385 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: their best, but the five bullets to the chest and 386 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,359 Speaker 1: abdomen did more damage to the Big Man and they 387 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 1: could handle. Twenty minutes later, Christopher Wallace Biggie Small's aka 388 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: the Notorious b I G. Was pronounced dead. Twenty four 389 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: year old Notorious Big also told us British words, gunned down, 390 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:45,920 Speaker 1: then a drive by shooting outside of music, and I'm 391 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: gonna tell you if you were your job the boble weed. 392 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. He was iciculate, His raps 393 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:59,880 Speaker 1: were very descriptive, and he proved to be a brother Phil. 394 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: The presence Biggie's death comes almost exactly six months after 395 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:09,479 Speaker 1: the drive by slaying of his art Ward, California Lon 396 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 1: Puncture for in Las Vegas. A federal law enforcement task 397 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:18,360 Speaker 1: force currently is investigating the rap music industry and possible 398 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: links to progue and gun viol issues earned over Colors. 399 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,119 Speaker 1: It didn't take long for Detective Russell Poole's phone to 400 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 1: start ringing. He was a detective in a city full 401 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:39,120 Speaker 1: of rats. Rats now emboldened by the white hot light 402 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,719 Speaker 1: of celebrity and the opportunity to alter music industry mythology 403 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: in real time. As far as informants connected to gang 404 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: and hip hop culture in Los Angeles in the mid 405 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: to late nineties, when the death of the Notorious Big 406 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 1: was like that light that shines suddenly in a dirty 407 00:25:55,880 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 1: apartment with an army of scurrying cockroaches. One of the 408 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,159 Speaker 1: Detective Pool's first tips indicated that Officer gains He of 409 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: the Mitsubishi Montero, the dead man and the cop on 410 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: cop murder. He was investigating the security guard for death 411 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: row records. That guy. The tipster told Pool that Gaines 412 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,879 Speaker 1: had something to do with Biggie's murder. Pool chased it 413 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:22,439 Speaker 1: down but came up empty. But more tips followed, and 414 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: despite coming up with anything immediately tangible, it was clear 415 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: to Detective Pool that the streets certainly thought that the 416 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: dead officer he was investigating, the one with the Shug 417 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: Night connection, had something to do with the murder of 418 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: the Notorious Big. Other tips also indicated that Biggie's murder 419 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: was connected to Tupac's murder six months prior, though Detective 420 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: Pool could find no hard evidence directly connecting the two killings. 421 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 1: In fact, his gut initially told him that the two 422 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:55,119 Speaker 1: murders were pretty different. Tupac was murdered just after a 423 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: massive melee in a Las Vegas casino with gunmen frantically 424 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: shooting at Tupac Gangland style sprang bullets from the back 425 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: of a flashy Cadillac. Tupac would hang on for days 426 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 1: before succumbing completely to his gunshot wounds. Biggie's murder was 427 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 1: almost surgical by comparison, A clearly disciplined shooter, using patience, 428 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,640 Speaker 1: cunning and quiet, used an unassuming car favored by police 429 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:24,000 Speaker 1: to get up close to the target, avoid eye contact, 430 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: and then at the last minute point aim and shoot 431 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 1: off seven shots, connecting with five of them and killing 432 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 1: his target almost instantly. This isn't to say that Detective 433 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: Pool didn't chase down Tips with better results. He did. Pool, 434 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:42,640 Speaker 1: after some time, became convinced that the two murders had 435 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:46,439 Speaker 1: some connection. It wasn't long before we figured out that 436 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,920 Speaker 1: his former fellow LAPD officer, remember him, the dude who 437 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 1: robbed the bank, using his pretty girlfriend as an inside 438 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,680 Speaker 1: mold to help him make off with seven hundred large Yes, 439 00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,959 Speaker 1: that dude who is now sitting behind bars to Pool learned, 440 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: was also like Officer Gaines, connected to Suge Knight. Robert 441 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:08,720 Speaker 1: grew up in Compton. A childhood friend of Suge Knight, 442 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: and it was learned, as we mentioned previously, supposedly robbed 443 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: the bank to pay off a contract killer who went 444 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: by the street name of A Merr. Through his investigation, 445 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: Detective Pool learned that the name given by one of 446 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 1: his first visitors at his new digs in Federal prison 447 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: was a mer and the photo taken of this so 448 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: called a mer upon entering the prison looked eerily similar 449 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 1: to the description of the shooter that was given on 450 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: the night the notorious Big was shot. The description of 451 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: the man and the bow tie with the receding hairline. 452 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 1: Detective Pool gathered his evidence and handed it over to 453 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: the brass at LAPD in hopes of pouring gasoline on 454 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: the investigative flames he'd stoked and to smoke out the killers. Instead, 455 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: the brass shut him down without any real investigation. Supposed 456 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: the FBI was on the case, it was no longer 457 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: part of the department's purview. Detective Pool, an lap D 458 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: veteran with a decorated past, the son of an LA 459 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 1: County sheriff, a man with policing in his DNA, retired 460 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: in protest. He then dedicated his life to solving the 461 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:22,240 Speaker 1: murder of the Notorious Big. Detective Russell Poole died in 462 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen of a brain aneurysm. There are many theories 463 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 1: about who killed Biggie Small's, some less far fetched than others, 464 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: but in almost all of them, certain names continue to 465 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: pop up. Big died on March ninth, nineteen ninety seven. 466 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: Eight days later, Officer Kevin Gaines died. The mysterious Emirs 467 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: in the wind Shog Knight is back in jail. He 468 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 1: swears Tupac is still alive. Who stood to gain from 469 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 1: the death of the Notorious Big. It's just another question 470 00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 1: from a murder mystery that is short on answers, short 471 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:03,360 Speaker 1: on facts. But there are facts there out in the open. 472 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: Detective Pool found them. You can't too like the fact that, 473 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: after his arrest for bank robbery, its house was searched. 474 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 1: Among the items found the very rare police issued Gecko 475 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: nine millimeter armor piercing bullets, the same bullets used to 476 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: kill Biggie Smalls, and, perhaps most illuminating in Proba's garage, 477 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: a nineteen ninety five black Chevy Impala SS. Behind it 478 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: on the garage wall was what was described as a 479 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: quote unquote shrine to Tupac Shakur, with numerous posters of 480 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: the slain hip hop star an icon like his friend 481 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 1: and rival, the slain Notorious Big, who it turns out, 482 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 1: is more than notorious. He's immoral, having achieved life after 483 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:01,200 Speaker 1: death forever in the heart, that's in minds of hip 484 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: hop fans everywhere, despite his killers disgraceful motives. I'm Jake 485 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: Brennan and this his disgrace Sland. Disgraceland was created by 486 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: Yours Truly and is produced in partnership with Double Elvis. 487 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: Credits for this episode can be found on the show 488 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:33,320 Speaker 1: notes page at disgracelampod dot com. If you're listening as 489 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 1: a Disgraceland All Access member, thank you for supporting the show. 490 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: We really appreciate it, and if not, you can become 491 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: a member right now by going to disgracelampod dot com 492 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 1: slash Membership. Members can listen to every episode of Disgraceland 493 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 1: ad free. Plus you'll get one brand new exclusive episode 494 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: every month, weekly unscripted bonus episode, special audio collections, and 495 00:31:55,680 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 1: early access to merchandise and events. Visit disgracelampod dot com 496 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: slash Membership for details. Rate and review the show and 497 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook at Disgrace 498 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: Slampod and on YouTube at YouTube dot com slash At Disgraceslampod, 499 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 1: rock a roller. He's a bed don man.