As the hip-hop booms and the camera swoops over a drive-by in downtown Vegas, the victim, 25 year-old Tupac Shakur, begins to opine on his own death, an event he has foreseen ever since he was first gunned down in a New York doorway.
It could be an episode of CSI but it is, in fact, the audacious and altogether unnerving opening to this MTV-produced documentary. After half an hour or so, director Lauren Lazin finally shows her hand the ghostly narration was pieced together from copious confessional interviews but no other speaker ever enters the debate over the rappers controversial career; indeed, Lazin often highlights Tupacs own handwriting (to stunning effect) where no voice exists.
No matter, Tupac peerless rapper, trained actor, self-proclaimed thug, community leader, convicted criminal provides enough contradiction on his own. Made with the full blessing of Tupacs Black Panther mother, thankfully this doc does not omit the bouts of bad behaviour that tarnished Tupacs glittering CV.
The results are highly subjective perhaps, but highly entertaining just the same and make an interesting companion piece to Nick Broomfields Biggie And Tupac.