S. Samuel
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) may have sparked a debate today (July 7) after having some fun with the unsolved murder of late hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur. #WheresPac
The renowned government agency jumped onto its Twitter page to playfully joke about Pac’s alleged whereabouts.
“No, we don’t know where Tupac is. #twitterversary,” the CIA account tweeted July 7. (CIA’s Twitter)
According to reports, the remark stemmed from a Twitter campaign the CIA started in June.
The Central Intelligence Agency garnered attention on Twitter last month with its humorous first dispatch: “We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet.” To celebrate its one month “#twitterversary,” the agency was at it again with answers to “5 of the top questions you’ve asked.” (USA Today)
Aside from the unsolved murder, the Pac-inspired “Holler If Ya Hear Me” musical is taking place on Broadway in New York.
Directed by current Tony nominee Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun) and starring veteran spoken-word artist and rapper Saul Williams, Holler If Ya Hear Me is not a biographical tale about the late Shakur. Instead, his songs build an entirely new narrative based on the themes of family, opportunity, community, poverty, and love that ran through Tupac’s lyrics. Some of his most beloved songs are represented, including “Dear Mama,” “I Get Around,” “Keep Ya Head Up,” and “I Ain’t Mad at Cha.” (Entertainment Weekly)
Recent reports suggested music veteran Saul Williams would take his talent to the big production.
Let’s just clear up some confusion that we’ve already seen floating around the internet: Williams is not, we repeat, not portraying Shakur in the musical. The plot of the play takes in the Midwest, where two friends (one of whom, presumably, is Williams) struggle to escape from the grips of poverty. It’s a plot line not unlike Shakur’s own, and will feature the late rapper’s hits, including “California Love,” “Keep Ya Head Up,” and “Me Against The World.” (Music Times)
