Tupac’s mother fights for songs
July 26th, 2007 by Sam
The mother of late rapper Tupac Shakur is trying to stop his former record label selling unreleased recordings as part of a bankruptcy settlement.
Afeni Shakur is seeking an injunction in a bankruptcy court claiming Death Row Records is attempting to sell material that belongs to his estate.
Unreleased material should have been turned over to the estate as part of a 1997 agreement, her lawyer said.
The court is expected to consider the request in the next month.
At the same time, it will decide whether Death Row should be allowed to release an album with the unreleased tracks to help pay its debts, according to Ms Shakur’s lawyer Donald David.
The legal team representing Death Row Records was not available for comment.
The label made stars of Shakur and Snoop Dogg, and was home to hip-hop super-producer Dr Dre in the early 1990s.
But its fortunes - and those of its owner, Marion “Suge” Knight - started to slide when Shakur was shot dead in 1996.
The rapper, whose hits include California Love and Ghetto Gospel, was in the passenger seat of Knight’s car when the attack happened.