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How a Myth Comes Into Being
The transformation of an occurrence into a full-fledged urban myth is a story all unto itself. Like a huge, cultural game of telephone, the Urban Myth is usually the result of half-truths or complete exaggerations. But sometimes, the myth turns out to be true. Check out these classic examples of urban myths and learn how they came into being.
The Legend:
Is Tupac Alive? Even though rapper Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas in front of at least a hundred people, huge numbers of his fans refuse to believe that he died from the wounds he suffered that hot September night. New conspiracy theories claming Tupac is still alive continue to crop up; the Web is cluttered with their rationalizations. Internet chat rooms are full of discussions about whether he did, in fact, pass away.
Background:
On September 7, 1996, Tupac was in a car on East Flamingo Road in Las Vegas with Marion "Suge" Knight, the chairman of Death Row Records, when an assailant, who fired off more than a dozen shots, ambushed them. Shakur was struck four times in the chest and abdomen. A single bullet only grazed Knight. Six days later, Shakur died in a Las Vegas hospital. He was 25 years old. Ever since Tupac's death, there have been numerous rumors floating around that it was all of a hoax. These rumors have reached mythological proportions. Nightline devoted an entire program to the cult of Tupac. Tupac's fans give many reasons why they believe he is still alive. They include:
1. A shooting involving rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg occurred close to the release of his album Doggystyle. The shooting made Snoop appear more "real" and showed his fans that he was a "gangsta." They believe that Tupac is doing the same thing: staging his death to attain greater status.
2. Tupac died on Friday the 13, a very superstitious and suspicious day throughout history.
3. Because he survived a previous shooting and was the subject of numerous death threats, Tupac almost always wore a bulletproof vest when he went out. Why wasn't he wearing one that night?
4. In most of his songs he talked about being buried, so why was he allegedly cremated the day after he "died?"
5. In the song "Life Goes On," Tupac raps about his own funeral.
6. In the video "I Ain't Mad at 'Cha," released shortly after his death, Tupac portrays an angel in heaven. He's shot in the video while leaving a theatre with a friend.
7. Just before his alleged death, Tupac changed his name to Makavali--a reference to the Italian strategist Machiavelli, who, in his writings, suggested one should fake one's death in order to gain advantage over one's enemies. They also often state that the real Machiavelli faked his own death as well, which is not true.
8. In the video for "I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto," the clock in the diner says "4:03," the same time as is listed as Tupac's real time of death.
9. The title of the new album by Makaveli (Tupac) is Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. He was shot on September 7; and survived on the 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and "died" on the 13. Hence the title, The 7 Day Theory.
10. The executive producer of The 7 Day Theory, as listed in the CD booklet of the album, is Simon, who is a previously unknown producer in the rap music industry. In the Bible, Simon was an apostle of Jesus. Simon was one of the first witnesses of the Resurrection listed by Saint Paul (I Cor. 15:5). Tupac's fans believe Simon may be Tupac.
11. In the first three seconds of the song "Seven Day Theory," you can hear the words, "Suge shot me" very softly. Suge was in the car with Tupac. Is this Tupac's way of saying Suge was in on the conspiracy?
12. In the "Toss It Up" video, Tupac is wearing Kenny Hardaway Nike sneakers that weren't available until after his death. These types of sneakers, though, are often given to celebrities long before their general release.
13. A man who bears a striking resemblance to Tupac has been hanging around the poetry scene near Howard University in Washington. The man goes by the name of Juice, which was the name of Tupac's character in the movie Poetic Justice.
True or False?:
The reality is that Tupac is dead and not coming back. Photos of his body at the coroner's office, post-mortem, have been leaked onto the Web and published in the book The Killing of Tupac Shakur by Las Vegas Sun reporter Cathy Scott. Even with all evidence and common sense pointing one way, Tupac's fans still wait for his return. Some reports have him hanging out in Cuba with Elvis… who knows?
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