On this date in 1992, Paramount Pictures presented the highly anticipated hood flick Juice, which stars a still rising rap star by the name of Tupac Shakur, who plays a crooked crimie from Uptown by the name of “Bishop”.
His co-star, Omar Epps(Higher Learning, In Too Deep), plays a local DJ with industry potential named “GQ”, alongside Jermaine “Huggy” Hopkins(Lean On Me) and Khalil Kain, who all form a loosely knit crew of truants who are headed in the wrong direction.
This movie was very instrumental in bringing Hip Hop artists onto the silver screen, with cameo appearances from Treach of Naughty By Nature, Queen Latifah, EPMD’s DJ Scratch and Special Ed. Juice also helped to introduce the soundtrack as a way to market movies for larger budgets.
For those who never took notice, it wasn’t until after ‘Pac made everyone love to hate his character Bishop that Shakur’s run-ins with the law became more frequent and his “Thug Life” persona became more noticeable and for its own intent, purposeful. Many will say that it was life imitating art. Some will say that this was the real Tupac; he was just being filmed.
Most hip hop fans who grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s are undoubtedly familiar with the hit 1992 film Juice, starring Tupac Shakur, Omar Epps, Khalil Kain, and Jermaine Hopkins. The film tells a gritty tale of power, friendship, and the consequences of untreated mental health in a pervasive environment of crime and poverty. Now, over 30 years after the iconic film’s release, fans have wondered what has become of the actors who brought these fascinating characters to life.
If you’re reading this, you almost certainly know that Tupac Shakur was tragically shot and killed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1996. The rapper starred in Juice as Roland Bishop, the film’s central antagonist. Juice served as Shakur’s feature film debut, opening doors in his career for a host of other movie and television roles before his untimely death at the age of 25. In the years following his breakout performance, the “Dear Mama” vocalist starred in a number of classic films, including Poetic Justice, Above The Rim, Gridlock’d, and Gang Related.
In addition to his thriving acting career, Tupac Shakur also continued releasing music after appearing in Juice in 1992. After releasing his debut album in 1991, the rapper launched four full-length LPs, including a collaborative album with the rap group Thug Life. Following his death, Tupac’s music would continue to be released posthumously for years, showcasing his prolific recording process and inimitable work ethic. The rapper has gone down in history as one of the most popular and impactful emcees of all time.
Omar Epps
Like Tupac Shakur, Juice served as Omar Epps’s breakout role in film. The Brooklyn-born actor stars in the movie as Quincy “Q” Powell, the central protagonist. In the decades since Juice first premiered, Epps has continued appearing in film and television roles, most notably starring in the hit Fox series House as Dr. Eric Foreman. Epps appeared in 175 episodes of the medical drama between 2004 and 2012 and often served as a straight-edged man against Hugh Laurie’s eccentric medical practices.
Beyond House, Omar Epps has appeared in such projects as Scream 2, In Too Deep, Against The Ropes, and Trick. Most recently, the actor showcased his talents in the hit Starz original series Power Book 3: Raising Kanan. In the series, Epps portrays NYPD detective Malcolm Howard. Despite many rumors circulating in Hollywood, Epps clarified during a 2018 interview on The Breakfast Club that he is not related to comedian Mike Epps.
Like his co-stars, Khalil Kain made his acting debut in Juice back in 1992. Now, over 30 years after the crime thriller’s release, Kain has amassed dozens of on-screen credits and even taking up directing. His biggest recent credits include projects such as Misguided Behavior, Coming To Africa, Faceblocked, and The Bricks. In 2022, Kain made his directing debut with the film The Millennial, which he also starred in. The film made its world premiere at the 2021 Hip Hop Film Festival and opened to generally positive reviews. With so much success in his on-screen career, this may mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Khalil Kain.
Jermaine Hopkins
Jermaine Hopkins, also known as “Huggy,” was the only member of the main cast who had appeared in another major motion picture before Juice. Having starred as Thomas Sams in Lean On Me three years earlier, Hopkins was among the most experienced of the core four. In the years following the film’s release, Huggy went on to appear in a host of other film and television projects, including a four-episode stint on The Royal Family, a leading role in the TV movie Strapped, and most recently, a prominent placement in 2023’s Sebastian. The actor also reunited with Tupac Shakur for an appearance in the 1996 film Bullet.
Unfortunately, Hopkins has also suffered some legal trouble in the decades since Juice was released. The actor was arrested in 2011 and 2017 on marijuana charges. The first arrest saw him taking 30 days in jail and three years probation after attempting to purchase 200 pounds of weed from an undercover police officer, while the 2017 arrest resulted in two years of probation. Luckily, these legal issues haven’t done much to hamper Hopkins’ career, as the actor has continued to appear in movies and television consistently.
The sexual assault allegations against music mogul Sean Combs aka Diddy have overshadowed his contributions to music as of late, butthe Bad Boy head honcho recently spoke out against his accusers for the first time, sayimg “enough os enough”.
Rumors of Diddy’s sexual exploits have become the center of conversation when speaking about the 54-year-old producer/label head and now the back cover for Tupac’s Makaveli album has re-surfaced, which features an image of what appears to be Diddy in a dress.
The back cover to the 28-year-old album, created by Ronald “Riskie” Brent,. shows an animated image of the Notorious B.I.G. with the word “P.I.G.” on his head while Combs is shown in tights in what appears to be a ballerina costume.
The never-seen-before album art recenly made its way into the public eye after DIddy’s ever-evolving sexual assault saga that made headlines this year.
Rapper Vanilla Ice opened up about his past friendship with late rapper, Tupac Shakur. In an interview with VladTV, the “Ice Ice Baby” hitmaker recalled ‘Pac fondly, reminiscing over their friendship, and how he offered him solid advice when he was coming up.
He goes, ‘I want you to know, you’re one of the great ones, you’re dope, you’re going to leave your mark, your legacy,’ and this is before it happened,” Ice said. “He knew it, this guy had a crystal ball he saw things bro, and it makes me get goosebumps.”
But at some point, the interview took a rather somber turn. Ice later revealed that Tupac was involved in two other shootings outside of the Quad Recording Studios shooting in 1993 and the Las Vegas drive-by in 1996. While these shootings weren’t life-threatening, very few people knew about these shootings, according to Ice.
Ice also said that he has to be mindful of the details he shares about Tupac’s death, as he knows more than others.
“How can a guy have all these bullets flying at him and still, you know what I’m saying? It’s a crazy story, and I got to really watch what I say on all this because I do know too much,” Ice said. “I’m not going to elaborate fair enough, so I let that unfold, and I’m glad it’s unfolding, and I’m glad that some justice may be getting done, but it ain’t going to bring him back, bro, and we lost a great person because of greed, money, power. We lost a great poet.”
It was on this day in Hip Hop history that many may argue that the legend of Thug Life and Tupac Shakur began.
On this date in 1994, the rapper was headed into the building on 7th Avenue in Manhattan that houses Quad Recording Studios with his manager Freddie Moore and friend Randy “Stretch” Walker(RIP) of the Live Squad the day after deliberations for ‘Pac’s rape case. When Tupac and his crew approached the elevator, they were approached by three gunmen who demanded their money and jewelry. Moore and Walker obeyed the commands, but ‘Pac began cursing at the gunmen, resulting in him being shot five times and robbed of $40K worth of jewelry before being dragged into the elevator to safety by Walker.
Many people, including Shakur, have suspected Lil’ Cease, who called ‘Pac from the 8th-floor window before he was shot, Diddy and the late Notorious B.I.G. for the hit/robbery attempt, however, that theory was denied by Cease, Diddy, and B.I.G. and no proof of their involvement has ever surfaced. Others have suspected Brooklyn street legends Jacques “Haitian Jack” Agnant, James “Jimmy Henchmen” Rosemond, and Walter “King Tut” Johnson of being involved in orchestrating the shooting, which hasn’t amount to much more than a great hood fable. One thing is for sure. After the shooting, the relationship between the East Coast and West Coast Hip Hop communities was never the same again.
On this date in 1996, Tupac Amaru Shakur posthumously released the final album of his illustrious career.
26 years ago today, just two months after the untimely murder of Tupac on the Las Vegas strip alongside Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight, the fifth and final album, Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. Recognized as ‘Pac’s most influential body of work, the Killuminati album was not only his most controversial, but its concept still has many of his fans believing that ‘Pac is still alive. Besides his beef with Nas, Jay-Z, B.I.G., and almost any relevant New York rapper you can think of, the album hinges on the life of Makaveli, a play on the name of Italian writer and philosopher Nicollo Machiavelli, who is believed to have staged his own death.
The album was originally set to be dropped in March of 1997, but after Shakur was killed, Death Row boss Suge Knight released the album four months later. Ironically, Brooklyn rap rival Notorious B.I.G. was shot down in Los Angeles, California on March 9, 1997.
The album, recorded in 12 days in August 1996, hosted a list of timeless, classic singles including “Hail Mary”, “Me And My Girlfriend” and “Against All Odds”; all of which were remade by premiere artists after Shakur’s death. The 5X platinum album has been listed as one of the top-selling Hip Hop albums of all time.
Two authentic Death ROw Records pendants from the collection of Death Row’s head of security, Reggie Wright Jr., are now going up for auction. Both pendants, created for then Death Row CEO Suge Knight, were reated for Death ROw artists like Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. According to reports, the “iced out” diamond encrusted pendant could sell for up to $1 million.
The 14KT pendant, could yield anywhere from $200K to $500K in the auction. The auction house suggests that the pendants are distinguished by the level of the artist on the Death Row roster, with ‘Pac often donning a 3.0 CTW medallion.
With the arrest of Duane “Keefe D” Davis for the murder of Tupac Shakur 27 years ago, these medallions are expected to garner upward of the suggested price in the auction. Also, rare mug shots and concert footage directly linked to Shakur will be up for auction as well.
By now, most of the internet has grown tired of the never-ending headlines surrounding Jada Pinkett Smith and her juicy new memoir. The mother of two didn’t hold back when reflecting on the ups and downs of her life, from her marriage to Will Smith (which she’s since confirmed has seen them living separate lives since 2016) to her close friendship with the late Tupac Shakur. Though she says she didn’t have romantic feelings for him, Jada is under the impression that the “All Eyez On Me” hitmaker was her “soulmate,” and also alleged that he struggled with alopecia, similarly to her.
Even before we knew the finer details of what was going on behind closed doors in Will and Jada’s life, the internet often clowned The Fresh Prince actor for his wife’s inability to let Tupac go. Things are only becoming more intense amid the memoir’s debut. Still, Will remains unbothered and focused on his own energy. For her part, The Matrix actress continues to promote her book while linking up with other celebs – some of whom have given her epic gifts.
Among them is Fat Joe, who came through with an exclusive pair of Terror Squad Air Force 1 sneakers for Jada. Of course, she was happy to add the shoes to her collection, but there are still some who are trying to bring Tupac into the situation. As Fabolous pointed out, the TS initials on the kicks could just as easily represent the Baltimore native’s full name as it does Joe’s New York-based rap group. Elsewhere online, others have pointed out that they might even be seen as standing for “The Slap,” when Will struck Chris Rock across the face at the Oscars for insulting his co-parent.
The hottest topic in pop culture news this week has definitely been the controversy surrounding Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir. Besides addressing her unconventional marriage to Will, the Girls Trip actress also reflected on her past selling hard drugs as a teenager. Read Dipset alum Jim Jones’ reaction to that at the link below, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.
In an exclusive PEOPLEcover story, Jada Pinkett Smith sheds light on a hidden facet of the legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, revealing that he silently battled alopecia, an autoimmune disease causing unpredictable hair loss. The Emmy Award-winning actress speculates that had Shakur been alive today, he might have chosen to speak openly about his condition.
Shakur’s journey with alopecia mirrors Smith’s experience, with the onset of symptoms dating back to 1991, around the time of his arrest for jaywalking by the Oakland Police Department in California. Subsequently, Shakur pursued legal action against the police department, ultimately settling the matter.
Smith reflects, “After he was in Northern California with the police officers that beat him up, he started losing his hair. And his alopecia patterns were far more extreme than mine.” It’s a revelation that invites a new perspective on Shakur’s life and challenges.
Jada Pinkett Smith, an actress and talk show host, disclosed her alopecia diagnosis in 2018, becoming a notable advocate for alopecia awareness. She believes that Shakur’s silence about his alopecia was due to societal pressures of his time. “I don’t think Pac ever talked about his alopecia, but he also looked really good with a bald head. But that was during a time and during an era that you wouldn’t – he just wouldn’t talk about it.”
A lot of new revelations have been made known to the public since Jada Pinkett-Smith has been promoting her new book Worthy and during one of her recent interviews, the actress says that the late rapper/actor icon Tupac Shakur proposed to her during a visit while he was incarcerated in NYC’s notorious Riker’s Island.
Will Smith’s estranged wife spoke about visiting Tupac in prison, stating, “That was probably one of the more painful parts seeing him there, the condition he was in and he was in a bad shape.” She added, “When he asked me to marry him, he was in Rikers and I knew at that time he needed somebody to do time with him which I was going to do anyway. You have to marry me to do that, right?”
