One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of our time may have had a different ending if it had happened today.
That’s according to Emmy-winner Anthony Hemingway, director and executive producer of the new true crime series “Unsolved”, which tells the story of Biggie and Tupac.
He points out that the killings, which took place over two decades ago, occurred at a time when hip hop and rap weren’t as mainstream as they are today. There was also no social media back then.
Today, those two factors would probably have culminated in a different outcome, says Hemingway, who also produced “The People v. OJ Simpson.”
“Unsolved” attempts to answer the questions behind the shootings of the two rival rap superstars, examining not just what happened but the context surrounding the events.
“This was a period of time that was on the heels of the O.J. trial, the Rampart scandal, even [the] L.A. riots,” Hemingway explains. “L.A. at the time was volatile."
Add to that tinderbox the notorious reputations of both Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.
“We’ve only really been given the negative of their story,” he says.
In an attempt to change that, Hemingway’s series tries to “humanize” the two rappers and put forth an idea of “who they could’ve been today.”
“[The] theme that really drove us through the story is perception and how perception challenges your best judgements, how perception dictates treatment,” he says.
Hemingway hopes the series will “shine a light on what we continue to struggle with -- the injustices that are happening, that have just been systemic for a very long time.”
“Unsolved: The Murder Of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.” premieres on February 27 on USA Network.
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