16/03/08 Bad Boy involved in Tupac's 1994 shooting

by **matz** » Mar 16th, '08, 16:39

according to new FBI evidence

t's been nearly 15 years since Tupac Shakur was shot for the first time in what appeared to be robbery attempt inside the lobby of New York's Quad Recording Studios in 1994. Although the shooting has remained unsolved, much like his murder in Las Vegas in 1996, new evidence has surfaced that links Diddy to the shooters.

Via a web-only presentation that will appear on LATimes.com on Monday (March 17), staff writer Chuck Philips -- who has been covering the murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. for the paper for years -- deconstructs the 1994 ambush of the superstar rapper, which he calls the first shot of a lethal, bi-coastal feud that culminated in the killings of both rappers.

In the article Philips will uncover FBI records and interviews with individuals present at the studio during the night in question, which will support Shakur's long-winded theory that Diddy knew of the orchestrated hit before it took place.

Philips confirms, writing in the upcoming article that Diddy (real name: Sean Combs) knew, in advance, that Shakur was walking into a trap, citing sources familiar with the incident.

The story will also name two individuals as being the main players behind the ambush -- Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond, who now runs the successful management company Czar Entertainment, and James "Jimmy" Sabatino.

Sabatino is the alleged individual who is said to have personally told Diddy that Tupac was going to be attacked, sources say in the article.

Both men are said to have grown close with Diddy after the attack.

After the '94 shooting, Sabatino allegedly introduced Diddy to mobsters and escorted the label mogul into mafia frequented nightclubs throughout New York and Miami after he was welcomed into Diddy's inner circle.

They became chummy. So much so that Diddy brought Sabatino on the road for his 1997 No Way Out tour, where he allegedly used credit cards to charge up hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills for posh hotel suites, limousines and parties on behalf of the Bad Boy entourage.

Their relationship remained strong and Sabatino allegedly worked for Diddy's Bad Boy Records up until 1998, when he was arrested in London and later extradited to the U.S. where he was convicted and jailed.

Phillips reportedly uncovered the new details while investigating the still-unsolved murder of B.I.G. in New York. While following up on leads, he discovered FBI records and interviewed key people related to the incident to support his claims.

Monday's story will be accompanied by photos of the cast of characters, copies of confidential documents, an interactive timeline and audio of lyrics from Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., which Philips used to piece together the unsolved case that has left the music world as well as law enforcement baffled for years.

The story will go live first thing Monday (March 17) at LATimes.com/Tupac.

The story's writer, Chuck Philips, will conduct a live chat the follow day with readers as well.