Members of rap group Outlawz have consistently maintained they mixed Tupac Shakur's cremated remains with cannabis and smoked them following the rapper's 1996 death, with former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight later corroborating key details of the account.
The claims, first made public by Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean in interviews during the 2000s, describe a private ceremony where the group honored Shakur's memory by combining his ashes with marijuana. "It was symbolic," E.D.I. Mean said in past interviews, explaining the act as fulfilling what they believed were Shakur's wishes based on lyrics from his song "Black Jesus."
Shakur died September 13, 1996, from gunshot wounds sustained in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting six days earlier. He was 25. His mother, Afeni Shakur, had him cremated shortly after his death.
The Witnesses
Multiple Outlawz members have confirmed the story over the years, with rapper Young Noble providing additional details in a 2011 radio interview. "We had a little memorial for him with his moms and his family," Young Noble said. "We had hit the beach, threw [his ashes] in the water, threw some up in the air."
The group maintains they reserved a portion of the ashes for the cannabis ritual, which they conducted separately from the family memorial. Outlawz member Napoleon later told interviewers the act represented their interpretation of Shakur's artistic vision and his frequent references to death in his music.
Knight, who was driving the car when Shakur was shot and later served prison time on unrelated charges, offered his own account of the incident in recent years. Speaking from prison, Knight said he was aware of the group's plans and suggested it aligned with Shakur's philosophy about life and death.
Cannabis in Hip-Hop Culture
The story has persisted for nearly three decades as one of hip-hop's most unusual legends, sitting at the intersection of cannabis culture and celebrity mythology. Cannabis references permeated West Coast rap in the 1990s, with artists like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Shakur himself frequently incorporating marijuana themes into their music and public personas.
Shakur's lyrics often explored themes of mortality and legacy. His posthumously released albums contained numerous references to how he wanted to be remembered, though no explicit instructions about his remains have been publicly documented.
The cannabis industry has long embraced hip-hop culture, with several rappers launching their own cannabis brands in states where adult use is legal. Snoop Dogg's Leafs by Snoop, launched in 2015, helped establish the rapper-to-cannabis-entrepreneur pipeline that has since become commonplace.
Skepticism and Verification
No independent verification of the ash-smoking incident exists beyond the testimonies of those who claim to have participated. Afeni Shakur, who died in 2016, never publicly commented on the claims. The Shakur estate has not addressed the story.
Some hip-hop historians have questioned whether the story represents literal truth or symbolic storytelling, a common element in rap culture where the line between reality and performance often blurs. Others point to the consistency of the accounts across multiple witnesses over many years.
Cultural Impact
The story has become embedded in cannabis and hip-hop lore, referenced in documentaries, podcasts, and countless social media discussions. It represents an extreme example of cannabis ritual use, far removed from the product testing and quality control that now defines the legal cannabis industry.
Whether factual account or elaborate myth, the tale has endured because it captures something essential about both Shakur's cultural impact and the role of cannabis in the communities that created modern hip-hop. The Outlawz members who tell it show no signs of backing away from their version of events.
This article is based on original reporting by hightimes.com.
