2Pac Was "Exploited Financially" By Suge Knight, Feared For His Bodyguards' Safety

2Pac's former manager claims to have "witnessed" his financial exploitation.

BYCaroline Fisher
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During a recent interview, 2Pac's former manager Leila Steinberg spoke on the final stretch of the late icon's career, revealing that she believes he never wanted to sign to Death Row. According to her, he made the move out of desperation, and didn't fully understand the consequences that would come along with it. She also says that people around the performer were taking advantage of him, namely, Suge Knight. “I don’t think, I know Tupac was exploited financially,” Steinberg explained. “I witnessed it."

She continued, "I witnessed the direction of his career and the power people that didn’t want to hear my voice or my resistance. I did choose to stop managing him, but I stayed close and there were people making a ton of money from the beginning of his career until the end of his career."

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2Pac's Former Manager Believes Death Row Cost Him His Life

American rapper, songwriter, and actor Tupac Shakur (1971-1996), poses for a portrait during the 1994 Source Awards on April 25, 1994 at the Paramount Theatre in New York, New York. (Photo by Bob Berg/Getty Images)

“Tupac did make some money, but he didn’t have access to it," she continued. "At the end, Suge controlled all of it. Millions we made. Tupac did own some houses. He saw a million, but what’s a million? It’s crumbs. There were hundreds of millions made off of Tupac. There are people who own homes and property now off of Tupac money, and it’s not those of us that were there grinding and working.” Sadly, Steinberg thinks that 2Pac's decision to sign to Death Row is what ultimately cost him his life.

2Pac was shot in a drive-by in September of 1996, and died in the hospital days later. According to a witness testimony in Keefe D's trial, he was looking out for others, even after being fatally injured. "Get on the ground. They’re going to shoot you,” he recalled 2Pac telling his bodyguards. Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on 2Pac.

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About The Author
Caroline Fisher is a News Writer at HotNewHipHop from Chicago, Illinois. She started at HNHH this year, and has since spent her time writing about all that is newsworthy in the world of hip-hop. With a drive for hunting down the hottest stories, she enjoys documenting new developments in culture and entertainment. She also has an appreciation for hip-hop and seeks to cover the most important trends and shifts. She has a Bachelor of Arts which she received at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having graduated in 2022, she majored in English with a concentration in Media, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies. Specializing all things music, pop culture and entertainment, some of her favorite musical artists include Snoop Dogg, OutKast, and Nicki Minaj. When she’s not writing about music she’s also a fan of attending shows, watching the latest movies, staying up-to-date with current events, photography, and poetry.