October 18, 2000 17:55

BODY RAP

The two murdered rappers are to be immortalised in a new feature film...

Murdered hip-hop superstars TUPAC SHAKUR and BIGGIE SMALLS are set to be immortalised in a new HOLLYWOOD feature film.

'Record Wars' is the working title for a film based on two books on the pairs' killings, 'The Killing of Tupac Shakur' and 'The Murder of Biggie Smalls', by former journalist Cathy Scott.

According to Electronic Urban Report, www.eurweb.com, producers Jon Sheinberg and Beaux Carson have optioned the books in order to tell the dual tales as one.

Tupac died on September 13 1996, six days after being shot four times in the chest while sitting in Death Row Records boss Suge Knight's car after leaving a Mike Tyson/Bruce Sheldon title fight in Las Vegas.

Smalls, real name Christopher Wallace, was killed on March 9, 1997. The pair had been former best friends until Shakur had alleged Smalls and Puff Daddy were involved in an attack on him early in 1995.

Scott was a journalist for the Las Vegas Sun who covered the killings.

Meanwhile, Shakur is set to be posthumously resurrected again as his poetry is
performed by various artists for a new CD, The Rose That Grew From Concrete
Volume 1, released in America on Amaru/Interscope, on November 21.

Mos Def, Q-Tip, Tre from the Pharcyde, Russell Simmons, Quincy Jones as well
as actors Danny Glover, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Jasmine Guy and others will
feature on the release that includes various musical and spoken word
interpretations of the deceased rapper's poetry from his 1999 book The Rose
that Grew From Concrete.

Speaking about the compilation, Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur said in a
statement "The wide array of talented performers who collaborated on the
album reflect Tupac's lifelong musical tastes.

"Each artist on the project deserves much praise for taking the time out of
their busy schedules and putting this project first."

Some of the proceeds from the sale of the CD will go to charitable
organisations including the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, Neibu Center for
Education and Culture, Inc., Impact Repertory Theatre, A Place Called Home,
Kuji Inc., The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation, and the Diabetes
Research Institute.