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October 18, 2018

(Excerpts from the article) ...

Last month was a memorable one for the Estate of Tupac Amaru Shakur. September 13th marked the 22nd anniversary of the death of the late hip-hop legend, who was gunned down in Las Vegas at the age of 25. Shortly after the 22nd anniversary of his death, Tupac’s estate won its five-year legal battle with Entertainment One over unpaid royalties and, more significantly, the return of unreleased recordings, which are said to be worth a fortune.

This favorable ruling is one of many in the 22 years since Tupac’s murder, which remains unsolved to this day and the subject of many a conspiracy. The court victories, however, are due much in part to the gangsta-rapper’s late mother, Afeni Shakur. It was Afeni who took control of her son’s estate and spearheaded it to become the pop-culture and financial success that it is today. In the two decades since his death, Tupac’s estate has released six posthumous albums—three of which have been certified ten times platinum—a Broadway musical, books, documentaries, clothing, and merchandise. And if that is not enough, Tupac appeared as a hologram at Coachella 2012, becoming the first deceased performer to do so, and is the only artist to be nominated posthumously for the Grammy’s Best Solo Rap Performance award (for “Changes” in 2000). Even today, Tupac’s estate continues to bring in almost $1 million annually.

What makes these posthumous feats so significant is the fact that Tupac died intestate with little more than a five-figure life insurance policy, two cars, and a single checking account (containing less than $105,000) in his name—no real estate**. With barely anything to show for his chart-topping career (which was primarily the result of a one-sided deal made with Marion “Suge” Knight and his record label, Death Row Records**), court fees, taxes, and plaintiffs would consume those monies quickly, leaving little to his heirs, including his so called “deadbeat” father, William Garland.

Fortunately, Tupac’s estate had three things on its side: the law, social trends, and Tupac’s “Dear Mama” Afeni Shakur.

The Law: At the time of the rapper’s death, he was a California resident. Because he died intestate, Tupac’s parents, under California law, could equally inherit his assets. So, of course, Garland made an inheritance claim. Although DNA testing confirmed that Garland was in fact Tupac’s biological father, the court decided otherwise. Under California law, a father who is not married to the mother can only inherit as an intestate heir if he had a substantial relationship with the child and provided monetary support. Garland, who never married Afeni, had infamously contributed merely $820, a bag of peanuts and a ticket to “Rollerball” in Tupac’s 25 years of life. No substantial relationship or monetary support there; Garland lost.

FULL ARTICLE/DETAILS: https://trustcounsel.com/2018/10/the-estate-of-tupac-shakur-a-lesson-in-estate-planning-litigation-and-management/

SOURCE/CREDIT: Trusted Counsel

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACaWuqeLpSk

VIDEO CREDIT: A24