Labyrinth: The True Story of City of Lies, the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. and the Implication of the Los Angele

by Randall Sullivan

Book Overview

In September 1996, Tupac Shakur was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. In March 1997, the Notorious B.I.G. was similarly shot after an awards show in Los Angeles. Neither crime has ever been solved. Also in 1997, highly decorated LAPD detective Russell Poole uncovered evidence that certain officers in the department were moonlighting for Death Row Records--and, when he was placed on the task force assigned to the Notorious B.I.G.'s murder,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080213971X
• ISBN13: 9780802139719
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A shocking and horrific read

The book is an excellent read, and for the reader from Trenton, NJ, if you already knew what was going on in regards to the whole Death Row/Tupac/Biggie murder, then why did you buy the book? And if the reader from Trenton did know so much about Suge Knight, then he would not have found it highly unlikely that these rougue cops who were associates of Suge Knight could instill the kind of fear into their co-workers as they did. The book exposes the dirty side of both politics and law enforcement and although it does happen in every city it doesn't mean it's right. And apparently the Chief of police was not doing his job since he was not re-elected. I admire this detectives time, dedication, and courage to expose Suge Knight. I also admire his dedication to trying to solve the horrific murders of these great entertainers and it is just unfortunate that politics is overriding these two unjust murders and who knows how many others. A must read!

The Truth is BEHIND the headlines

A book like LAbryinth is so compelling, and so right on that it is amazing that LA society in general does not get up in arms when they read of the lax police policy that allows thugs and gangsters to foist rap music as an artform, and brutality as a modus operandi on the public. OK OK all people are entitled to produce their personal music, but the crude lyrics are far exceeded in debauchery by the tacit police compliance by LA's famous Chief Bernard Parks and a band of his hand picked corrupted officers. THAT A FIRST CLASS DETECTIVE LIKE RUSSELL POOLE RESIGNS BECAUSE HE IS UNABLE TO DO HIS JOB is not only frightening but should be totally unacceptable to anyone who reads or hears about the book. Chief Parks' contract has not been renewed, but why is this LAbyrinth information still not blasting from the front page of the LA Times? Informed readers shake their heads, and the rappers shake their booty. What needs to shake is the very foundation of the LA police department.

An Excellent Book

I'm not sure why I grabbed this book -- at best I'm a very casual rap fan, being more of an "old school" type (very old school). Perhaps it was my interest in the history of police corruption in Los Angeles, which goes back to the days of Raymond Chandler and beyond.In any case, this is an excellent read. Sullivan takes a very complex tale with many players and makes it easy to follow. The writing is clear, crisp and clean. His logical analysis of the controversies in the investigation seem very sound. This is not a book that will titillate people with a voyeuristic look at the rap lifestyle. He keeps the focus very tightly on the murder investigations and the connections between rogue LAPD officers and Death Row records.I guess I have only two quibbles. First, the book needs an index. We get a timeline (very helpful), a cast of characters, even recommended further readings. But an index would be nice. Second, and this is not Sullivan's fault in anyway, this is a very grim tale. Evil goes unpunished, the truth is suppressed by authorities and good guys are in short supply.People who lived through the L.A. police corruption scandals of earlier eras would find much to recognize in this tale.

An excellent read

After finishing LAbyrinth, I can say I am extremely pleased with Randall Sullivan's effort. The book was thoroughly researched, well written, and is the most definitive work written on the Biggie Smalls/Tupac murders. Although there are plenty of dates and facts throughout, the book's narrative is easy to follow, and it doesn't really read like a text. If you're interested in true crime and/or the rap industry's seething underbelly, then this should be a top choice. Also included is a startling portrait of the LAPD as one of the most corrupt police organizations in U.S. history. The binding thread in this book is Detective Russell Poole's investigation of Biggie's murder, and the subsequent LAPD officer ties to Death Row Record's executive Suge Knight. Highly recommended reading.

the truth is out...

this book breaks it down. tupac, knew he had to get out of death row and suge knight, david kenner and everyone at there disposal killed tupac...straight up. i always thought suge did it. now i know... it is so ironic that the value of the race card played in los angeles and las vegas,the card which should've protected pac and bigie, the police and politicians fearing another o.j. simpson incident was at the root of tupac and biggie not having justice served for them! both of these young and gifted black brothas are dead, assassinated and the killers go free because know one wanted to get involved or bust the bad black cops doing dirt. what a shame, my favorite rapper and a gifted black leader went out like this!!! everyone should do ther job as an american, read this book and never let this injustice happen again!!! damn, the truth in this book makes me soo mad...