Tupac Shakur was remembered by leading figures in the world of rap and R&B during a 40th birthday concert in Atlanta on Thursday (16th June 2011). Tupac Shakur's legacy was celebrated by the likes of Rick Ross, the jazz musician Roy Ayers, singer Erykah Badu and Warren G, reports the Associated Press.
The birthday celebration came just hours after New York City police confirmed they were investigating a confession by a convicted felon who claims to have shot and robbed Tupac in 1994. Dexter Isaac, currently serving a life sentence for an unrelated charge, claims he was paid $2,500 by rap mogul James Rosemond to shoot the rapper in Manhattan. Responding to the confession at Thursday's concert, rapper Warren G said, "You have a lot of family, friends and fans that still love for Tupac. A lot of people aren't going to let something like this go. For a dude who is just now coming out with this, it's bold". Comedian Mike Epps hosted the concert at the Atlanta Symphony Hall, where Shakur's mother Afeni was presented with a $10,000 check for her foundation to help students develop their skills in the creative arts.
Tupac Shakur was murdered in Las Vegas in 1996, in a case that remains unsolved. One of rap's biggest-selling artists at the time, Tupac was gunned down after watching Mike Tyson fight Bruce Sheldon at the Mgm Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.