Mutulu Shakur, Tupac Shakur’s Stepfather, Dead At 72

Mutulu Shakur has died at the age of 72, according to Newsone and several other reports.

On Friday (July 7) it was revealed that Shakur had passed away on Thursday (July 6) night by Activist Kamau Franklin. Shakur, who was also Tupac Shakur’s stepfather, was a member of the New Afrikan movement and the Black Liberation Army. In 1981, he was arrested for racketeering, robbery, and murder, leading to an initial 60-year sentence.

While behind bars, the political figure developed stage 3 multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that impacts the bones and kidneys. According to NBC News, Mutulu also contracted COVID-19 “at least twice,” resulting in the man being fed through IV feeding tubes in the months before his release from prison.

In May 2022, Brad Thomson, Mutulu’s attorney, asserted that doctors with the Federal Bureau of Prisons estimated Shakur had “less than six months to live.”

The outlet reports that Mutulu Shakur was arrested after being deemed the leader of a gang of men that burglarized a Brink’s armored car in New York. The incident turned deadly, leaving two policemen and a guard dead.

In the years after his detainment, supporters of the activist protested the arrest, claiming the police wanted to make an example out of Shakur due to his ties with revolutionary Black nationalist groups. Shakur had been recently discharged from prison after being released on parole, serving 36 years behind bars.

Speaking with the outlet in January 2023, the activist opened up about regaining his freedom, disclosing he fought to see another day outside of the cell throughout the years. “​​I’m so happy to be free,” he said. “I fought hard every day that I was incarcerated. I have a lot to do, hoping that society gives me another swing at it. But my life is an example of what could happen. I am very hopeful.”

VIBE sends our deepest condolences to the Shakur family during this time.

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