Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, the long-running investigation into one of the most infamous murders in music history has finally reached the courtroom.

Jury selection began on Monday in the trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a former gang leader who is the only person ever charged in connection with Shakur's killing. Prosecutors allege that Davis played a leading role in organising the attack and supplied the gun used during the shooting, although he is not accused of being the person who actually pulled the trigger.

Davis, 63, has pleaded not guilty and is facing a potential life sentence without parole if convicted. The proceedings are expected to last between four and five weeks, although the trial may not ultimately establish who fired the fatal shots.

Around 75 potential jurors were called to court at the beginning of the proceedings, where they were questioned about whether they could remain fair and impartial while considering a case that has attracted enormous attention around the world.

The jury selection process is expected to continue for much of the week before the trial itself gets under way.

For Shakur's family, the proceedings mark an emotional moment after decades of uncertainty surrounding the circumstances of his death.

William Lesane, who described himself as Shakur's cousin, told reporters outside court that the trial represented the culmination of 30 years of grief and trauma for the family. He said he hoped the proceedings would bring new information and that the appropriate person would ultimately be held accountable for Shakur's murder.

What happened to Tupac Shakur?

Tupac was just 25 when he was fatally wounded on 7 September 1996.

The rapper had been in Las Vegas with music executive Marion “Suge” Knight and had attended a heavyweight boxing match involving Mike Tyson at the MGM Grand. Later that evening, Shakur and Knight were travelling through the city in a black BMW when a white Cadillac pulled alongside them.

Shots were fired from the Cadillac, striking Shakur. Knight was also injured but survived.

Shakur was taken to hospital, where he died six days later.

His death came as he was at the height of his career, having become one of the most influential and commercially successful figures in hip-hop. His music had helped establish him as a major cultural figure, with songs including California Love and All Eyez on Me becoming synonymous with his legacy.

His murder also occurred during one of the most volatile periods in hip-hop, amid the highly publicised rivalry between the US east coast and west coast scenes.

Shakur was signed to Death Row Records, the Los Angeles-based label headed by Knight, while its rival, Bad Boy Records, was founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs and featured Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace.

The rivalry between the two camps became increasingly heated during the 1990s, creating an atmosphere of hostility that surrounded some of the biggest names in rap at the time. Wallace was himself murdered in Los Angeles in March 1997, just months after Shakur's death.

Why is Duane Davis accused?

Prosecutors' case centres on events that unfolded earlier on the night of Shakur's death.

According to the prosecution, Shakur and Knight were involved in an altercation with Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, who was Davis's nephew and a member of the South Side Compton Crips.

The confrontation reportedly followed an alleged assault involving a member of Death Row Records. Prosecutors argue that the incident gave Davis a motive to seek revenge against Shakur and Knight.

Later that night, Davis, Anderson and other men were travelling in a white Cadillac when it pulled alongside the BMW carrying Shakur and Knight. Shots were then fired from the Cadillac, fatally wounding the rapper.

Davis is the only surviving member of the group prosecutors believe was involved in the attack. The others have since died, meaning the trial is taking place decades after the original shooting and without the alleged gunman facing charges in court.

Importantly, prosecutors are not claiming that Davis was the person who fired the weapon. Instead, they allege that he helped organise the attack and provided the firearm, making him criminally responsible for the killing.

That distinction is likely to be central to the trial as the prosecution attempts to establish Davis's role in the events of that night.

How did the case come back into the spotlight?

For years, Shakur's murder remained officially unresolved, despite countless theories about who was responsible.

The investigation was revived in part because of statements Davis made publicly about the shooting.

In 2019, he published Compton Street Legend, a memoir that included an account of the night Shakur was killed. Prosecutors intend to use material from the book as evidence during the trial. Davis had previously made comments to reporters about his involvement, but his later public statements and the memoir helped bring renewed attention to the case.

According to the prosecution's account, Davis described being in the front of the Cadillac and passing a pistol towards people sitting in the back of the vehicle before it pulled alongside Shakur's car.

He was arrested in September 2023 following the renewed investigation. Since his arrest, however, Davis has changed his position and pleaded not guilty. His defence has argued that there is insufficient evidence against him and that the account contained in the memoir was exaggerated by his co-author.

The court has also recently ruled that evidence from an earlier interview Davis gave to police can be used during the proceedings, adding another potentially significant element to the prosecution's case.

What could the trial reveal?

Although the case has been surrounded by speculation for almost three decades, the trial itself may not answer every question surrounding Shakur's murder.

Prosecutors will attempt to convince the jury that Davis played a direct role in arranging the attack, while his defence will challenge the reliability of the evidence and his previous accounts.

The fact that Davis is accused of helping organise the killing rather than personally firing the weapon could make the question of his involvement particularly important. There is also the possibility that the proceedings will revisit some of the longstanding theories surrounding the east coast and west coast feud that dominated hip-hop at the time.

Shakur's death has generated countless theories over the years, with fans continuing to debate who ordered the attack, who fired the shots and what ultimately led to the rapper becoming a target.

The trial, however, will focus on evidence that can be presented in court rather than the many theories that have circulated publicly since 1996.

A new development involving Sean “Diddy” Combs

The case has also been drawn back into the spotlight following claims connected to Sean “Diddy” Combs.

In May, Shakur's stepbrother, Maurice Shakur, filed a wrongful death lawsuit which alleged that people involved in the rapper's killing had not been held accountable. The civil complaint referred to a documentary series in which Davis reportedly discussed an interview he had given to police.

The complaint includes an allegation that Davis told police Combs had offered him $1 million to kill Shakur.

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That is an allegation rather than an established finding, and Combs has previously denied involvement in Shakur's murder. It is separate from the criminal case currently being heard against Davis.

For now, the focus remains firmly on the Las Vegas courtroom and whether prosecutors can prove their case against the only person who has ever been charged in connection with Shakur's death.

Almost three decades after a shooting that changed the course of hip-hop history, the trial offers the possibility of answers for a family that has spent years waiting for accountability. But with the proceedings expected to last several weeks, there is still a long way to go before a jury decides whether Duane “Keffe D” Davis is legally responsible for Tupac Shakur's murder.