Pac’s Life, Part 1: Kevin Hackie

Ever since the death of Tupac Shakur there have been various stories, rumors, and mistruths floating throughout the streets. Even after eleven years of questions amongst the masses, no arrest has yet been made surrounding his murder. With the release of Tupac Assassination, filmmakers R.J. Bond and “Big Frank” Alexander attempt to put the pieces […]

Ever since the death of Tupac Shakur there have been various stories, rumors, and mistruths floating throughout the streets. Even after eleven years of questions amongst the masses, no arrest has yet been made surrounding his murder. With the release of Tupac Assassination, filmmakers R.J. Bond and “Big Frank” Alexander attempt to put the pieces together on what really went down leading up to that tragic evening in Vegas.  In a Q&A session that followed a recent private screening of the documentary, former Tupac bodyguard Kevin Hackie stated that he was working for the FBI during his tenure at Deathrow Records and dispelled the reports of him being a government witness.  With this startling piece of information now into play all eyes are on him.  In an explosive interview he dwarfs his previous shocking allegations that police corruption has always been the major hurdle in closing this case by actually naming the shooter.  AllHipHop.com gets a true inside look of what really happened to one of the greatest rappers of all time, from Hackie’s perpective.  AllHipHop.com: Give us a little introduction to yourself for all the readers who may not be all the way familiar with your story?

Kevin Hackie: I was a police officer for about seventeen years and I’m currently the CEO of a security company.  I worked undercover for about three and a half years for the government. Reggie Wright [General Manager of Death Row Records] I’ve known for about twenty years now.  AllHipHop.com: You and Reggie Wright both were officers in the Compton police department together correct?Kevin Hackie: Right, well I worked the school district gang unit and Reggie worked city.  But my primary focus was the schools but obviously we handled the overflow and everything.AllHipHop.com: As the story has been told to me Reggie Wright left the police department and went on to work at Death Row Records.  He simultaneously would also head up a company called Wright Way Security which primarily handled the security for Suge Knight and all the Death Row artists.  When did you start moonlighting as a security officer for Deathrow Records?Kevin Hackie: In 1992, but late 92’.AllHipHop.com: At that time were you still a Compton police officer or were you working with the FBI?Kevin Hackie: Police officer, I worked double.  I was still a police officer and I was paid by the government for three years and I was still paid by the police department too.  AllHipHop.com: I’ve heard that you were a Compton police officer and then got arrested for unregistered firearm charges.  Is that true or was it fabricated to conceal your link to the FBI?Kevin Hackie: Right, my case ended up being overturned on appeal it was about seven months total [jail time].  AllHipHop.com: When did you get promoted to the FBI?  Kevin Hackie: It wasn’t really a promotion.  I’ll tell you how it all happened.  I had applied to be a DEA agent, a drug enforcement agent.  Then one thing led to the next and it was announced to me that they were watching Reggie [Wright] and Suge [Knight].  Basically I got called into the chief’s office and I was introduced to a couple of FBI agents and that’s how everything got started.  Basically there was a promise [made] that they were going to do this and that for me.  You know forward my application for me and one thing led to the next.  I went through the next three years.  At the end of the day once he [Tupac] was shot I had a falling out with the lead agent in charge over the case and that’s how the story ended.AllHipHop.com: Was the decision to moonlight as security for Deathrow Records a decision of yours or a mandate from the FBI?Kevin Hackie: No, I was already in place.  I was already working [there].  I was the closest one to Reggie Wright at the time.  I was the closest one on the inside.  AllHipHop.com: Did the FBI divulge their reasons for keeping their eyes and ears on Deathrow Records?Kevin Hackie: They had suspected Reggie of carrying out..um how can I say this, criminal activities for Suge Knight.  AllHipHop.com:  I need you to elaborate on that.Kevin Hackie: I can’t but you can also note that there was a Long Beach police officer who worked undercover with me also.AllHipHop.com: Who is the police officer in question?Kevin Hackie: I can’t give you his name because he is still an active police officer.AllHipHop.com: Okay.  So what you are saying is that this police officer in question was working security for Deathrow Records?Kevin Hackie: Yes.AllHipHop.com: Where did the misconception that you were a government witness start to come up versus you just working alongside the FBI?Kevin Hackie: That all came about with the [Christopher] Wallace case; I ended up having a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles.  The city of Los Angeles, well a particular detective sold my files to my understanding for a half of million dollars.  That’s where the Rolling Stone article came about. It was about five or six years ago?AllHipHop.com: Yes the article was called “The Murder Of The Notorious B.I.G.” It came out in 2001.  The article broke the story about the alleged cover ups in the LAPD in regards to closing the B.I.G. homicide case.Kevin Hackie: LAPD of course had a file on me but all of the documents which were ten to twelve different tapes, all the wire taps, a particular individual sold all that.  AllHipHop.com: Really?Kevin Hackie: Yeah that’s all that stuff went into that [article] and of course the Wallace family, you know about the lawsuit a couple of years ago?  And you know quite frankly I didn’t want to be involved in that situation any more.  That’s where it came about with the informant [accusations], because they had all the documentation of course from the LAPD and privy of course to the tapes…because the tapes they finally had to handover the tapes to me obviously from a federal lawsuit in 2001.  I don’t know if you are familiar with the Wallace case and my case; Judge Florence Cooper is the same judge in both cases.  She was the judge in my city case which settled out and settled the Wallace case.AllHipHop.com: How did those tapes and documents get taken from you by that particular individual?Kevin Hackie: They weren’t stolen from me, someone in the LAPD sold them; internal affairs.  AllHipHop.com: The Tupac Assassination documentary that comes out shortly basically points the finger at two individuals that were behind Pac’s murder.  Clearly with your past you are very familiar with these two individuals in question.  Do you agree with the film’s conclusion?Kevin Hackie: I agree 110%.AllHipHop.com: Help me out here.   Since I am not able to divulge the names of those two individuals that the documentary points the finger to at this time can you give me further insight on what went down the night of Pac’s murder?Kevin Hackie: Well the bottom line is Orlando Anderson and you can quote this did shoot Tupac.  There’s no doubt about that.  There is an arrest warrant…there is a paper trail in 1998 [that] he was going to be arrested for this crime actually about twenty four hours before he was shot.  Of course obviously [there were] individuals still working within the Compton police department as you know Reggie’s [Wright] dad [Reggie Wright Sr.] was still a lieutenant or a LA county sheriff at the time.  But of course he [Orlando Anderson] mysteriously ends up dead the next day.  There’s a paper trail to that.  AllHipHop.com: What’s your take on Orlando Anderson?  It was revealed to me he never even had tickets to that Mike Tyson / Bruce Seldon fight that went down in Las Vegas the night Pac got hit.  Do you believe that scuffle between Orlando and Deathrow was staged to differ attention on the murder away from the actual two individuals in question?Kevin Hackie: By all means.  I’ll put it to you this way, I’d put up my money ten million double my money or nothing.  I’ll leave it at that.AllHipHop.com: That’s a bold statement.  Is it true there were FBI agents in cars tailing Tupac the night that he got shot?Kevin Hackie: Yup.AllHipHop.com: Were they tailing him because…Kevin Hackie: Draw your own conclusions, let’s leave it at that.AllHipHop.com: Any reason why the FBI would keep real a close eye on Pac but when he gets killed the homicide case is not handled properly at all?Kevin Hackie: First of all I can tell you right now it was no secret that the government had no love for Tupac Shakur.  Excuse my French, it was a case of another n***a that had money and then the Hip-Hop game was dirty anyway and throughout my affidavit which these answers will be brought out.  By no means whatsoever this kid wasn’t a gang member; it was just hype to sell records.  But I know first hand that they [the government] didn’t care for him and the new district attorney in Clark County David Roger; that’s somebody you may want to give a call to.  David Roger, he is actually the new district attorney.  You may want to call him or either email him.  I’ve had some back and forth communications with him last week email wise.  AllHipHop.com: He’s located in Las Vegas correct?Kevin Hackie: He’s the head district attorney.  It’s up to him to go ahead to convene a grand jury.  Contrary to popular belief most of the strip that people think of as a strip is not in Las Vegas it’s in Clark County.  The county’s district attorney office really and truly needs to push forward but obviously the Las Vegas police never presented a case and of course you have basically the Las Vegas Metro Police saying that Compton PD f***ed it up.  And of course you have Compton police officers saying well Las Vegas police f***ed it up. And with Compton police in their eyes, they solved the case.  AllHipHop.com: Do you agree that Compton police solved the case?Kevin Hackie: Well yes and no they did solve the case.  But at the end of the day you’re not going to want to crucify one of your own because what’s going to happen?  You are going to have another Rampart scandal even though Compton police department is no longer in existence you are still going to have a big scandal.  AllHipHop.com: It’s a political hot potato that nobody wants to hold.Kevin Hackie: Exactly, no one wants responsibility for it.  AllHipHop.com: In your opinion will this case ever be solved?Kevin Hackie: I think at this point in time after eleven years I think at this point in time I think there should be some closure to the case hopefully.  There are new people in place management wise as far as enforcement and I think at this point in time the case can be solved.  I’m multiracial.  My mother is Puerto Rican and my father is white; Jewish.  Bottom line if Tupac Shakur was white, you know and I know this case would have been solved.  We have a prime example with this OJ [Simpson] situation right now.  AllHipHop.com: Yeah it mirrors that infamous Dave Chappelle Show sketch about racial injustice where he said Nicole Simpson can’t rap.Kevin Hackie: Exactly. He didn’t warrant anything to lock him up there with no bail on a bottom line bullsh*t case.  I mean here we are in 2007 there’s still unfair treatment.  If Tupac had of been white, no problem.  You got to remember at that time, let’s face it Deathrow Records was controlling everything.  AllHipHop.com: Be a little more clear for me, not just the record industry correct?Kevin Hackie: Okay, not just the record industry.  There were a lot of people on the payroll, a lot of people.  AllHipHop.com: I’m assuming that’s the same assumption that could be applied to the Christopher Wallace homicide case as well?Kevin Hackie: Exactly.  What you might want to note is that LAPD detective Greg Kading concurred with me that there will be an arrest in the Wallace case shortly.  Greg Kading who’s status with the LAPD and you can quote this, is confidential said there will be an arrest made shortly.  AllHipHop.com: With all the information you just divulged to me do you ever fear for your life with the people you believe to be involved in both murders?Kevin Hackie: I’m in fear for my life everyday, always have been.  But I think at this point in time if I come up and something happens to me I think there would be a public outcry in a sense.  We know who pulled the trigger, there’s no doubt about it.AllHipHop.com: In closing what’s next for you?Kevin Hackie: What’s next for me?AllHipHop.com: Yes.Kevin Hackie: Make another ten million next year.  That’s it (laughs).  And for the record this isn’t informant money, I have my own successful security company.  Stay tuned for AllHipHop.com’s exclusive interview with Reggie Wright.