Why Rapper Tupac Got Fired From ‘Menace II Society’

Menace II Society is now a film that was released over twenty years ago. While it launched Allen Hughes’ career, there’s one critical person who was missing from the film. According to director Allen Hughes, who made his directorial debut with the thug-life drama, said that slain rapper Tupac Shakur was supposed to be in the film.

When Menace II Society hit theaters the rapper was still alive and well, so why wasn’t Tupac included in the cast? According to Hughes the rapper was creating on-set troubles. Shakur was supposed to be featured in the film, but the tension on set between Tupac and Allen Hughes came to be too much, as the two had a physical altercation, which resulted in the rapper charged with assault and battery.

Hughes wasn’t the only person on set who wasn’t happy with Tupac’s attitude on set. Tyrin Turner recently went on MTV’S RapFixLive to honor the 20th anniversary of Menace II Society, and had this to say about Tupac’s early involvement with the film: “We at a table reading, and Tupac’s just annoyed. We’re trying to read and he’s just annoyed.”

There’s no doubt that Tupac’s role would have been significant to the film. Tupac was slated to play Sharif, who was a good kid trapped in South Central LA. After Tupac was fired the role ultimately went to Vonte Sweet. It is said that Tupac wanted his role to be bigger during the production, and Hughes did not see eye to eye with him on that.

As we all know Tupac went on to shine in 1993’s cult classic film Poetic Justice. However, all is forgiven by Hughes, and the director admits that Tupac’s presence in the film would have been huge. “If ‘Pac had been in the movie he would’ve out-shined everyone. It would’ve thrown the whole axis of the movie off if Tupac was in it, because he was bigger than the movie.”

Would you have wanted to see Tupac in Menace II Society?