Gang Related (1997)
With a title like Gang Related one might assume Tupac’s last outing will be again as a gang member but gangs are nowhere to be found in Gang Related. Tupac plays a corrupt cop with a conscience who, together with James Belushi, has a scheme in which they sell cocaine from the evidence room to dealers only to kill them minutes later after receiving money. They put the evidence back and mostly get assigned to the case the next day and make it seem as something gang related. All goes wrong when a hit turns out to be an undercover DEA agent and his colleagues start investigating things.
Of the two corrupt cops Tupac’s the good one. Though never mentioned it’s clear that Belushi’s character orchestrates everything, his partner is only in it because he’s got a gambling debt with a loan shark. He’s reluctant about the killing but has no choice because he’s already in too deep.
Tupac, while playing a bad character, has got a difficult job in playing a character we have to feel sympathy for and does not do a bad job. He shows range as he has too perform slightly innocent in court, breaks down in his apartment and never over shouts himself in the many fiery arguments with Belushi. Tupac gets honored by a dedication before the end credits and we hear him on several occasions on the soundtrack during the course of the movie, mostly during scenes in a strip joint. The movie got mixed reviews and has a 60% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but Tupac was unanimously praised for his acting and the general belief is that a great actor has been lost.
As a final feature this wasn’t his best movie, but he sure could’ve done a lot worse, like appearing in a Chevy Chase movie. I liked the film as you can read in my review.
