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| Actor Josh Duhamel stars in "Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G." premiering on Feb. 27, 2018 at 10 p.m. (EST) on the USA Network. (CNW Group/Core Magazines |
Who shot Biggie and Tupac?Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. is a scripted, true-crime series which chronicles the investigation of real-life detectives Greg Kading (played by Josh Duhamel) and Russell Poole (Jimmi Simpson) into the murders of two of the rap industry's most legendary players.
This question has been asked again and again over the years since the world lost two of its most legendary yet controversial musicians. Despite many conspiracy theories and high-profile investigations into their deaths their murders remain unsolved after decades. Will we finally get some answers?
The role of Tupac Shakur is played by newcomer Marcc Rose and The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls) by Wavyy Jonez.
The 10-episode TV series explores the complicated friendship between Biggie and Tupac in the 1990s, the era that the East Coast v. West Coast rivalry in the rap music industry was said to be at its greatest divide. The series delves into the culture that defined the two artists, was defined by them, and was forever changed in the wake of their untimely deaths.
Emmy-award winning producer Anthony Hemingway (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Red Tails, Underground) is the director and executive producer of the Unsolved series about Tupac and Biggie with Mark Taylor through their Hemingway | Taylor production company. Kyle Long (Suits) wrote the pilot and is an executive producer on the show. Former LAPD detective Kading, from the 2006 case and author of the book Murder Rap: The Untold Story of Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations also serves as co-executive producer on this limited series from Universal Cable Productions. Lyah Beth LeFlore is a co-producer and music supervisor.
There have been many investigations over the years, to figure out what happened in those two cases and as to how and if they're connected. Another question that people always seem to ask is, How can a case this famous, with personalities so prominent still be unsolved? Hopefully this series will give us some clear answers.
⏩ Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. - part one of 10 starts on Feb. 27, 2018 at 10 p.m. (EST) on the USA Network
The Trailer:
The actors who play Biggie, Tupac and the detectives who try to solve their murders: |
| "Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G." premiers Feb. 27, 2018 at 10 p.m. (EST) on the USA Network (CNW Group/Core Magazines) |
⏩ Marcc Rose will star in his second role in Unsolved. His other role was also as Shakur, in Straight Outta Compton, his debut acting role. I suppose they chose him for the part not only for his acting ability but also because of the uncanny resemblance to Shakur. It will certainly add to Rose's believability in the role.
Here is something about him you may not know. Before Rose got into the industry he was in the fashion business as creator and designer of the urban clothing line called Controversial Treatment.
⏩ Wavyy Jonez is the mirror image of Wallace (Biggie), a Brooklyn honour student who became a small-time drug dealer before becoming known as the face of East Coast rap. He was shot and killed in Los Angeles six months after Shakur.
This is Jonez's very first acting role. He was discovered among thousands of hopefuls who auditioned in a nationwide open casting call for the role of Notorious B.I.G. in Unsolved. His video audition captured the attention of casting directors and the show's director, Anthony Hemingway. Jonez is a rapper with a metaphorical style reminiscent of New York artists of the 1990s. His first mixtape was called R.E.D. D.O.P.E. (Real Everyday Drama Doing Over People's Expectation).
⏩ Josh Duhamel plays Det. Greg Kading, who headed a multi-agency task-force to find out who was responsible for Wallace's murder.
Duhamel has had numerous roles in film and television, appearing in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Lasse Hallstrom's Safe Haven, George C. Wolfe's You're Not You and Garry Marshall's New Year's Eve opposite Hilary Swank and Emmy Rossum; as well as Life as We Know It with Katherine Heigl, When in Rome, Lost in the Sun, Bravetown, and The Romantics. Known for playing Danny McCoy on the NBC crime drama Las Vegas, he recently appeared in 11.22.63, Misconduct, and Spaceman. Duhamel is a three-time Emmy-nominated actor for his role on the soap opera All My Children.
⏩ Officer Daryn Dupree was a key member of Kading's task force and someone who had extensive knowledge of both Los Angeles gangs and the rap industry. Dupree is played by Harlem-native Bokeem Woodbine (Ray, Life, Devil, The Host, and Riddick).
Woodbine's first role was a lead in Forrest Whitaker's directorial debut, Strapped. Since then he has appeared in films of all genres. He recently appeared in Underground, directed by Hemingway, and in Spider-Man: Homecoming. His credits on television include Saving Grace and The Billionaire Boys Club. Most recently, he starred in the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning series Fargo, in which he was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Mike Milligan.
⏩ Russell Poole investigated Notorious B.I.G.'s murder in 1997. He became convinced that the LAPD was covering up something. His findings eventually led Biggie's mother Voletta Wallace to file a massive lawsuit against the city. She used the $400 million she received from the claim to help open a second investigation into her son's death.
Poole is played by Jimmi Simpson (Westworld, House of Cards), a SAG Award-nominated actor. Simpson (Herbie: Fully Loaded, White House Down) who made his feature film debut in the teen comedy Loser, directed by Amy Heckerling, has acted in Under the Silver Lake and an upcoming Errol Morris miniseries.
He has also appeared in multiple series such as Hap and Leonard, The Newsroom, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, USA Network's Psych and NBC's This Is Us.
He has also appeared in multiple series such as Hap and Leonard, The Newsroom, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, USA Network's Psych and NBC's This Is Us.
⏩ These actors have joined the cast; Jamie McShane (Bloodline) as Det. Fred Miller, Brent Sexton (The Killing) as Det. Brian Tyndall, Luke James (Black Nativity) as Sean "Puffy" Combs, Aisha Hinds(Underground) as Biggie's mother Voletta Wallace, and Letoya Luckett (Rosewood) as Suge Knight'sestranged wife Sharitha Golden.
by Cherryl Bird – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Twitter @ladycbird | Instagram @cherrylbird
SOURCE: Core Magazines
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