'Defiant Ones' director to helm docu-series on Tupac

Los Angeles, May 22 (IANS) Director Allen Hughes, who helmed the award-winning documentary "The Defiant Ones," has closed a deal with Tupac Shakurs estate for a five-part docu-series for which he will have full access to all of the late rappers released and unreleased recordings, writings and poetry, according to an announcement from his representative.The announcement says the series will be "the first definitive, comprehensive project on Shakur with the full cooperation of the estate," reports variety.com. A representative for the estate confirmed the deal.Hughes will direct and is an executive producer with Lasse Järvi and Charles D. King. A representative for Hughes declined to provide further information.Hughes himself worked with Shakur in the early 1990s, directing a video (with his brother, Albert Hughes) for the rapper's early hit "Brenda's Got a Baby". However, the two got into a fistfight in 1993 that resulted in the rapper being sent to jail for 15 days.The dispute came about after Shakur was cast in the Hughes brothers' breakthrough film "Menace II Society". They argued with Shakur over his character during a script reading and the rapper left the film.The fight actually occurred later, during the shooting of a Spice1 video connected to the film. Shakur and Hughes reportedly began arguing again and the rapper and/or his entourage seriously beat up the director. Hughes pressed charges for assault and the rapper was found guilty in 1994, but was sentenced to just 15 days.The rapper was murdered in 1996.
--IANS dc/bc