Amaru Entertainment

Lore & Background

Amaru Entertainment was founded in 1997 by Afeni Shakur following the death of her son Tupac Amaru Shakur. The label was established to manage and release Tupac's previously unreleased material, securing rights to recordings from his tenures at Interscope and Death Row Records, as well as the rights to re-release his Interscope solo albums such as 2Pacalypse Now, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..., and Me Against the World. The label began distributing through Jive Records with the album R U Still Down? (Remember Me), but by 2011 distribution had shifted to Interscope. Over time, Amaru released multiple posthumous albums by 2Pac and a documentary titled Tupac: Resurrection.

On May 2, 2016, Afeni Shakur died of a heart attack. Following her death, the management and control of Amaru Entertainment has been subject to legal disputes, with Tom Whalley, the music executive who originally signed Tupac to Interscope Records, and Sekyiwa 'Set' Shakur, Tupac's younger half-sister and president of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, engaged in ongoing litigation over control of the label and Tupac's estate.

The label became involved in a controversy when Amaru Records announced it would sue South Korean girl group Baby Vox and their agency to stop the use of Shakur's music and trademarks without a license agreement. Baby Vox responded that the sampling was done legally after receiving an offer from a company at Bungaroo Music, and that Amaru does not hold all of Shakur's copyrights, which are shared by several labels including Tupac State and Interscope. They also stated they had purchased rights for the Asian region from Death Row and DTTG. The outcome of the dispute remains unclear, with no widely known public resolution confirming that the matter was resolved as a simple misunderstanding.

Reader's Guide

Amaru Entertainment holds a significant place in music history as the vehicle through which Tupac Shakur's posthumous catalog has been managed and released. Founded by his mother Afeni Shakur, the label ensured that Tupac's artistic legacy continued after his death, releasing 11 posthumous albums and a documentary. The label's legal battles, including a copyright lawsuit against Baby Vox that was resolved as a misunderstanding, highlight the complexities of managing an artist's estate across international boundaries. The ongoing litigation between Tom Whalley and Sekyiwa Shakur over control of the label and estate underscores the challenges of stewardship after the founder's death. Amaru's role in preserving and distributing Tupac's work has made it a central institution in hip-hop history, though its operations have been marked by disputes over rights and management.

Did You Know?

• After Afeni Shakur's death in 2016, control of the label has been subject to legal disputes between Tom Whalley and Sekyiwa Shakur.
• Amaru sued Baby Vox over use of Shakur's music, but the case's resolution is not definitively confirmed as a simple misunderstanding.

Founding & Mission

Amaru Entertainment, originally operating under the name Amaru Records, was established in 1997 by Afeni Shakur in the aftermath of her son Tupac Amaru Shakur's death. The label was born from a singular purpose: to shepherd Tupac's unreleased recordings into the public sphere. Afeni secured the rights to material recorded during his tenure at both Interscope and Death Row Records, along with the authority to reissue four of his Interscope-era albums—2Pacalypse Now, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..., Thug Life, Volume I, and Me Against the World. This arrangement gave the label a comprehensive claim over a significant portion of Tupac's recorded legacy, positioning it as the primary custodian of his posthumous musical output. The very name "Amaru" carried the weight of Tupac's full birth name, embedding his identity directly into the corporate structure itself.

Posthumous Catalog & Distribution

Over the years following Tupac's death, Amaru Entertainment built an extensive posthumous catalog, ultimately releasing eleven albums under the rapper's name. The label also extended its reach beyond recorded music, producing the documentary Tupac: Resurrection, which offered a broader cultural portrait of the artist. Distribution strategy evolved over time: the label initially partnered with Jive Records, with their first release under that arrangement being R U Still Down? (Remember Me). By 2011, however, the distribution relationship had shifted to Interscope Records—the same label that had originally signed Tupac during his active career. This full-circle arrangement meant that the very company that had once championed Tupac as a living artist also became the channel through which his posthumous work reached listeners, creating a continuous thread between his years in the studio and his enduring presence in the marketplace.

Leadership Transition & Estate Dispute

The long-term future of Amaru Entertainment was thrown into uncertainty following the death of its founder. Afeni Shakur passed away on May 2, 2016, from a heart attack, leaving the label without the matriarchial figure who had built it from the ground up in the wake of her son's killing. In the wake of her passing, day-to-day management fell to Tom Whalley, the music executive who had originally signed Tupac to Interscope Records. However, this transition quickly became contentious. Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur, Tupac's younger half-sister and the president of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, entered into ongoing litigation with Whalley over who held legitimate authority over Amaru Entertainment and, by extension, Tupac's estate. The dispute pitted a family member against a business partner, raising difficult questions about the long-term stewardship of one of hip-hop's most iconic catalogs.

The Baby Vox Controversy

Amaru Entertainment found itself at the center of a high-profile international dispute involving the South Korean girl group Baby Vox. The incident began when Lee Ha-neul of DJ DOC publicly criticized Baby Vox for what he perceived as commercial exploitation of a deceased artist, escalating matters by using the sexually derogatory term "Miari Vox" on his personal website. In response, Amaru Records announced it would sue Baby Vox and their agency for unauthorized use of Shakur's music and trademarks. Baby Vox pushed back, explaining that their sampling of Tupac's work had been legally cleared through a company connected to Bungaroo Music, and that they had purchased Asian-region rights to music, portraits, and video from Death Row and DTTG. They also noted that Amaru did not hold exclusive rights to all of Shakur's copyrights, which were shared among multiple labels. The matter was ultimately resolved as a misunderstanding once the legal purchases were confirmed, though the episode left lasting reputational scars on all parties involved.

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