It seems like everyone’s clamoring for a Tupac movie these days (there’s one coming out in June), and if you’re into movies following famous hip hop artists’ crazy life stories, today brings some pretty big news: a feature-length Tupac documentary is coming from none other than 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen.

Deadline reports that McQueen has partnered with Amaru Entertainment, Tupac}s mother Afeni Shakur’s company, and Jayson Jackson, producer of Nina Simone documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? (which is currently on Netflix). They’ll be working with Nigel Sinclair}s White Horse Pictures (The Beatles: Eight Days A Week–The Touring Years). 

Tupac’s career as a rapper only lasted five years, but his records have sold over 75 million worldwide, and this year he became the first solo hip hop artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was murdered in a drive-by in 1996.

McQueen expressed his excitement and personal connection to the project in a statement:

I am extremely moved and excited to be exploring the life and times of this legendary artist. I attended NYU film school in 1993 and can remember the unfolding hip-hop world and mine overlapping with Tupac’s through a mutual friend in a small way. Few, if any shined brighter than Tupac Shakur. I look forward to working closely with his family to tell the unvarnished story of this talented man.

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