Romesh Ranganathan brutally branded 'idiotic' over Tupac Shakur murder theory
Romesh Ranganathan's theory about Tupac Shakur's manager Suge Knight being the man who murdered him was quickly shot down by a childhood friend.
In scenes screened on BBC Two this evening, he was branded "idiotic". Romesh had probed the idea that Suge may have wanted him killed as he "didn't want to pay royalties" he owed him, or because Tupac wanted to leave the record label and Suge "thought the only way he'd leave was dead".
However, Reggie Wright Jr - an old school friend of the late rapper and former security chief at his label, Death Row Records - swiftly dismissed the suggestion, telling him: "Idiotic. If you believe that [theory], that's what you are." Romesh shot back: "Okay, well, I think we can strike that one off then!"
Romesh filmed the documentary as a self-confessed hip-hop obsessive, admitting that he has been "completely and utterly in love with the music and culture" for 34 years.
READ MORE: Rob and Romesh get 'set on fire' in new series of their 'Versus' challenge show
He praised Tupac for his "impactful" music, which sensitively tackled hard-hitting "social issues", including the "plight of single mothers [and] how drugs have infiltrated black communities".
However, the rapper was shot at the age of just 25, dying days later in hospital - and now, almost three decades later, no-one has yet been convicted of his murder.
Romesh vowed that, despite "admittedly [having] no experience of criminal investigations whatsoever", he would "try to solve the mystery once and for all".
MoRR: Romesh being branded 'idiotic' over Tupac death theoryThe show saw him research the case along with criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw, whom he joked had "agreed to solve the case on my behalf and given me the credit".
While he came no closer to a proven theory about the death - and all of his leads were shot down by Julia, who repeatedly told him he needed "evidence" - he did reflect poignantly on his feelings for the rapper.
He admitted he was "in two minds" about whether it was "okay" to like Tupac, as he'd previously been convicted of the sexual abuse of a teenager and jailed for it.
The "conflicted" comedian showed a more serious side of himself than usual as he mused: "Are you allowed to like Tupac? Should we even be making this show?"
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He continued: "If the music's c**p, it's very easy to make a decision... [but] when you really like somebody, you want to believe they're innocent of whatever they've been accused of."
Romesh quizzed: "If someone does something you don't agree with, can you in good conscience continue to listen to them?"
Meanwhile, despite taking a gangland culture tour to check out of some of the most notorious hip-hop hot spots, and even visiting the exact location where Tupac was killed, he was no nearer to discovering the killer.
He told Julia the tour leader had revealed the name of his killer - a criminal gang member - but, as a legal expert they interviewed afterwards pointed out, "It's not about what you know, it's about what you can prove."
Romesh Ranganathan brutally branded 'idiotic' over Tupac Shakur murder theory
Romesh Ranganathan brutally branded 'idiotic' over Tupac Shakur murder theory
Romesh Ranganathan brutally branded 'idiotic' over Tupac Shakur murder theory
Romesh Ranganathan brutally branded 'idiotic' over Tupac Shakur murder theory
Romesh Ranganathan brutally branded 'idiotic' over Tupac Shakur murder theory
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