Tupac Shakur Alive and Well in New Zealand?! Don't Believe Everything You Read

Computer-hacking group the Lulz Boat posts a fake story about the late rapper on PBS website in retaliation for a recent program investigating WikiLeaks

By Peter Gicas May 31, 2011 3:14 PMTags
Fake Tupac Shakur StoryPBS

Here's something computer hackers got people rapping about over the holiday weekend.

A group calling itself the Lulz Boat managed to mess with PBS' website Monday by putting up a fake story claiming Tupac Shakur was alive and currently residing in New Zealand.

The post—which the group claims was merely a way to get back at PBS for a recent Frontline episode about WikiLeaks and the site's founder, Julian Assange—was eventually taken down.

So what exactly did the group write to try and trick folks into believing that the rap star, who was murdered in Las Vegas 15 years ago, is anything but deceased? And how did the Notorious B.I.G. get pulled into this poorly conceived charade?

"Prominent rapper Tupac has been found alive and well in a small resort in New Zealand, locals report," began the post. "The small town - unnamed due to security risks - allegedly housed Tupac and Biggie Smalls (another rapper) for several years. One local, David File, recently passed away, leaving evidence and reports of Tupac's visit in a diary, which he requested be shipped to his family in the United States."

After a few "quotes" from family members of this so-called David File regarding the diary, the post continued:

"Officials have closed down routes into the town and will not speculate as to whether Tupac or Biggie have been transported to another region or country. Local townsfolk refuse to comment on exactly how long or why the rappers were being sheltered; one man simply says 'we don't talk about that here.' "

Gee, wonder why.