Tupac Shakur’s estate is now at the center of a federal lawsuit over claims it stole a powerful political speech and used it without permission.
The lawsuit comes from the estate of Dr. Khallid Abdul Muhammad, who says Shakur’s 1996 track “White Man’z World” illegally sampled Muhammad’s copyrighted speech.
The suit doesn’t just name Shakur’s estate—it also targets Suge Knight, Interscope Records, Death Row Records, Universal’s publishing arm and producer Darryl “Big D” Harper.
According to the complaint, the Tupac Shakur’s team lifted a seven-line excerpt from a 1993 lecture Muhammad gave at the “Black Holocaust Nationhood Conference.”
That speech included a direct call to support political prisoners.
That clip ended up on “White Man’z World,” a standout track from The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, released just weeks after Shakur was shot and killed in Las Vegas in September 1996 at the age of 25.
The album dropped on November 5 of that year under his alias, Makaveli.
Meanwhile, Dr. Khallid Muhammad, a firebrand orator and former national spokesman for Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, died from a brain aneurysm in 2001. He was 53.
Muhammad had become a well-known figure for his Black nationalist views and later served as chairman of the New Black Panther Party.
The lawsuit argues that Muhammad’s voice wasn’t just background noise. In fact, it asserts that his speech gave the song emotional weight and political urgency.
The estate says that Tupac’s team never requested a license, gave credit, or paid a dime. Moreover, the complaint says the sample is still being used commercially today.
“White Man’z World” is currently available on streaming platforms, featured on radio, and licensed for various forms of distribution.
According to the estate, that ongoing use only deepens the infringement.
“His presence on ‘White Manz World’ reinforces Tupac Shakur’s role as not just an artist, but as a voice for Black empowerment and resistance against oppression. At a time when hip-hop was a leading force in shaping political discourse among Black youth, Dr. Khallid’s inclusion gave ‘White Manz World’ an undeniable authenticity, elevating it beyond music into a revolutionary message against racial injustice,” lawyer Malik Z. Shabazz explained.
Furthermore, the estate insists that the defendants had access to public records showing the speech was protected.
The suit demands at least $5 million.
In addition, it seeks a permanent injunction to block further exploitation of Muhammad’s voice, attorneys’ fees and the impoundment of infringing materials.
