This is one of the most iconic and tragic photos in hip-hop history. What you are seeing is Tupac Shakur - the day AFTER he was shot 5 times. The night before - November 30, 1994 Tupac was at the height of his fame but also in deep legal trouble. He was on trial in New York for sexual abuse charges. That night, he got a call to come to Quad Recording Studios in Times Square, Manhattan to lay a verse for rapper Little Shawn. Little Shawn's manager was James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond. When Tupac arrived with his crew in the lobby, three men tried to rob him. He resisted. He was shot 5 times - twice in the head, twice in the groin, and once in the hand. He was also beaten and had his jewelry taken. Upstairs in the studio at that same moment were his friends-turned-rivals, The Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy (Sean Combs). That detail is why this night became legend. Tupac survived, but he became convinced it wasn't a random robbery - he believed he was set up. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, had surgery, and then did something insane. The next day - December 1, 1994 - what you see in these pics Less than 24 hours later, against doctors' orders, he checked himself out of the hospital. Why? Because the jury in his sexual assault trial was about to deliver a verdict. He HAD to be in court at Manhattan Supreme Court. So he showed up exactly like you see him in your 4 photos: • In a blue hospital wheelchair, pushed by Nation of Islam members and his associates • Head wrapped in a huge white bandage from the head wound • Right hand bandaged in a white cast • Wearing the same black Nike Air jacket, black Yankees beanie with the NY logo, and black sweats Cameras and reporters swarmed him outside. Inside the courthouse, he had to go through security in that wheelchair - that's photo 3 and 4. He was found guilty that day of two counts of first-degree sexual abuse for unwanted touching. He was later sentenced to 1.5 to 4.5 years in prison. Why these photos matter This 24-hour window changed hip-hop forever: 1. The East Coast vs West Coast war began here. Before this, Biggie and Pac were friends. After Quad, Pac publicly accused Biggie and Puffy of knowing about the shooting and not warning him. That betrayal fueled his anger, his signing to Death Row Records after bail, and diss tracks like "Hit Em Up." 2. The image of invincibility. The fact that he took 5 bullets and showed up to court the next day in a wheelchair made him a myth. To fans, it proved he was unkillable. To law enforcement and the media, it made him look both vulnerable and defiant at the same time. Two years later, in 1996, Tupac was shot again in Las Vegas - and this time he was not survive. These pictures are the moment right in between - wounded, defiant, surrounded, but still showing up. Puff Daddy. Follow for more if you like stories like this 🤝 #1996 #eastcoast #westcoast #2pacshakur👑 #georgedaniel007 - @homeofentertainment07