The Huffington Post reports that a fast-spreading (and totally false) rumor that Tupac Shakur was found "alive and well" in New Zealand 15 years after his death can be traced to a story that hackers posted on the PBS site. Hacking group The Lulz Boat has claimed responsibility for posting the "Tupac Alive" Web update.
The PBS Web story looked pretty legitimate, though, briefly causing many to question whether the rapper had actually died in Las Vegas in 1996 (and temporarily validating the conspiracy theories of the many fans who insist he was never really killed). The report carried the headline "Tupac Still Alive in New Zealand" with a time stamp of May 29, 2011, at 11:30 p.m. EDT, but has since been removed. (The original version of that page can be found here) It read:
Prominent rapper Tupac has been found alive and well in a small resort in New Zealand, locals report. 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.
"We were amazed to see what David left behind," said one of sisters, Jasmine, aged 31. "We thought it best to let the world know as we feel this doesn't deserve to be kept secret."
According to Secure Business Intelligence, the Lulz Boat has attacked several high-profile organizations in the last month, and it is known to hack for "entertainment and infamy" rather than financial gain.
In our opinion, the most hilarious piece of the story is that the report had Tupac and Biggie living in the same small town. Sounds like the Lulz Boat's familiarity with the lives of these late rappers doesn't quite match up to its technical expertise. We can only assume that in the made-up New Zealand "small town" where the two enemies resided, Tupac inhabited the west side.
Read more at the Huffington Post.
In other news: Dissing Obama on the Middle East.