The man accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of American rapper Tupac Shakur has gone on trial in Las Vegas, nearly three decades after the hip-hop icon was shot in the Nevada city.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who was arrested in 2023, faces a murder charge over the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur at the age of 25.

Davis has pleaded not guilty and has maintained that he was not at the scene when the rapper was shot.

The trial opened on Monday, 10 August, marking a major development in one of hip-hop’s most enduring unsolved murder cases.

Shakur was shot on 7 September 1996, while travelling through Las Vegas with Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight.

He died six days later, on 13 September 1996.

Prosecutors allege that the shooting followed an earlier confrontation at a Las Vegas casino involving Shakur, Knight and Davis’s nephew.

They say the confrontation provided the motive for a retaliatory attack later that night.

Davis is accused of organising the operation and acting as the “shot caller”, although prosecutors do not allege that he personally fired the shots that struck Shakur.

One of the unusual elements of the case is the volume of public statements Davis has made about the events surrounding the rapper’s death.

Over the years, Davis has discussed the shooting in interviews, documentaries, podcasts and a memoir.

Prosecutors are expected to argue that his repeated accounts contain details that demonstrate his knowledge of and involvement in the planning of the attack.

The defence is expected to challenge the reliability of those statements, arguing that Davis exaggerated or fabricated aspects of his accounts for publicity and financial gain.

The case has also been complicated by the passage of time.

The vehicle used in the shooting and the murder weapon have not been recovered, while several people connected to the events of that night have died or are otherwise unavailable.

Davis became the first person arrested in connection with Shakur’s killing when Las Vegas authorities took him into custody in September 2023.

The arrest revived worldwide interest in a case that has generated decades of speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding one of the most influential figures in hip-hop.

Shakur’s influence has extended well beyond the United States, including to Ghana and other parts of Africa, where his music, lyrics and image have remained popular across generations.

For many African fans who grew up listening to his music, the trial represents a possible conclusion to a mystery that has remained embedded in global hip-hop culture since his death.

Shakur, known professionally as 2Pac, released several critically acclaimed albums during his career and became one of rap music’s most influential artists before his death.

His killing, along with the 1997 murder of fellow rap star The Notorious B.I.G., has continued to fuel discussion about violence and rivalries surrounding American hip-hop in the 1990s.

The Las Vegas trial is expected to determine whether prosecutors can prove that Davis played a criminal role in the attack that ended Shakur’s life nearly 30 years ago.