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Seven Day TheoryThe Seven Day Theory is the name for the conspiracy theory subscribed to by many gangsta rap fans claiming that Tupac Shakur's death did not happen as history claims. The theory goes on to suggest that Shakur will be "resurrected" (by demonstrating that his death was faked) and continue his career. While the evidence in favour of this theory is weak at best, it has not stopped many hip-hop fans conducting research into it in much the same way as the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy is investigated by leagues of amateur investigators. At the heart of the theory lie what are often described as "suspicious coincidences", as well as supposed clues left by both Tupac and other rappers in their recordings. The suggestion is often made that this evidence is so overwhelming that it must be true, however this is a logical fallacy. Numerological Coincidences The Seven Day Theory is so named as a result both of the subtitle of Tupac's Makaveli album and also as a result of the number of 7s which can be seen in the events surrounding his death. Among these are such facts as: - Tupac was shot 7 months after All Eyez On Me was released
- He was shot on September 7
- He survived for 7 days after the shooting before being pronounced dead
- His age (25) at the time of his death can be added to equal 7
- The same is true of the digits in the time of his death (4:03AM)
References to the number 7 can also be seen in his music videos and - allegedly - heard in some of his songs. One famous coincidence features in the video of "Wonder If Heaven's Got A Ghetto", in which Tupac is seen going into room 7 of a hotel at 4:03 (according to the clock in the shot). Other Clues The topic of death - particularly Tupac's own - frequently appears in his songs and music videos. One example of this is the video of "I Ain't Mad At Cha", released two days after his death, in which Tupac is seen as being in Heaven following his shooting death in a public place. The Makaveli album is also the source of much speculation, including the rearrangement of letters on the front cover to read "Ok on tha 7th u think I'm dead yet I'm really alive". Additionally, the crucifixion imagery on the cover and the fact that it explicitly references Niccolo Machiavelli who suggested that faking one's own death was a legitimate political tactic lead many conspiracy theorists to suggest that the death was indeed fake. Criticism of the Theory Numerological Coincidences The fact that a number of instances of the number 7 can be seen in the events surrounding Tupac's death is not in itself surprising, given the broad terms of reference in such an investigation. Critics of the theory have pointed to the mathematical Law of Truly Large Numbers, which can be abused to produce a number of startling coincidences in relation to any event (see http://www.skepdic.com/lawofnumbers.html for a demonstration of its use in relation to the September 11 attacks). Further, the number 7 is a symbolic number in Christian thought and generally considered to be lucky, which may explain its appearance in music videos. Other Clues The frequent references to death and dying are often argued to be a natural preoccupation of a gangsta rapper - particularly one who had been shot himself and was involved with criminal elements. There is, similarly, a wish to be remembered as being somewhat immortal, particularly in a situation where one's lifespan is likely to be short. Hence Tupac's interest in resurrection. Another argument advanced against the theory is that the preponderance of clues pointing to the faked death are such that Tupac cannot have achieved his hypothetical aim of staying out of the limelight. The Practical Argument The final point of the Seven Day Theory was that Tupac would return in September 2003, seven years after his death. Various dates were named for his return and some hard core theorists awaited the event with an almost millenarian fervour. That month passed without the return of the rapper, thus debunking the theory totally in the minds of many observers.
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