[2] Christopher Wallace traveled to Los Angeles, California, in February 1997 to promote his upcoming second studio album, Life After Death, and to film a music video for its lead single "Hypnotize".

Wallace mentioned that he had done so not only because of the ongoing East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud and the murder of Tupac Shakur six months prior, but because security was simply a necessity for high-profile celebrities.

[4][5] Other guests included Faith Evans, Queen Latifah, Aaliyah, Chris Tucker, the Wayans brothers, Ginuwine, Irv Gotti, Jewell, Jermaine Dupri, The Lox, Da Brat, Xscape, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Goodie Mob, Martin Lawrence, Kenny Burns, Russell Simmons, Ricky Bell, DJ Clue, J-Flexx, Clark Kent, DJ Quik, Ed Lover, Grant Hill, Tamia and members of the Bloods and Crips gangs.

[5] On March 9, 1997, at 12:30 a.m. PST, Wallace left with his entourage in two green 1997 GMC Suburbans to attend an after-party at Steve Stoute's house in the Hollywood Hills.

The two SUVs were trailed by a Chevrolet Blazer carrying Bad Boy Records' director of security, Paul Offord, and driven by an off-duty Inglewood police officer named Reggie Blaylock.

The driver of the Impala, a black male wearing a light blue suit and bow tie, lowered his window, drew a 9 mm pistol and fired 6 shots into the Suburban.

Shortly after Wallace's death, Los Angeles Times writers Chuck Philips and Matt Lait reported that the key suspect in his murder was a member of the Southside Crips acting out of a personal financial motive, rather than on the gang's behalf.

The theory was based on evidence provided by an informant named Psycho Mike[16] and the general resemblance of Muhammad to the facial composite generated during the investigation.

[13] The New York Times described Broomfield's documentary as a "largely speculative" and "circumstantial" account relying on flimsy evidence, failing to "present counter-evidence" or "question sources.

"[17] An article published in Rolling Stone by Sullivan in December 2005 accused the LAPD of not fully investigating leads concerning Death Row Records based on Poole's evidence.

"[18] In alluding to Sullivan and Poole's theory that formed the basis of the Wallace family's dismissed $500 million lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, The New York Times wrote: "A cottage industry of criminal speculation has sprung up around the case, with documentaries, books and a stream of lurid magazine articles implicating gangs, crooked cops and a cross-country rap rivalry,"[19] noting that everything associated with Wallace's death had been "big business."

[21] The Metro section also ran a photo of Muhammad, identified by police as a mortgage broker unconnected to the murder who appeared to match details of the gunman, printing his name and driver's license.

[21] In a correction article written by Philips in May 2000, Muhammad was quoted as saying, "I'm a mortgage broker, not a murderer" and asking, "How can something so completely false end up on the front page of a major newspaper?

[21][24] A later 2005 story by Chuck Philips alleged that an informant for the Poole-Sullivan theory, Psycho Mike, was a schizophrenic with admitted memory lapses who confessed to hearsay.

[27][28] Retired LAPD detective Greg Kading, who worked for three years on a gang task force that included the Wallace case, alleged that the rapper was shot by Wardell "Poochie" Fouse.

In April 2002, Wallace's mother Voletta filed a wrongful death claim against the city of Los Angeles based on the evidence championed by Poole.

[16] Several days into the trial, the plaintiffs' attorney disclosed to the court and opposing counsel that he had received a telephone call from someone claiming to be an LAPD officer who provided detailed information about the existence of evidence concerning the Wallace murder.

He reported that Perez had told him about his and Mack's involvement with Death Row Records and their activities at the Petersen Automotive Museum on the night of Wallace's murder.

[19] On January 19, 2007, Tyruss "Big Syke" Himes, a friend of Shakur who was implicated in Wallace's murder by the Los Angeles Fox affiliate KTTV and XXL magazine in 2005, brought defamation lawsuit regarding the accusations.