Revenge killing, after 30 years there is a culprit for the death of Tupac Shakur

Former gang leader Duane "Keffe D" Davis has been found guilty of masterminding the murder of American rapper Tupac Shakur, the first conviction in a long-running case that has intrigued hip-hop fans for nearly 30 years.

The jury found Davis guilty of murder with a deadly weapon in connection with the death of the rap star during a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996.

Dressed in a black suit, the 63-year-old stood emotionless in the Las Vegas courtroom as the verdict was read, before declaring he would appeal. Shakur's relatives stood holding hands; some of them hugged and cried.

Shakur was 25 when he was killed at the height of his career as one of rap's most influential voices. He has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that, although Davis - a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang - did not fire the gun that killed Shakur, he ordered the shooting and provided the gun that his nephew, Orlando Anderson, used to shoot him.

They told the court that Davis had planned the attack as revenge after Anderson was involved in a fight with Shakur and the rapper's group in Las Vegas just hours earlier.

For 30 years, the case remained one of the most famous unsolved cases in America, fueling countless conspiracy theories – but never leading to a conviction, until now.

Shakur's murder occurred at a time of fierce rivalry between the East and West Coast rap scenes, as well as the conflicts between the Bloods and Crips gangs, which at the time had deep roots within hip-hop culture.

His family appeared emotionally moved in the courtroom; his sister hugged a prosecutor after the verdict was read, while others sat crying nearby.

Outside, Shakur's devoted fans wept and cheered.

Key evidence in this case was Davis' own words, who had repeatedly and publicly admitted to being inside the white Cadillac from which the fatal shots were fired.