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Dina LaPolt on Tupac : Resurrection
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Posted by Robert
Rap News Network
2/27/2005 7:01:45 AM
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Dina LaPolt on Tupac : Resurrection
New Paltz former resident Dina LaPolt, who co-produced the Oscar-nominated "Tupac: Resurrection," (Documentary Feature) was told about the nomination by a teary-eyed Afeni Shakur; the mother of late rap icon Tupac Shakur..
"I was in France at a conference and I was sitting in the Majestic Hotel lobby with friends and my phone rang and it was Afeni Shakur crying and I'm like, 'Oh, my God, what's wrong?' because it's 5 a.m. her time," LaPolt said. "She yelled, 'We were nominated for the award!' and then it all clicked. I'm saying, 'It's Jan. 25! It's Tuesday, Jan. 25! We were nominated for an Academy Award!!! We were nominated for an Academy Award.'"
A music major at SUNY New Paltz, LaPolt enrolled in law school when she was 27 and packed up and moved to Los Angeles in 1997 to get an entertainment-law job. Her first client was Afeni Shakur.
LaPolt was instrumental in helping untangle more than $13 million in assets and unpaid royalties that were frozen by Tupac's record and publishing companies. She also put the deal together with MTV to produce the movie and cut deals with all the rap and hip-hop artist who appear in the movie and on the soundtrack. Because of her hard work, Afeni Shakur thought it only fair that LaPolt got co-producer credits.
"We're grateful we even made it this far," said LaPolt. "I was home in New Paltz for Christmas and I got a call from one of Afeni's employees who said we made the short list. We were one of 12 and we were so excited then," LaPolt said. "It's a real elitist category. We didn't think it would happen. When we got it, everybody was in shock."
She won't be in attendance at the awards tonight, but is hopeful about winning.
"It's an incredible piece of art told in Tupac's words beyond the grave. It's amazing. I think our b
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