Rappers, Muslims Join in ‘Atonement’

Nine days after rapper Tupac Shakur died of gunshot wounds, rappers and black Muslims gathered in Harlem for a “day of atonement” to promote peace in the violent world of gangsta rap. “People criticized us and said, ‘Why would you honor a gangsta rapper?’ ” said Conrad Muhammad, the Nation of Islam’s New York leader. “We’re not honoring a gangsta rapper, we’re honoring a black man who is a child of God who was murdered.” Shakur, an actor and musician who sold millions of albums, died Sept. 13 in Las Vegas after a drive-by shooting six days earlier. No arrests have been made.