DX: In the F.B.I.’s summary of their interviews with the informant he says that he heard Randy “Stretch” Walker was murdered not by Sabatino and Henchmen to silence him about his involvement in the Quad shooting, but that he was killed 1 year to the day of that shooting as a favor for Suge Knight arranged by Sabatino. I’m now thoroughly confused, Sabatino wants ‘Pac roughed up essentially on behalf of Puffy and his crew, but then a year later he has one of his co-conspirators, Stretch, killed for that very act on behalf of Puff’s nemesis Suge Knight?
CP: Well, I don’t know if that’s true. Do you know that’s true?

DX: No, I don’t, it’s just [that outlandish of a statement] goes to the informant’s credibility I would think.
CP: I don’t know about the second part [of his statement]. I mean, I know that [Stretch] died that day. And I didn’t write that it was a retaliation because I don’t know if it was. In fact, several people told me it was a coincidence [that he was shot a year to the day of Tupac]. I don’t believe it was a coincidence, but I don’t know if it was or not. And I don’t know if Sabatino had anything to do with that. There are several people that told me what it was about, why [Stretch] got killed, but I don’t know if that’s true. I really don’t know about him.

DX: Because in “Against All Odds” Tupac says, “Switched sides, guess his new friends wanted him dead.” That statement wouldn’t suggest it was Suge Knight and Sabatino [that conspired to murder Stretch]. That would suggest that plot was on the Bad Boy side of the equation.
CP: Yeah, honestly I don’t know the answer [to who killed Stretch]. I know [Tupac] did feel he was betrayed by [Stretch]. But I just don’t know the answer [to who killed him]. I just haven’t looked into it.

DX: If Sabatino was in fact behind the Quad shooting reason suggests Suge would have learned this and not associated with Sabatino. You don’t have any proof that Suge and Sabatino ever associated, do you?
CP: I don’t have any proof. People have told me [they have], but I have no idea if that’s true. I mean, I’ve asked Suge Knight about that and he said he didn’t deal with Sabatino. I’ve talked to other people around Sabatino and they said he did deal with Suge. So I don’t really know. It’s nothing I’ve really pursued.

DX: I guess I’m just genuinely a little suspicious of this informant’s statements regarding Sabatino.
CP: The main thing I’m trying to say is I didn’t base my story on that informant. I based this story on my own reporting. We came up on those documents later after I was pretty much sure of what happened. The newspaper always likes [to have] a document [to substantiate claims in a story]. I don’t particularly believe in F.B.I. papers or L.A.P.D. reports. They’re often lies. I’ve got a guy that I’m working a story on that’s been in prison for 13 years for something he didn’t do, but if you were to read the reports you would believe he did everything. So I mean, legally something like that is very good to have. And it confirms a lot of the stuff that’s in my story, that document. But I had reported my own story based on the people I believe were in involved.

DX: But you believe that part of the informant’s statement, that Sabatino was in assocation with Suge Knight, may be tainted?
CP: Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t pursued it so I don’t really know if it’s true or not. I was told he has [been in association with Suge], but Suge himself said he wasn’t [ever associating with Sabatino]. But Suge could be lying. [Laughs]. That [part of the informant’s statement] wasn’t really that important to me. The main thing I was looking at was what [he said about what] happened in the Quad.

DX: And um… [Laughs]. I’m just gonna put this question to you the way I got it written down. Mr. Philips, Jimmy Henchmen and P. Diddy issued statements today that basically said you’re full of shit [click here to read]. What is your response to their statements?
CP: Well, I’m not full of shit. And they had ample opportunity to discuss things in my story. Neither one of ‘em wanted to talk for the story. And what Puffy says… I don’t accuse Puffy of being involved [in the plot to assault Tupac], and he’s saying he’s not involved in any way. I never said he was involved, I said he was told about it. Other people are writing that he was involved. I didn’t even suggest it. And in terms of what Henchmen says, he says I’m full of shit with my Vegas story because Biggie had got in a car accident [and couldn’t have been in Vegas because he was home recuperating]. Biggie didn’t get in that accident until after Tupac [was murdered]. So that part of [his statement] is wrong. He’s basing his attack on me on [information] that’s false. Continued on page 4 »