TIME MACHINE: 1996

Welcome back to Time Machine, where we continue exploring the 1990s, and the FILA tradition.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 5 July 1996: Dolly the sheep is born, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Presented to the public in February the following year, Dolly represented an unprecedented scientific discovery, and kicked off a global debate in ethics and morality. Named after American singer Dolly Parton, it was later discovered that Dolly the sheep was ‘born ‘ with an age of six. Nineteen ninety-six also saw the debut of the Spice Girls, who topped the charts with their single Wannabe. The most popular girl band in history redefined modern feminism and paved the way for many colleagues with their ‘Girl Power’ attitude.      

Remaining the music world the same year also has a place of honour in the history of hip-hop. On 13 February 1996, Tupac Shakur released All Eyez On Me, the third album of his career. At the time, the New York rapper was going through a complicated period: On the one hand, critics had praised him for his 1995 album, Me Against The World , but on the other, he had just spent nine months in prison. Music was his big chance for redemption, and much was at stake with this new release. The odds were good. The album had a smooth flow, finely crafted lyrics (Tupac read extensively while in prison, including writings by Machiavelli), and guest featured future rap stars such as Snoop Dogg, Method Man and Redman.

Tragedy, however, was just around the corner. On the night of September 7, 1996, while stationary at a traffic light on the Las Vegas Strip, he was shot dead.  Tupac  died six days later. He was only 25. Although the case has been reopened several times, to this day nobody is certain who was the shooter who opened fire from the white Cadillac.

What is undeniable is that after his death, ‘2Pac’ became a cult figure. All Eyez On Me, the first double album released by a major label in the history of rap, debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over ten million copies

The 2PAC legend also lives on in style. The FILA Grant Hill 2 trainers that the rapper wore in PR photos still fly off the shelves. At the time, Grant Hill played for the Detroit Pistons and was one of the most popular players in the NBA All-Star Game. “Tupac and I had a mutual friend, and we used to hang out together, “ he told a reporter. “One day, I gave him a pair of shoes as a token of affection. When I saw them in the album cover, I thought it was cool. Those were good times.”

In 2022, the brand, in collaboration with the Tupac Shakur Estate, re-releasing the GH2 in a sneaker version, replacing the original navy blue, with bright yellow. Included in a limited-edition box there is bandana in homage to the rapper’s signature head gear. It is the definitive consecration of an urban symbol.