Iconic photo of Tupac Shakur captured after he was shot

 Tupac Shakur died in 1996. Photo: Rex/Shutterstock.

One of the most iconic photos in music history is a snap of Tupac Shakur giving cameras the middle finger after he'd been shot five times.

Fans had always assumed he was swearing at the cameras for invading his privacy, but those close to the late rapper claim something else was going on.

According to Chico Del Vec, a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A, which was started by Biggie Smalls, Tupac was actually flipping the bird at Biggie and his crew.

He claimed that Tupac suspected that they were involved in the shooting, though there's little evidence to suggest that they were.

Chico told Slate: "Tupac gets off the elevator, on the hospital bed, they wheeling him out … and he looking at us with his middle finger up.

"He was saying, 'F*** y'all n*****.'… looking at us against the wall."

He added: "That was to us."

 Tupac Shakur in 1994. Photo: ALPHA.

He was shot at the end of November 1994, the day before the verdict in his sexual abuse trial was due to be announced.

Three men robbed and fired five bullets at him in the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan.

Tupac believed the attack was made to look like a robbery as they didn't take his Rolex watch.

Biggie denied any involvement in the crime.

 Rapper Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, aka Chris Wallace. Photo: Getty.

He discharged himself from hospital three hours after surgery and the next day he was found guilty of three counts of molestation.

Tupac died when he was shot in a drive-by shooting in September 1996.