Outlawz
Outlawz (formerly known as Outlaw Immortalz) are an American hip hop group founded by rapper Tupac Shakur in late 1995 after Shakur's release from prison.[1] Collectively, they were best known for their association with Shakur.[1] Most of the group members are named after political figures.
Outlawz | |
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 The group in 1996. Standing: Napoleon, E.D.I Mean, and Hussein Fatal; Below: Kastro, Tupac, and Yaki Kadafi | |
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| Years active | 1995 - present |
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| Associated acts | Dead Prez |
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Members
- Rufus "Young Noble" Cooper III, the current co-leader of the Outlawz.
- Malcolm "E.D.I. Mean" Greenridge was named for Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. He is the co-leader of the Outlawz.
- Mopreme "Komani" Shakur, Tupac's stepbrother and was a member of Tupac's previous group Thug Life. He was named for Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini.
- Donna "Storm" Harkness, is the only female member
Former members
There were six original Outlawz members that left or died.
- Tupac "Makaveli" Amaru Shakur was the leader of the group, named for the Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, whose writings inspired Shakur in prison. He was shot to death in September 1996. He was named 2Pac, but he was referred to as "Makaveli" in the Outlawz, and he changed his alias from "2Pac" to "Makaveli" while making The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.
- Yafeu "Yaki Kadafi" Akiyele Fula, Tupac's godbrother,[2] was named for Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He was shot to death in November 1996.[3]
- Katari "Kastro" Terrance Cox, Tupac's cousin, was named for Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. He left the group in 2009.
- Bruce "Hussein Fatal" Edward Washington Jr., childhood friend of Yaki Kadafi, was named for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. He left the group in 1996. He died in a car accident in 2015.[4]
- Mutah "Napoleon" Wassin Shabazz Beale, childhood friend of Kadafi, was named for French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. After converting to Islam, he left the music industry and became a motivational speaker.[5]
- Tyruss Gerald “Mussolini“ Himes, named after Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, was member in Tupac's previous group Thug Life and is called "Big Syke" outside of the Outlawz. He died of natural causes in 2016.[6]
Later years
In 2011, some band members confirmed the longstanding rumor that they smoked Tupac's ashes.[7]
In 2015, Hussein Fatal died in a car crash.[8]
In 2016, Mussolini died at his home in California.[9]
Discography
Studio albums
- Ride wit Us or Collide wit Us (2000)
- Novakane (2001)
- Neva Surrenda (2002)
- Outlaw 4 Life: 2005 A.P. (2005)
- Against All Oddz (2006)
- We Want In: The Street LP (2008)
- Perfect Timing (2011)
- Livin' Legendz (2016)
- #LastOnezLeft (2017)
- One Nation (2021)
References
- "Outlawz | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- "Yafeu Akiyele 'Yaki Kadafi' Fula was Tupac's Godbrother". Capital XTRA. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
- "Shakur shooting witness found dead in N.J. - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". Lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
- "Atlanta's Hussein Fatal, Tupac Shakur associate, killed in crash". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 2015-07-15. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- Moussly, Mona (2009-03-19). "Hip hop don't stop as it goes Islamic". Al Arabiya News Channel. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- "Rapper Big Syke Dead at 48". BallerStatus.com. 2016-12-06. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
- Rao, Mallika (August 30, 2011). "The Outlawz Insist They Smoked Tupac". HuffPost.com. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- "Hussein Fatal, Member of Tupac-Led Group Outlawz, Dies at 38". Billboard.com. July 12, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- BITETTE, NICOLE. "Rapper Big Syke, longtime friend and collaborator of Tupac, found dead in California home". Nydailynews.com. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
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