Outlawz
Encyclopedia
Outlawz, formally known as Outlaw Immortalz, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 group founded by Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...

 in late 1995 after Shakur's release from prison. Collectively, they are probably best known for appearing in the video "Hit 'Em Up
Hit 'Em Up
"Hit 'Em Up" is a diss song by rap artist 2Pac , featuring his group the Outlawz. It is the B-side to the single "How Do U Want It", released on June 4, 1996, from the album All Eyez on Me. The song’s lyrics contain vicious insults to several East Coast rappers, chiefly among them, Shakur's former...

", in a diss track
Diss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...

 aimed at Biggie Smalls and other New York rappers.

History

In the earlier years of the Outlawz they were known as Dramacydal. Dramacydal first appeared on Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...

's 1993 single Holler If Ya Hear Me, they were on the track "Flex". Dramacydal was composed of K-Dog who later became Kastro, Young Hollywood who later became Yaki Kadafi, Mutah or Mu who later became Napoleon
Napoleon (rapper)
Mutah Wassin Shabazz Beale , better known as Napoleon, is a former member of Tupac Shakur's rap group the Outlawz. Beale has since converted to Islam and is now a motivational speaker....

, and Big Malki who later became E.D.I. Mean
E.D.I. Mean
Malcolm Greenridge , better known as E.D.I. Mean, is an American rap artist and a member of the Outlawz. While in the third grade, Malcolm became friends with Katari "Kastro" Cox who later introduced his cousin, Tupac Shakur, to E.D.I. Mean.-Dramacydal:In 1992, Kastro, Greenridge, and Tupac's...

. They also appeared on 2Pac's Me Against The World
Me Against the World
Me Against the World is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Tupac Shakur. It was released March 14, 1995 on the Interscope Records label. The album was composed of un-used tracks from the Thug Life era, and from other studio sessions from 1993 to 1994...

and All Eyez on Me
All Eyez on Me
All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released February 13, 1996 on Death Row Records and Interscope Records....

albums. They were also known as "Thoro Headz" and "Young Thugz".

Outlawz

When 2Pac signed to Death Row
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...

 upon his release from prison, he recruited his step brother Mopreme Shakur and Big Syke
Big Syke
Tyruss Himes, better known by his stage name Big Syke is an American rapper. His stage name is a revision of his childhood nickname, "Little Psycho"....

 from Thug Life. Hussein Fatal
Hussein Fatal
Bruce Washington , better known by his stage name, Hussein Fatal, is an American rapper and a member of Outlawz.-Murder of Tupac Shakur:...

, Napoleon
Napoleon (rapper)
Mutah Wassin Shabazz Beale , better known as Napoleon, is a former member of Tupac Shakur's rap group the Outlawz. Beale has since converted to Islam and is now a motivational speaker....

, E.D.I. Mean
E.D.I. Mean
Malcolm Greenridge , better known as E.D.I. Mean, is an American rap artist and a member of the Outlawz. While in the third grade, Malcolm became friends with Katari "Kastro" Cox who later introduced his cousin, Tupac Shakur, to E.D.I. Mean.-Dramacydal:In 1992, Kastro, Greenridge, and Tupac's...

, Kastro, Yaki Kadafi
Kadafi (Outlawz)
Yafeu Akiyele Fula , better known by his stage name, Yaki Kadafi, was an American rapper, one of the founding members of Tha Outlawz, and godbrother of the late rapper Tupac Shakur.- Early life :...

, and Storm
Storm (rapper)
Storm was the first and only female Outlaw, her real name is Donna "Storm" Harkness. She met Tupac during the shooting of a film through a mutual friend. After he found out how well she could rap, he asked her to join his crew, which later became known as the Outlaw Immortalz. On February 13, 1996,...

 (the only female Outlaw) were also added, and together they formed the original lineup of the Outlaw Immortalz that debuted on 2Pac's multi-platinum smash All Eyez on Me
All Eyez on Me
All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released February 13, 1996 on Death Row Records and Interscope Records....

. They later dropped the immortal after the untimely deaths of 2Pac and Yaki Kadafi and moved on as Outlawz without the members of Thug Life. Young Noble
Young Noble
Rufus Cooper III , also known by his stage name Young Noble, is an American rapper who worked with the group Outlawz in 1996....

 was later added and appeared on 2Pac's second Death Row release The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is the fifth and final studio album by Tupac Shakur, under the new stage name Makaveli, finished before his death and his first studio album to be posthumously released...

. It was on 2Pac's Makaveli album that Outlawz first came to the greater rap community's notice, appearing on a few songs.

The idea behind the group was for each member to have a rap name coinciding with the names of various tyrants or enemies of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, past and present. Outlawz chose in later years to make a backronym
Backronym
A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....

 out of the letters of their group name Operating Under Thug Laws As Warriorz although it does not stand for the groups name and is used infrequently.

All together, there were 10 Original Members of the Outlawz, including Tupac:
  • Tupac Shakur
    Tupac Shakur
    Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...

     was the leader of the group, and gave himself the title of Makaveli after the Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli
    Niccolò Machiavelli
    Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. He is one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...

    , whose writings inspired Shakur in prison.

  • Yaki Kadafi
    Kadafi (Outlawz)
    Yafeu Akiyele Fula , better known by his stage name, Yaki Kadafi, was an American rapper, one of the founding members of Tha Outlawz, and godbrother of the late rapper Tupac Shakur.- Early life :...

    , also known as Young Hollywood, was given the name Yaki Kadafi after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
    Muammar Gaddafi
    Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...

    . He was also Shakur's godbrother and an original member of Dramacydal.

  • Kastro, also known as K-Dog, was given the alias Kastro after Cuban leader Fidel Castro
    Fidel Castro
    Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...

    . He is also blood cousin of Shakur and an original member of Dramacydal.

  • E.D.I. Mean
    E.D.I. Mean
    Malcolm Greenridge , better known as E.D.I. Mean, is an American rap artist and a member of the Outlawz. While in the third grade, Malcolm became friends with Katari "Kastro" Cox who later introduced his cousin, Tupac Shakur, to E.D.I. Mean.-Dramacydal:In 1992, Kastro, Greenridge, and Tupac's...

    , also known as Big Malcolm, was given the alias E.D.I. Mean after Ugandan president Idi Amin
    Idi Amin
    Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...

     and was also an original member of Dramacydal.

  • Hussein Fatal
    Hussein Fatal
    Bruce Washington , better known by his stage name, Hussein Fatal, is an American rapper and a member of Outlawz.-Murder of Tupac Shakur:...

    , introduced to 2Pac by childhood friend Yaki Kadafi. Given alias after former leader of Iraq Saddam Hussein
    Saddam Hussein
    Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...

    . Hussein left the group after the tragic killings of Pac and Yak. He felt that the remaining group members were going against Tupac's wishes by signing contracts with Death Row. He recently returned on an Outlawz mixtape.

  • Napoleon
    Napoleon (rapper)
    Mutah Wassin Shabazz Beale , better known as Napoleon, is a former member of Tupac Shakur's rap group the Outlawz. Beale has since converted to Islam and is now a motivational speaker....

    , childhood friend of Kadafi, was given the name Napoleon after French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte and was also an original member of Dramacydal. Left the group to be a Muslim motivational speaker.

  • Big Syke
    Big Syke
    Tyruss Himes, better known by his stage name Big Syke is an American rapper. His stage name is a revision of his childhood nickname, "Little Psycho"....

    , who was in 2Pac's first group Thug Life
    Thug Life
    Thug Life: Volume 1 is the debut album by the group Thug Life, started by rapper Tupac Shakur, and was released on September 26, 1994. The album was originally released by Shakur's label Out Da Gutta Records. Due to heavy criticism on gangsta rap at the time, the original version of the album was...

    , joined the Outlawz under the alias Mussolini after Italian leader Benito Mussolini
    Benito Mussolini
    Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....

    .

  • Mopreme Shakur, 2Pac's stepbrother, who was in 2Pac's first group Thug Life
    Thug Life
    Thug Life: Volume 1 is the debut album by the group Thug Life, started by rapper Tupac Shakur, and was released on September 26, 1994. The album was originally released by Shakur's label Out Da Gutta Records. Due to heavy criticism on gangsta rap at the time, the original version of the album was...

    , joined the Outlawz under the alias Komani after the Iranian political figure Ruhollah Khomeini
    Ruhollah Khomeini
    Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...

    .

  • Storm
    Storm (rapper)
    Storm was the first and only female Outlaw, her real name is Donna "Storm" Harkness. She met Tupac during the shooting of a film through a mutual friend. After he found out how well she could rap, he asked her to join his crew, which later became known as the Outlaw Immortalz. On February 13, 1996,...

    , The only female member of the group, she met Tupac during the shooting of a film. After he found out how well she could rap, he immediately signed her on the spot and added her to the group, which later became known as The Outlaw Immortalz. Storm was to be Tupac's solo artist. She was introduced on the multiplatinum selling album All Eyez on Me.

  • Young Noble
    Young Noble
    Rufus Cooper III , also known by his stage name Young Noble, is an American rapper who worked with the group Outlawz in 1996....

    , the final member of the group to be signed as the last official Outlaw member by Tupac himself. He was introduced to Tupac by Kadafi and Hussein Fatal in Los Angeles, a few months before his death. He appeared in many of 2Pac's last recordings, and featured heavily on 2Pac's last album and the now legendary The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. He was always known as Young Noble and was never given an alias from Tupac.

Later years

Shortly after joining the group, Mopreme and Big Syke severed all ties with Death Row and left the Outlawz for financial and personal reasons. Two months after the death of Shakur, Kadafi was killed in a housing project in New Jersey; after two years, Napoleon convinced his cousin to turn himself in for shooting Kadafi.

Though Tupac had told them specifically to never sign to Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...

, after his death, the leftover members of the Outlawz decided to do just that. As a result, Fatal left the group, claiming they weren't being loyal to 2Pac. Napoleon left the group due to his conversion to Islam and is now traveling all around the globe to spread the teachings of Islam. While managing and working on her solo project, Tupac signed Storm to Death Row Records. She left the group shortly after the tragic death of Tupac. In 2009, Kastro had confirmed he had left the Outlawz to pursue a solo career. He reunited with the group on Outlaw Culture Radio in October 2010. Currently there are 5 active Outlaw members.

New Child and Muszamil were never official members but have worked closely with the Outlawz and remain good friends.

The Outlawz are also known for their longtime relationship with Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

's Boot Camp Clik
Boot Camp Clik
Boot Camp Clik is an American hip hop supergroup from Brooklyn, New York, which is composed of Buckshot , Smif-N-Wessun, also known as Cocoa Brovaz , Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C....

, a relationship that begun as a result of 2Pac's friendship with Boot Camp's Smif-n-Wessun
Smif-N-Wessun
Smif-n-Wessun is a hip hop duo consisting of members Tek and Steele . Smif-n-Wessun comprise two-fifths of the Brownsville, Brooklyn supergroup Boot Camp Clik, with Buckshot, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C...

 and Boot Camp Clik
Buckshot (rapper)
Buckshot is an underground rapper, famous as the leader of Hip Hop supergroup Boot Camp Clik, and the group Black Moon. He has released one solo album, two with producer 9th Wonder, four albums with Black Moon and four albums with the Boot Camp Clik.- Biography :Born and raised in Brooklyn...

, while working on the yet unreleased "One Nation" album. Despite stylistic differences and divergent fanbases, the two crews maintained connections on the basis of personal relationships. Members of the Outlawz were featured on Boot Camp releases like Heltah Skeltah's "Magnum Force" and Rock's "Veterans' Day."

In 1999, the Outlawz released their first album as a group with original unreleased recordings of 2Pac, entitled Still I Rise
Still I Rise
Still I Rise is an album by American hip hop group The Outlawz which is released as the third posthumous studio album of 2Pac, and the first album by the Outlawz as a group...

, granting them even more recognition. The album was released on Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...

. Member Hussein Fatal did not appear on any of the album as he was edited out of the original recordings due to issues with the record labels. Storm was also edited out of some of the original recordings for unknown reasons. Original member Big Syke also appeared on the album. It wasn't until late 2000, though, that they finally got the go-ahead to release their debut album, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us
Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us
Ride wit Us or Collide wit Us is the debut studio album by Outlawz in 2000, not counting Still I Rise.-Track listing:-Album chart positions:...

. Featuring a cover that placed 2Pac's image in the foreground, along with numerous references to the deceased legend, this debut made the most of Outlawz' reputation for being 2Pac's supposed protégés. Unfortunately, the album didn't prove to be much of a success, and neither did the group's follow-up album a year later, Novakane, also released on the group's Outlaw Recordz label (distributed by Koch). Later the members went to realese solo albums and collaborations with other artists.

Current Years

As of 2009, The Outlawz, reunited with former member Hussein Fatal, who immediately left the group following the deaths of 2Pac and Yaki Kadafi.

The group has teamed up with allhiphop.com to release a new Outlawz song every week on the site in a series entitled "Return Of The Real" in anticipation for their upcoming studio album "Perfect Timing".

The Outlawz put out 2 new mixtapes before the official album, Killuminati 2k10 and Killuminati 2k11 available online for free download.

The Outlawz last studio album Perfect Timing was released on September 13, 2011. The album features guest appearances from many big name rappers including Bun B
Bun B
Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas...

, Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...

, Scarface
Scarface (rapper)
Brad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...

, Krayzie Bone
Krayzie Bone
Anthony Henderson better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper and is a former member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.-Solo career:Krayzie Bone recorded his solo debut, Thug Mentality 1999, in 1998...

, Young Buck
Young Buck
David Darnell Brown , also known as Young Buck, is an American Southern rapper. Buck is a former member of the New York City Hip-Hop group G-Unit, also a former artist of G-Unit Records as of Nov 26, 2011...

, Lloyd
Lloyd (singer)
Lloyd Polite, Jr. , who performs under the mononym Lloyd, is an American R&B recording artist, who experienced as a member of the group N-Toon before embarking on a solo career in 2004....

, among others and production from Focus...
Focus...
Bernard "Focus..." Edwards, Jr is a Atlanta-based Grammy Award–winning producer who first rose to fame when signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. Since then he has produced tracks for Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé Knowles, Busta Rhymes, Bishop Lamont, Tony Yayo, Stat Quo,...

, Cozmo, Maxwell Smart
Max Perry
Max Perry , primarily known by his stage name Maxwell Smart was born in New York City and raised in Brooklyn, New York.-History:...

, The Network and CyFyre.

Studio albums

  • 2000: Ride wit Us or Collide wit Us
    Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us
    Ride wit Us or Collide wit Us is the debut studio album by Outlawz in 2000, not counting Still I Rise.-Track listing:-Album chart positions:...

  • 2001: Novakane
    Novakane
    Novakane is the second studio album by American hip-hop group Outlawz, released October 23, 2001 on Outlaw Recordz and Koch Records.The song "Rize" featured in the film "Training Day" .- Track listing :-Album chart positions:...

  • 2002: Neva Surrenda
    Neva Surrenda
    -Chart positions:...

  • 2005: Outlaw 4 Life: 2005 A.P.
    Outlaw 4 Life: 2005 A.P.
    -Chart positions:...

  • 2008: We Want In: The Street LP
  • 2011: Perfect Timing

Collaboration albums

  • 1999: Still I Rise (With 2Pac)
  • 2006: Can't Sell Dope Forever
    Can't Sell Dope Forever
    Can't Sell Dope Forever is the title of a collaboration project between Hip Hop groups dead prez and Outlawz.The album was released on Affluent Records July 25, 2006 and executive produced by Oscar Sanchez...

    (With Dead Prez
    Dead Prez
    Dead Prez stylized as dead prez is a hip hop duo from the United States, composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City, New York. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with socialist lyrics focused on both militant social justice and Pan-Africanism...

    )


Mixtape

  • 2009: Cashville Takeover
    Cashville Takeover
    Cashville Takeover is a mixtape by rapper's Young Buck, C-Bo, The Outlawz & $o$a Da Plug, Hosted by DJ Rip. This was the first mixtape released with all the Cashville roster on one disc together. The mixtape features exclusive tracks and freestyles from Cashville Records with appearances by Snoop...

    (With: Cashville Records)
  • 2010: Killuminati 2K10
    Killuminati 2K10
    Killuminati 2K10 is a mixtape by American hip-hop group Outlawz released October 31, 2010. Drop a 2 verses like mixtape hosted by DJ Smallz for free download and second version unhosted on itunes with bonus tracks.-Track listing:...

  • 2011: Killuminati 2K11
    Killuminati 2K11
    Killuminati 2K11 is a mixtape by American hip-hop group Outlawz hosted by DJ Smallz and DJ Kay Slay, released July 14, 2011 for free download.-Track listing:...


Digital albums

  • 2006: Retribution: The Lost Album
  • 2010: The Lost Songs Vol. 1 (iTunes Exclusive)
  • 2010: The Lost Songs Vol. 2 (iTunes Exclusive)
  • 2010: The Lost Songs Vol. 3 (iTunes Exclusive)


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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