Big Syke (Tyruss Himes)

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December 6, 2015

Tyruss Gerald Himes

also known as Mussolini / Big Syke
November 22, 1968 – December 5, 2016
Hawthorne, CA

Tyruss “Big Syke” Himes was born and raised in Inglewood, California. In the early 90s he became friends with Tupac. Syke was teached Tupac about the streets and Tupac teached Syke about the rap game. Syke, Macadoshis, Mopreme Shakur, The Rated R and Tupac started working on an LP, Thug Life Volume 1. One of the songs that’d be on it was “How Long Will They Mourn Me?” which featured Nate Dogg and was dedicated to Syke’s murdered friend Kato. Tupac told Syke to take his pain out on the song and it turned out good.

On September 26, 1994, Thug Life Volume 1 was released. It sold gold, which was good, but not as good as they expected. A lot of people blamed Interscope Records who edited and removed a lot of songs from the Lp due to them being too hardcore and underground. The first single and video was “Pour Out A Little Liquor.” It was A Tupac solo song and didn’t feature Syke nor any other members of Thug Life. Syke was on the three other singles and videos, “Cradle To The Grave,” “How Long Will They Mourn?” and “It Don’t Stop,” though.

In 1995, Bruce “Fatal” Washington, Katari “Kastro” Cox, Malcolm “E.D.I.” Greenidge, Mutah “Napoleon” Beale, Tupac and Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula founded a group, the Outlaw Immortalz which was later re-named to the Outlawz. Syke was recruited to the group. Tupac had given the members of the group aliases taken from political men hated in America, Tupac gave Syke the alias Mussolini, after former Italian president Benito Mussolini. The Outlawz made their debut on “When We Ride” on Tupac’s double LP, All Eyez On Me, which was released on February 13, 1996. Shortly after the release Syke left the Outlawz.

Tupac & The Outlawz Live At Club 662, November 05, 1995,

He signed with Rideonum Records/TNT Recordings as a solo artist which released his solo LP, Be Yo Self, on October 16. Since then Syke has been very quiet. He has mostly guest appeared on other artist’s albums and compilations and soundtracks. In 2000, he signed with Rap-A-Lot Records where he recorded an album, Big Syke Daddy, Where You At? In 2001, he left Rap-A-Lot Records and the album was never released. He signed with D3 Entertainment/DNA which is set to release his third album this year!

Solo albums

Be Yo’ Self (1996)
Big Syke Daddy (2001)
Street Commando (2002)
Big Syke (2002)

Big Syke Was Found Dead At His Home

Big Syke was found dead at his home in Hawthorne, CA late Monday night (December 05, 2016). Law enforcement sources tell us cops responded first to a call to the scene, and then the L.A. County Coroner arrived.

Mopreme (Maurice Harding)

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2PacLegacy

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December 6, 2015

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Estrella de Moet Toasts Janna Velasquez at Pour Vous — LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 29: Rapper/Actor Mopreme Shakur attends a toast by Estrella de Moet to Janna Velasquez at Pour Vous on April 29, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Todd Williamson/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Mopreme Shakur

Maurice Harding’s mother and father is Sharan Harding and Mutulu Shakur. Four or five years after Harding’s birth his father married Afeni Shakur. She had a son and daughter, Tupac and Sekyiwa Shakur. At the time their parents got married Harding was four or five-year-old and Tupac was two or three and they lived in Harlem, New York. Harding thought that Tupac was old for his age, he always used to hang out with Harding and his older cousins. When they later moved to Oakland, California Tupac used to have a lot of problems with his mother, sometimes he’d come over to Harding’s house and sleep over. Harding used to cut his hair, get him straight and let him rest.

Both Harding and Tupac became good rappers when they got older. Harding made his debut on Tony! Toni! Ton?!’s “Feels Good” which was released on a single on June 15, 1990 and two months later on their LP, The Revival. Harding went under the alias Mocedes The Mellow. He and three others formed a group, W.A.T.M. The W stood for Wycked which was his new alias. He guest appeared on “Papa’z Song,” the fourth single and video of Tupac’s LP, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… He later changed his alias to Mopreme and joined Thug Life, a group which also consisted of Macadoshis, The Rated R, Tupac and Tyruss “Big Syke” Himes.

On September 26, 1994, their debut album, Thug Life Volume 1, was released. It sold gold, which was good, but not as good as they expected. A lot of people blamed Interscope Records who edited and removed a lot of songs from the LP due to that it was too hardcore and underground. The first single and video was “Pour Out A Little Liquor.” It was a Tupac solo song and didn’t feature Mopreme nor any other members of Thug Life. Mopreme was on the three other singles and videos, “Cradle To The Grave,” “How Long Will They Mourn Me?” and “It Don’t Stop,” though.

In 1995, Bruce “Fatal” Washington, Katari “Kastro” Cox, Malcolm “E.D.I.” Greenidge, Mutah “Napoleon” Beale, Tupac and Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula founded a group, the Outlaw Immortalz which was later re-named to the Outlawz. Mopreme was recruited to the group. Tupac had given the members of the group aliases taken from political men hated in America, Tupac gave Mopreme the alias Komani, after Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini. The Outlawz made their debut on “When We Ride” on Tupac’s double LP, All Eyez On Me, which was released on February 16, 1996. Shortly after the release Komani left the Outlawz. Since then Komani has been very quiet. He has mostly guest appeared on other artists’ albums and compilations and soundtracks.

Komani later changed his name from Maurice Harding to Mopreme Shakur. Today, he’s signed with Status Records who’s scheduled to release his solo album, Mopreme Shakur: Life And Law, this year.

Storm (Donna ”Storm” Harkness)

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2PacLegacy

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December 6, 2015

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Storm was the only female Outlaw, her real name is Donna “Storm” Harkness, she met Tupac during the shooting of a film. After he found out how well she could rap, he asked her to join his group, the Outlawz.

left 2 right: EDI, Storm, Kamil, Fatal, Pac, Kadafi, Noble, Napoleon, Keyshia, Kastro (not shown) – The Last Pic Together, August 1996

Storm has a zero tolerance policy on bullshit or fakeness and explains why she decided to leave the music industry after Tupac died: “I stopped because, after Pac died, the music stopped for me. It’s like I went deaf! I was literally soul-broken. I started to see things that I didn’t like and weren’t part of my character. I started to experience the things that Pac had basically blocked me from and put himself in front of so I didn’t have to deal with it and I could just concentrate on music. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t naive. I’ve been through a lot of shit, but it was just nice to have someone there that I know without a doubt that had my back and that I could just do music. But, when he was no longer that shield, I saw the faces of disloyalty, greed, deceit, lies, so called homies/family showing their true evil ways. I found out, the hard way, that you have no friends in this business, only opportunist! I felt, right after Pac died, that if I kept dealing with these kind of people, I would most likely have snapped, and ended up in somebody’s prison! Because I have very little, if any, patience for bullshit or fakeness. I didn’t trust anybody after Pac because he was too genuine, loyal, and respectful to me for me to accept anything less from anybody else. I started to carry a pistol everywhere I went. I became so reckless and angry after Pac’s death that I hated everybody, sometimes including myself! I felt God had made a huge mistake!”

She wants to display her skills in rhyming and wants to let the world know that even though she was Tupac’s protegee he never wrote her lyrics. “Pac was excited that he didn’t have to take the time to hold my hand and write my lyrics for me. But, me being the female rapper makes everyone just assume that he was writing my shit. That’s 100% false!” And to people that say she was not an original member of the Outlawz, “I really don’t give a fuck how people want to rewrite history. Pac made me an Outlaw and unless Tupac Amaru Shakur says otherwise, can’t nobody take that away from me…NOBODY!”

Her first introduction to Tupac led to their future collaboration even before Tupac had created the Outlaw Immortalz. “I was actually introduced to Pac inside an on set trailer by the home girl, Sunshine. She was in a 90’s girl group called Y?N-Vee out of Compton, California. She was a friend of Pac’s. Pac and me started talking for about an hour before Sunshine came back to the trailer and nonchalantly asked Pac if he knew I was a rapper. Pac was surprised so he immediately asked me to rap! He loved it and he asked me to be the first female in his crew. He hadn’t named the group yet, but later announced that we would be called the Outlaw Immortalz. I was supposed to be one of his solo artists from the group Outlawz.”

On February 13, 1996, Tupac’s double LP, All Eyez On Me, was released. Storm guest appeared on three songs, “Tradin’ War Stories,” “Thug Passion” and “Run Tha Streetz.”

Special gift from Afeni Shakur to Storm.

The death of her mentor turned her life into a chaos, but she still remained strong as she was determined to carry on Tupac’s torch. She appeared on the soundtracks for Tupac’s films, Gridlock’d and Gang Related. She also guest appeared alongside the rest of the Outlawz on albums such as C-BO’s Til’ My Casket Drops, Heltah Skeltah’s Magnum Force and Rondo’s Success Before Death.

Storm was never really much of an active member of the Outlawz and as time went by she decided to leave the group. Her last appearance with the Outlawz was on their 1999 debut LP, Still I Rise. Storm is featured on a lot of Tupac’s unreleased and yet to be released material.

Storm guest appeares on the original versions of “Let ‘Em Have It” and “U Don’t Have 2 Worry” from Tupac’s posthumous release Until The End Of Time as well as on “Never B Peace” and “Whatcha Gonna Do?” from Better Dayz. Unfortunately, she was edited out of the remixed and released versions.

When speaking to a web site she said she will eventually make a come back when the time is right. You can get an appetizer from her new material on the soundtrack for Thug Angel: Life Of An Outlaw, which features the Tupac dedication “Pain” by Storm.

And now it’s time for her solo. The first song is her way to tell her own story in her own unique way. The track Neva B was born. How did this come to pass? “The lyrics Neva B woke me up from my sleep at 12:01 am in the morning and I went back to sleep an hour later, with the lyrics, including the chorus (hook) and the melody, finished. I started thinking how nobody can touch Pac or the songs that Pac had written, so I started to name the titles, one by one, and made his titles tell MY story. That’s how I came up with Neva B. I WAS Brenda’s baby, but I was rescued and given life back. That’s why I’m “Nobody’s Daughter.” I literally wasn’t! That was going to be the name of my 1st album, with Pac’s approval, of course.” (she smiles)

Storm also guest appeared on “Hard Labor” on C-BO’s LP, Til’ My Casket Drops, “M.F.C. Lawz” on Heltah Skeltah’s LP, Magnum Force, and “Ain’t Dead In Vain” on Rondo’s LP, Success Before Death. She never really was an active member of the group, she guest appeared on one song on the Outlawz’s debut LP, Still I Rise. She’s no longer in contact with the Outlawz and after giving birth to her last child she is dedicated her time to her family.

Storm have a Tupac Tattoo on her hand.

“I still miss Pac and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. He is my family and I will always love him and even though he’s gone, I stay loyal to him and will never disrespect what he believed in and fought for just so I can make a quick buck or just because it’s the flavor of the month. It goes deeper than that. F*ck the fame! I guess he taught me well…” (she laughs)

Storm – Neva B feat. TJ (Dedicated To Tupac Shakur)

**EXCLUSIVE – Rare Interview with Storm Outlaw

STORM from THUG ANGEL:

Introduction:

They call me Storm from the day I was born. Female Outlaw; Operating Under Thug Laws As Warriors.

“Working with Pac in the studio was crazy. It was just like, just unpredictable. Everyday it was just something serious we learnt for that day or it was something crazy that Pac did just made us laugh, ya know?

We just like have fun in the studio, but also it was like a classroom, ya know what I’m saying. Like it was, was like, you can compare it to one of the hardest classes that you have ever taken in your life, ya know, but it wasn’t. You didn’t go to that classroom and go Oh here we go again, I’m going to this class – you wanted to be there. You got there early; ya know what I’m saying, cause ya wanted to be there. You wanted to know what the next lesson was for the day.

Ya know what – Pac was very demanding in the studio. When he went into the studio, he went into the studio to work.

Ya know we had fun here and there when, ya know when other things were being done that didn’t apply to us: but when it was our turn to do what we were suppose to do – he expected us to step up to the plate and do what we had to do. Ya know he didn’t like no 2 or 3 takes in the booth. He wanted us to – You wrote that you go in there and you spit that. and you get out. Ya know what I’m saying? If you wrote that and you went in there and stumbled over it, I mean why did you write that? You’re not saying it right, your not feeling it obviously cause you keep messin up. So you got to go; you got ta get out – until the next song – and that’s how it was.

It wasn’t that easy to keep up with him, as far as that cause he was just un-stoppable. Like 4 songs – that was a normal day.

Well actually Makaveli was um a three-day theory ya know. He had finished it in 3 days, but there was just so much music around him and so many people, ya know. Every time he’s walk into the studio he would hear a different beat, ya know what I’m saying, that he wanted to write to, that he was like – Oh shit, this shit is tight. He just kept writing and writing cause he had so much to say. So he had to literally say one day that I’m closing the door. I’m not listening to no more music. Don’t bring me no more music – PLEASE; ya know, cause I just have to turn this album in. And that’s how basically it became a 7 Day Theory.

I didn’t think nobody would hate Pac enough to take his life like that. I really do feel that he felt it especially towards the end. Ya know, the way he was driving us. Beating into our heads the fact that we have to stand up more as individual artists. Who’s going ya – who’s going do this when I’m – if I’m not here?

As far as the people that, ya know; have all these theories ya know, all the hope for Pac to be alive – I can’t be mad at them. Because it’s like they’re trying to hold on. I’m holding on right now to his memories, because I know he’s no longer of this earth.

I was there in the hospital with him for the whole time, ya know. I had a chance; thanks to Afeni, to go in and talk to him for the last time. And to tell him that I love him and to say good-bye.

Ya know, he was our General, and after he passed I was lost. And I’m not ashamed to say it; I was lost. Ya know I felt like – like my whole world was just gone.

I felt like the one person that believed in this dream that I had all my life was gone and it was hard for a long time.

It breaks here for a track called ‘Pain’. It is by Storm and you can really feel her ‘pain’ in this joint. If you don’t have this cd – ‘Thug Angel’, I recommend you get it.

I had great hope, I never doubted or came to the conclusion that – that he was not gonna be there with me any more. That never entered my mind.

Everyday that I went up there, ya know – it was I’m gonna see him wake up, we gonna write all these songs together and we are gonna continue on with the mission.

I never in a million years expected to go back to the hospital and find out that he was not there.

Well the tattoo that I have of Pac, I got right after Pac passed. It’s a cross with um; his face in the middle, and it has the words ‘Thug Angel’.

The words thug angel just came to me, it fit. I felt that it fit him perfectly/ Ya know, because to me he is no longer here, but I feel he will always be there for me.

He always told me that whenever I needed him, he was gonna be there for me.

I feel that he’s always gonna be there for me spiritually. Which means he’s always gonna be my THUG ANGEL.

Napoleon (Mutah Beale)

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2PacLegacy

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December 6, 2015

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Mutah Wassin Shabazz Beale was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 11, 1977. His mother, Aquillah Beale, was Christian and his father, Salek Beale, was Muslim. When he was three or four-years-old his parents were murdered and his brother, Seike Beale, commit suicide. After this, he along with his big brother, Moonie Beale, and his little brother, Kamil “Hellraza” Beale, moved to their grandmother in Irvington, New Jersey.

As Beale grew older he started rapping. In 1994, he ran into his childhood friend Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula who he hadn’t had contact with for years. Both of them were rapping and Kadafi’s Godbrother was the notorious rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur. Kadafi’s mother, Yaasmyn Fula, told Tupac about Beale. She told him how he witnessed his parents being murdered and it made him cry. He felt he had to met Beale. They met and Beale joined their group, Dramacydal. Unlike the other members he didn’t go under an alias, he just went under his first name.

On April 5, 1995, Tupac’s LP, Me Against The World, was released. Mutah guest appeared on the song “Outlaw.” In 1995, Mutah, Bruce “Fatal” Washington, Kadafi, Katari “Kastro” Cox, Malcolm “E.D.I.” Greenidge, Tupac formed the group the Outlaw Immortalz; later renamed to the Outlawz. Tupac gave each member of the group an alias taken from an enemy of America, he gave Mutah the alias Napoleon after French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. On February 13, 1996, Tupac’s double LP, All Eyez On Me, was released. Napoleon guest appeared on “Tradin’ War Stories,” “When We Ride,” “Thug Passion” and “Run Tha Streetz.”

On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by-shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to University Medical Center where he died a week later. Napoleon and the rest of the Outlawz moved back to New Jersey. On November 5, Tupac’s LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. Napoleon guest appeared on the song “Life Of An Outlaw.” On November 10, after visiting his girlfriend, Kadafi was killed. He was taken to University Hospital where he died on the afternoon. Who killed him remained unknown until 2000 when Napoleon said in an interview with The Source that it was his cousin, Roddy, who accidentally killed him. Apparently, Kadafi and Roddy were drunk and high, they were playing with a gun, Roddy pulled the trigger and a bullet hit Kadafi in the head. Napoleon convinced Roddy to turn himself in.

In March 1997, Napoleon and the rest of the Outlawz with the exception of Fatal, moved back to California and signed with Death Row Records. They did this despite the fact that Tupac had several times told them not to. On December 21, 1999, the Outlawz’s debut LP, Still I Rise, was finally released. Napoleon and the rest of the Outlawz besides Fatal formed Outlaw Recordz and released their second and third LPs, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us and Novakane, on November 7, 2000 and November 6, 2001. One of the first artists who signed with Outlaw Recordz was Napoleon’s brother, Hellraza. Napoleon made his acting debut in Thug Life which also starred The Lady Of Rage and Willie D.

Napoleon’s the father of a son, Saleick Beale. He has started a barbershop and salon, Platinum Kuts. He’s working on his solo debut album, Bonapartes, due out this year. It features Jon B and Sticky Fingaz.

In 2001 Mutah Napoleon Beale was invited to Islam by Mikal Kamil.

Beale considers hip hop and Islam to be incompatible, because “they basically call for two different things” and that even if the song’s message is positive, “if it is not according to the Sunnah (teachings) of the Prophet Muhammad, then it is unacceptable” Napoleon attended Father Mercredi Catholic School to speak about his life and when he became a Muslim. This took place in Fort McMurray, Alberta on May 26, 2010

Hussein Fatal (Bruce Washington)

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2PacLegacy

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December 6, 2015

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Bruce Washington was born April 3, 1973 and raised in Montclair, New Jersey, better known by his stage name, Hussein Fatal.

He grew up with his mother, brother and four sisters. After hearing rappers KRS-One and MC Shan lyrically battle on 98.7 KISS FM he discovered what it was he wanted be, a rapper. He started freestyling and entering local talent shows, but at the same time he started getting into criminal activities including dealing cocaine. He joined The Plague, a group who was working with the then unknown Fugees. Wyclef Jean did the chorus on their demo, but no companies were interested in it, so Washington left the group.

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Публикация, споделена от Hussein Fatal (@fataldoggnewjerz)

He ran into his high school friend, Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula. He told Washington that he’s helping his Godbrother, Tupac “2PAC” Shakur search for members for a group they were forming. He asked Washington to come with him and visit Tupac at the Clinton Correctional Facility where he was serving time for sexual abuse. At the time FAtal didn’t believe that Kadafi knew Tupac and it wasn’t brought up again until Kadafi’s mother, Yaasmyn Fula, mentioned it. Fatal then realized that Kadafi was serious. The next day, Washington visited Tupac. Before he had any chance to introduce himself Tupac asked him to rap a few verses. Soon he was a member of the group, the Outlaw Immortalz. The other members of the group were Katari “Kastro” Cox, Malcolm “E.D.I.” Greenidge, Mutah “Napoleon” Beale and of course Tupac and Kadafi. Tupac had given them aliases after political men hated in the America, he gave Washington the alias, Hussein Fatal which was later changed to Fatal Hussein after Iraq president, Saddam Hussein.

Tupac promised to take them with him to California when he was released from prison and he held his word. On October 12, 1995, Death Row Records, Interscope Records and Time Warner paid a $1,4 million bail to have Tupac released. In return Tupac had to sign a three album deal with Death Row Records. Tupac had their flight scheduled and a limousine to pick them up at the airport. The next day, they went into the studio and started recording Tupac’s double LP, All Eyez On Me. On February 13, 1996, All Eyez On Me was released. Fatal guest appeared on two songs, “All About U” and “When We Ride.” On June 14, Tupac’s “How Do U Want It” single was released. “Hit ‘Em Up,” a song featuring the Outlawz which is probably the most notorious dis song in hip-hop history. It dissed Bad Boy Entertainment, Chino XL, Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Mobb Deep. Tupac claimed that he had sex with Bad Boy Entertainment recording artist The Notorious B.I.G.’s wife, Faith Evans.

Fatal and Tupac were friends, but friends don’t always get along, some people said they were too alike. A good example is when Fatal borrowed Tupac’s new Land Cruiser without permission and crashed it. Tupac became so angry that he sent Fatal back home to New Jersey. This wasn’t the first time, though. Tupac sent Fatal and Kadafi back home to New Jersey a lot of times for acting crazy. This time Fatal realized he really messed up. He asked Kadafi’s mother to contact Tupac so he could apologize. The same day he received a phone call from his girlfriend who told him to return to California where he apologized to Tupac. On September 6, Fatal had to leave California due to a court appearance on assault charges. On September 7, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by-shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to the University Medical Center where he died a week later.

Since Tupac was dead Fatal no longer had any reason to stay in Los Angeles, California so he left without packing any clothes nor money; Kadafi followed him. On November 10, Kadafi was shot in the head by Napoleon’s cousin, Roddy. He was taken to University Hospital where he died on the afternoon. He was only 19-year-old. Roddy claimed it was an accident, he said that while he and Kadafi were drunk and high and were playing with a gun, he accidentally pulled the trigger and a bullet hit Kadafi in the head. Napoleon convinced Roddy to turn himself in.

Within two months, Fatal had lost his two best friends. He felt the rap game was more dangerous than the dope game so he quit rapping. He was always drunk and high, he robbed people, he started dealing cocaine again. He basically hit rock bottom. Slowly an anger towards the other members of the Outlawz grew inside of him. He was angry at them for various reasons; For not being there for Tupac on September 7, 1996, for “forgiving” Roddy for Kadafi’s killing and for signing with Death Row Records even though Tupac told them not to. To top is off the Outlawz removed Fatal from the album Still I Rise. Fatal started to miss his life as a rapper and in late 1997, Fatal was offered a contract with Relativity Records. He accepted it and they released his debut single, “Everyday,” on March 17, 1998 and his debut LP, In The Line Of Fire, on March 31 under the name Fatal, Hussein had been dropped from his name. The album didn’t sell as well as expected and Fatal himself admitted that he rushed the album and could do better. He promises his second album will be better.

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Публикация, споделена от Hussein Fatal (@fataldoggnewjerz)

Fatal later left Relativity Records and signed with Rap-A-Lot Records where he started working on his second album, Death Before Dishonor. Before he could finish it he was arrested by the Orange Police Department in Newark, New Jersey in December, 1999. He was arrested for slashing a person’s face and stomach and another person’s arm and chest with a box cutter on July 12, 1997. On May 15, 2001, he was released to a half-way house and is now released on various forms of probation. Rap-A-Lot Records is scheduled to release his second album, Death Before Dishonor, in 2002. It’s dedicated to Tupac and for the first time since since his death it’ll feature a song with all members of the Outlawz. It’ll also feature guest appearances by Fat Joe, Gangstarr, Gotti, Ja Rule, Lil’ Mo, New Child, Rowdy Rahz and Scarface with production by Hurt ‘Em Bad, Johnny J and Quimmy Quim.

Hussein Fatal died in a car accident on a Georgia freeway in Banks County on July 10, 2015 at the age of 42. His girlfriend was driving and was charged with DUI, first-degree vehicular homicide, and reckless driving. He was survived by three daughters, his mother Cheryl Perkins, his father Bruce Washington Sr., and eleven siblings.

Young Noble (Rufus Cooper III)

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2PacLegacy

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December 6, 2015

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Rufus Cooper III better know as Young Noble was born in Sierra Madre, California on March 31, 1978. Noble grew up with his mother Ellene, his twin sister, Keisha, and his brother, Shawn Furr. His mother was on drugs for the first 15 years of his life and his father, Rufus L. Cooper II, wasn’t there for him. They lived in Altadena, California until his brother got into trouble with the law and was forced to leave the state. The whole family, besides Keisha, moved to Montclair, New Jersey. Cooper attended Hill Side Elementary where he received Good Student Awards. Then he attended Glen Field Middle School where he discovered his love for basketball.

Although he was doing good in school, he had friends in the dope game who he saw making a lot of money. He saw this is a way to provide himself and his mother who couldn’t provide him with things other children had. He asked his mother for permission and then started selling drugs. His choice got him into a lot of trouble, both in – and outside of school. His mother sent him back to his father in California. It didn’t work out and after two months his mother’s boyfriend, Greg Brown, helped him to get a plane ticket back to New Jersey. He once again attended to school while selling drugs on the side.

Cooper earned a starting point guard position in the basketball team Freshmen Squad. But near the first game he was told that couldn’t play because of the no pass, no play rule. He was disappointed and gave up school and started selling drugs on full time. He was regularly harassed by the police and in and out of the juvenile hall. At age 15, he decided to turn his life around after he had a vision from God who told him that he would either end up dead or in prison.

Noble asked his sister if he could move in with her, but she was pregnant and living with her baby’s father who she didn’t want to leave. She graduated high school and then agreed to let him move in with her. He bought himself a plane ticket to Rancho Cucamonga, California and lived with Keisha who helped him get back in school. He started rapping under the alias Young Noble. After living with Keisha for over a year, he received a phone call from Bruce “Fatal” Washington and Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula, two of his friends from New Jersey. They said they were in Los Angeles, California with rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur who had just been released from prison.

The next day, Noble visited Fatal and Kadafi who were working on Tupac’s upcoming double LP, All Eyez On Me. He began to regularly visit them. He went to school during the week and visited them on the weekends. After Tupac heard him rap, he asked him to join their group, the Outlawz. There was a catch, though. He couldn’t go to school and rap at the same time. So Tupac gave him an ultimatum, either finish school or move to Los Angeles and become a star. He decided to move to Los Angeles and join the group.

On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by-shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to University Medical Center where he died a week later. Young Noble and the rest of the Outlawz moved back to New Jersey. On November 5, Tupac’s LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. Noble guest appeared on four songs, “Bomb First (My Second Reply),” “Hail Mary,” “Life Of An Outlaw” and “Just Like Daddy.” “Hail Mary” was the third single and video. Death Row Records who released the LP didn’t credit the Outlawz for guest appearing on it and cut them out of the video. On November 10, after visiting his girlfriend, Kadafi was shot. He was found by the police in a third floor hallway of an apartment building in Irvington, New Jersey. He was taken to University Hospital where he died on the afternoon.

Noble and the rest of the Outlawz besides Fatal moved back to California and signed with Death Row Records in March, 1997 although Tupac had told them not to. On December 21, 1999, the Outlawz’s debut album, Still I Rise, was finally released. In 1999, Noble, E.D.I., Kastro and Napoleon started Outlaw Recordz and released their second and third LPs, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us and Novakane, on November 7, 2000 and November 6, 2001. Noble is looking forward to act in films and direct his first video. He’s working on his solo album, Noble Justice, which is named after his son and due out this year.

Kastro (Katari Cox)

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2PacLegacy

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December 6, 2015

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Katari Cox was born in Manhattan, New York on December 30, 1976. His parents are Gloria and T. Cox. He became friends with Malcolm “E.D.I.” Greenidge. They met through their mothers who were close friends. Cox, E.D.I. and their families later moved to New Jersey where they became friends with Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula. In 1992, they formed a trio. Kastro went under the alias K-Dog and the trio went under names like the Thoro Headz and the Young Thugs.

By now, K-Dog’s cousin, Tupac Amaru Shakur, had became a rap star and let them guest appear on “Flex” on his “Holler If Ya Hear Me” single which was released on February 4, 1993. In 1994, Mutah “Napoleon” Beale joined the group now known as Dramacydal. On April 5, 1995, Tupac’s LP, Me Against The World, was released. They guest appeared on “Me Against The World” and “Outlaw.” On June 27, Tupac’s “So Many Tears” single was released. It features “Hard To Imagine,” a song by K-Dog, E.D.I. and Napoleon.

In 1995, K-Dog, Tupac, Bruce “Fatal” Washington, Kadafi, Kastro and Napoleon formed the group the Outlaw Immortalz, later changed to the Outlawz. Tupac gave each member of the group an alias from an enemy of America, he gave K-Dog the alias Kastro after Cuban president Fidel Castro. On February 13, 1996, Tupac’s double LP, All Eyez On Me, was released. Kastro guest appeared on “Tradin’ War Stories,” “When We Ride” and “Thug Passion.”

On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by-shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to University Medical Center where he died a week later. Kastro and the rest of the Outlawz moved back to New Jersey. On November 5, Tupac’s LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. Kastro guest appeared on two songs, “Hail Mary” and “Life Of An Outlaw.” “Hail Mary” was the third single and video. Death Row Records who released the LP didn’t credit the Outlawz for guest appearing on it and cut them out of the video. On November 10, after visiting his girlfriend, Kadafi was shot. He was taken to University Hospital where he died on the afternoon.

In March, 1997, Kastro and the rest of the Outlawz besides Fatal moved back to California and signed with Death Row Records although Tupac had several times told them not to. On December 21, the Outlawz’s debut album, Still I Rise, was finally released. In 1999, Kastro and the rest of the Outlawz besides Fatal who by now had beef with them formed Outlaw Recordz and released their second and third LPs, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us and Novakane, on November 7, 2000 and November 6, 2001. He and E.D.I. is working on a collaboration album, Blood Brothers, due out this year.

E.D.I. Mean (Malcolm Greenidge)

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2PacLegacy

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December 6, 2015

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Malcolm Greenidge was born in New York on July 7, 1974. He became friends with Katari “Kastro” Cox. They met through their mothers who were close friends. He and Kastro’s cousin, Tupac Amaru Shakur, attended to the same private elementary school for a half year. Greenidge was in the third grade and Tupac in the sixth. They only went there for a half year because their parents couldn’t afford it. Greenridge, Kastro and their families later moved to New Jersey where they became friends with Tupac’s Godbrother, Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula.

In 1992, Greenidge, Kadafi and Kastro formed a trio. Greenidge went under the alias Big Malcolm and the trio went under names like the Thoro Headz and the Young Thugs. By now, Tupac had became a rap star and he let them guest appear on “Flex” on his “Holler If Ya Hear Me” single which was released on February 4, 1993. In 1994, Mutah “Napoleon” Beale joined the group now known as Dramacydal. On April 5, 1995, Tupac’s LP, Me Against The World, was released. They guest appeared on “Me Against The World” and “Outlaw.” On June 27, Tupac’s “So Many Tears” single was released. It features “Hard To Imagine,” a song by Malcolm, Kastro and Napoleon.

In 1995, Malcolm, Tupac, Bruce “Fatal” Washington, Kadafi, Kastro and Napoleon formed the group the Outlaw Immortalz, later changed to the Outlawz. Tupac gave each member of the group an alias from an enemy of America, he gave Malcolm the alias E.D.I. after Ugandian president Idi Amin. On February 13, 1996, Tupac’s double LP, All Eyez On Me, was released. E.D.I. guest appeared on “Tradin’ War Stories,” “When We Ride” and “Thug Passion.”

On June 14, Tupac’s “How Do U Want It” single was released. It featured “Hit ‘Em Up” featuring E.D.I., Fatal and Kadafi. It’s the most notorious dis song in history and they’re dissing Bad Boy Entertainment, Chino XL, Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Mobb Deep on it. Tupac claimed he had sex with Bad Boy Entertainment recording artist The Notorious B.I.G.’s wife, Faith Evans, for betraying him. The video which was made for the song is the Outlawz’s first video.

On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by-shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to University Medical Center where he died a week later. E.D.I. was in the car behind the one Tupac was riding in, but he said he couldn’t identify the murderer. E.D.I. and the rest of the Outlawz moved back to New Jersey. On November 5, Tupac’s LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. E.D.I. guest appeared on three songs, “Bomb First (My Second Reply),” “Life Of An Outlaw” and “Just Like Daddy.” On November 10, after visiting his girlfriend, Kadafi was shot. He was taken to University Hospital where he died on the afternoon.

In March, 1997, E.D.I. and the rest of the Outlawz besides Fatal moved back to California and signed with Death Row Records although Tupac had several times told them not to. On November 25, 1997, Tupac’s double LP, R U Still Down? (Remember Me) was released. E.D.I. produced six songs on it, “Redemption,” “Thug Style,” “Fuck All Y’all,” “Let Them Thangs Go,” “When I Get Free” and “Enemies With Me.” On December 21, 1999, the Outlawz’s debut album, Still I Rise, was finally released.

In 1999, E.D.I. and the rest of the Outlawz besides Fatal who by now had beef with them started Outlaw Recordz and released their second and third LPs, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us and Novakane, on November 7, 2000 and November 6, 2001. E.D.I.’s married and has three children, Malik, Milan and Nzingha. He’s working on Blood Brothers, a collaboration album with Kastro, due out this year and is also working on a screenplay.

The Life & Death of Yaki Kadafi (Yafeu A. Fula)

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2PacLegacy

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December 6, 2015

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Once known as Young Hollywood, Killer Kadafi, Tha Prince (real name: Yafeu Akiyele Fula aka Yaki Kadafi), Yafeu Fula was born in New Jersey on October 9th 1977. Born proud, he stood strong and defiant in his brief life to forces less honorable. His parents, Yaasmyn Fula and Sekou Odinga were already active in the community and committed to social justice, truth and peace in America at a time of great world upheaval.

Named after African proverbs – Yafeu – “bold” and the middle name Akiyele – “valor enters the house” were chosen because we knew he was destined to greatness. During his brief lifetime he was indeed a very bold and courageous young man exhibiting strong leadership qualities and bravery at an early age.

Many factors contributed to Yafeus’ great destiny. In order to understand this young man and honor him properly it is imperative that his lineage is understood. For these were the loins from whence he sprung, these were the bearers of the torch that he inherited.

A direct descendant of a very well respected family in New Jersey on his mothers side – the Harrison-Martin clan. His great grandmother, Delia Harrison Martin was well known in New Jersey for her relentless pursuit and representation of human rights for all people. She began her legacy in 1920 working with the Newark Urban League under Bill Ashby. From there she allied herself to all political issues of the day that affected the lives and dignity of black people from the Womens’ Suffrage Movement, voter registration during the civil rights movement, community affairs, consumer rights, NAACP secretary, health advocate, and education for all. During her 100 years of living she received many awards and was responsible for drafting local government proclamations that directly benefited the black community.

The role Yafeus’ parents were playing in shaping the destiny of America vicariously shaped his life. His father, Sekou Odinga, a proud revolutionary activist was Section Leader of the Black Panther Party in the Bronx as well as other politically strong groups of the time such as Malcolm X’s Organization of African American Unity (OAAU). The goal was at that time and still remains self-determination, independence and freedom for the descendants of African slaves presently residing in the Americas. During the FBI’s attack of the Panthers under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover and President Nixon, COINTELPRO targeted and devised plots to destroy the Black Panther Party and their supporters. Many Panthers and activists were forced to flee for their lives to avoid being set up, many went underground. Some, like Sekou fled the country to Algeria and became part of the International Section of the Black Panther Party in collaboration with then exiled leader Eldridge Cleaver.

At that time the East Coast and West Coast Panther Party were being manipulated by the powers that be to engage in destructive attacks upon each other. Today as in those days the media has exacerbated and contrived the East Coast – West Coast hip hop rivalry. The deaths and antagonisms are darkly familiar to those of us who survived the destruction and neutralization of the revolutionary movement by the FBI COINTELPRO program. Some, like Fred Hampton, Zayd Shakur, Bunchy Carter, Malcolm X, George and Jonathan Jackson, Lumumba Shakur, did not survive the conspiracy to eliminate the leadership of the Black Movement. Those who are not dead are either incarcerated or live to tell the story of their deceased sons and daughters – victims of this modern day holocaust.

Lumumba Abdul Shakur (right) and his wife Afeni (center), are escorted from the Elizabeth Street Police Station in New York on April 3, 1969 after their arrest in connection with a plot to bomb five Manhattan department stores. Shakur and his wife were among a group of more than a dozen members of the Black Panther group arrested in the alleged bomb plot (Photo Credit: AP Photo).

Sekou Odinga is incarcerated in the Marion Federal Correctional Institution, Marion, Illinois for the past 23 years. After being convicted in 1985 at the Brinks trial held in New York, Sekou claimed political prisoner status and was promptly convicted of being a member of the Black Liberation Army and freeing Assata Shakur from jail. He is doing 60 years to life. Recognized the world over as a progressive revolutionary brother, Sekou claims that the United States has no jurisdiction over him during his trials and that he was persecuted and convicted because of his political views and positions.

The Shakur and Fula families forged a strong bond during the Panther 21 trial in 1969 and ensuing community organizing that has sustained us throughout many dark days. At that time, Afeni, Tupacs’ mom along with Yafeus’ father, Sekou, section leader for the Bronx Black Panther Party had been charged as Black Panthers with all kinds of ridiculous crimes. Afeni, pregnant with Tupac represented herself in court. Sekou, hoped on a plane and fled to Algiers and was tried in absentia. In April 1971 all were found not guilty. It was the longest trial in the history of New York and a pivotal period in all our lives. The friendship and comradeship extended beyond our political commitments. Our children, Tupac, Sekyiwa, and her sister Glorias’ son, Katari (Kastro) have been in each others lives since they were babies.

Tupac Shakur and Yaki Kadafi image — Young Tupac and Yaki Kadafi

In October 1981, Yaasmyn, Yafeus’ mom was subpoened to a Grand Jury that was convened after the Brinks Bank Robbery in Nyack New York in which many activists from the communities, the Weather Underground and the Black Liberation Army were arrested. Anyone involved in community work, health, education, were rounded up and subpoened to give testimony about their co-workers. The RICCO statute which was formerly used against organized crime was now being used for the first time against politically activists and community organizers. The Grand Jury was convened in secret using its powers to subpoena and harass all activists. Yaasmyn refused to testify against her co-workers and was sent to jail for 18 months. Yafeu was 4 years old at the time. During part of the 18 months he spent with Tupac and his family, but for the most part he was taken care of by his grandmother, Vivian Smith. His father was also arrested in October 1981. Yafeu never saw his father again, only speaking to him briefly over the years from jail.

Yafeu attended elementary school at Washington Elementary School in East Orange, New Jersey and then entered the school system in Montclair, New Jersey. Montclair, a well known progressive community known for its upscale neighborhoods and proximity to New York was a segregated town. The upper class resided in Upper Montclair and the middle and lower classes resided in just plain Montclair. The institutions of Montclair – both culturally and educationally were designed to maintain the status quo and quick to identify all who questioned/threatened the sanctimonious myths of prosperity. Yafeu was the consummate ‘Rebel with a Cause’. Even as a youngster he would always take up for the kid being mistreated in the playground. His strong spirit and sense of right and wrong got him into trouble with the local authorities and school who were in many cases derelict in their professional duties and out to identify “troublemakers”.

Yafeus’ forumulative years were spent growing up in New York and New Jersey, Tupac his beloved brother by his side. Tupac always the teacher, the mentor, the instructor, the organizer, the soldier with the game plan – Yafeu the loyal comrade. Tupac always had his lil brother and his cousins by his side, especially when his career started zooming. They were there with him during the early days of Digital Underground, being groomed at very early ages to write lyrics, always growing and planning for future projects.

When Tupac was incarcerated in 1995 on the sexual assault charge, I remember driving Fatal (Hussein) to Clinton Prison in Dannemora to visit him. Fatal, a local rapper in Montclair, was talented and needed a break. I knew he possessed the skills, street edge needed to give the Outlawz the boost they needed in Pacs absence.

In the visiting room, I introduced Fatal, Pac said – “let me hear what you can do” – Fatal did an impromptu freestyle. Pac, though impressed, asked for more. Fatal happily obliged. Pac soon came up with Fatal and Felony (Yaki). This was Pacs fatherly way of allowing Yaki back into a group and still making good on his kicking Yaki out of the Outlawz. Pac in true Makavelian style ran the show. He was the breadwinner for his family. The decree of “the Prince” was that nobody left the “kingdom” while he was incarcerated. The infraction? Yaki dared to leave the compound in Atlanta (Tupacs home) and travel to NJ for a friends funeral. Yaki always had a mind of his own and encouraged to do so by me.

Despite Tupacs admonitions from jail not to leave, went anyway. Pac was more disappointed that his “son” had disobeyed him and vowed he would never be allowed back into the group. That all changed in September 1995, when Pac was released on bail and they together worked on and released All Eyez on Me. Their bond of love was an extraordinary one, throughout their entire lives. Tupac, besides myself, was the only constant Yaki had in his life. Tupac always teaching, Yaki always rebelling. I loved them both so dearly.

On March 14, 1995, Tupac’s LP, Me Against The World, was released. They guest appeared on “Me Against The World” and “Outlaw”.

In 1995, Young Hollywood, Tupac, Bruce “Fatal” Washington, E.D.I., Kastro and Napoleon formed the group the Outlaw Immortalz, later changed to the Outlawz. Tupac gave each member of the group an alias from an enemy of America, he gave Young Hollywood the alias Kadafi after Lybian colonel Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi.

On February 13, 1996, Tupac’s double LP, ”All Eyez On Me”, was released. Kadafi guest appeared on “All About U” and “When We Ride”.

On June 14, Tupac’s “How Do U Want It” single was released. It featured “Hit ‘Em Up” featuring Kadafi, E.D.I. and Fatal. It’s the most notorious dis song in history and they’re dissing Bad Boy Entertainment, Chino XL, Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Mobb Deep on it. Tupac claimed he had sex with Bad Boy Entertainment recording artist The Notorious B.I.G.’s wife, Faith Evans, for betraying him. The video which was made for the song is the Outlawz’s first video.

Yaki Kadafi from set of ”Made Niggaz” Music Video

On November 5, Tupac’s LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. Kadafi guest appeared on two songs, “Hail Mary” and “Just Like Daddy”.

Tupac planned to produce records for the group under his newly formed company, Euphanasia. Tupac hired Fula’s mother Yaasmyn to manage the L.A.-based company. Fula,just 19 years old, was a passenger in the Lexus along with fellow group member EDI (Malcolm Greenridge) driven by (Frank Alexander) that was directly behind Suge’s BMW when the shooting of Tupac occurred. Only Fula told police he might be able to pick out Tupac’s shooter from a photo lineup. He was the only witness that night who exhibited a willingness to help the police.

On the 10th November 1996 was shot once in the head and was found slumped in the third-floor hallway of an apartment building at 325 Mechanic St. early Sunday where he had been visiting a friend, Orange police said. Officers found Fula at 3:48 a.m. after receiving a report of a shooting.

Within two days of the murder, Orange police arrested & charged two teenagers. Yaasmyn Fula, one of Afeni Shakurs best friends, lost her only son in that shooting. Metro police lost their only willing witness to Tupac’s murder. Who killed Kadafi remained unknown to the public until September, 2000 when Napoleon revealed in an interview with The Source that it was his cousin, Roddy, who killed him. Roddy claimed it was an accident. Apparently they were both drunk and high and was playing with a gun, Roddy accidentally pulled the trigger and a bullet hit Kadafi in the head.

History Of The Outlawz

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2PacLegacy

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December 3, 2015

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Katari Cox and Malcolm Greenidge grew up together in New York. They knew each other through Cox’s mother and Greenidge’s father who were close friends. They and their families later moved to New Jersey where they became friends with Yafeu Fula. Cox’s cousin and Fula’s Godbrother, Tupac Amaru Shakur, used to look out for them and when he became famous he moved them out of the ghetto and bought them homes in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1992, Cox, Greenridge and Fula formed a trio. Cox’s alias was K-Dog, Greenridge’s was Big Malcolm and Fula’s was Young Hollywood. The trio went under several names including the Thoro Headz and the Young Thugs. Big Malcolm and K-Dog made their debut on “Flex” on Tupac’s “Holler If Ya Hear Me” single which was released on February 4, 1993. In 1994, Young Hollywood’s mother and Tupac’s aunt, Yassmyn Fula, told Tupac about Mutah Wasin Shabazz Beale, a 16-year-old who witnessed his parents being murdered when he was three or four-years-old. The story made Tupac cry. He decided he wanted to met Beale. They met and soon Beale joined the group. He didn’t go under an alias, just his first name, Mutah.

On November 30, Tupac was robbed and shot four times at Quad Recording Studios in New York. The next day he was arrested for sexual abuse. He was found guilty and on February 14, 1995, he was sent to prison to serve up to four and a half years. On April 5, his LP, Me Against The World, was released. The group now known as Dramacydal appeared on two songs, “Me Against The World” and “Outlaw.” On June 27, Tupac’s “So Many Tears” single was released. It featured “Hard To Imagine,” a song by Big Malcolm, K-Dog and Mutah.

Dramacydal almost signed with Interscope Records, but on October 12, Death Row Records, Interscope Records and Time Warner paid a $1.4 million bail to have Tupac released. In return he had to sign a three album deal with Death Row Records. When he was released, he and Dramacydal flew to Death Row Records in Los Angeles, California and started working on his double LP, All Eyez On Me.

When Tupac was serving time he planned to form a new group. He asked Young Hollywood to start searching for members. Of course him, Big Malcolm, K-Dog and Mutah would be members of it, but more were needed. Young Hollywood told Tupac about his friend, Bruce Washington. He said that once when Big Malcolm and K-Dog visited him in Montclair, New Jersey they were robbed of their hats so he went to Washington and asked him to get their hats back. Washington confronted the thieves and they returned their hats. Young Hollywood asked if he could bring Washington with him, Tupac agreed.

Young Hollywood told Washington that he’s helping Tupac to search for members for a group they were forming and asked him to be a part of it. Washington didn’t believe him and it wasn’t brought up again until Yaasmyn Fula mentioned it. At that point he realized that Young Hollywood had been serious. The next day, they visited Tupac. Before he had any chance to introduce himself Tupac asked Washington to drop a few verses. Soon he joined the group. Tupac’s brother Mopreme Shakur and Tyruss “Big Syke” Himes of Thug Life joined the group as well.

Tupac gave each member of the group an alias taken from an enemy of America. Big Malcolm’s alias was E.D.I. after Ugandian president Idi Amin, Big Syke’s was Moozaliny after Italian president Benito Mussolini, K-Dog’s was Kastro after Cuban president Fidel Castro, Mopreme’s was Komani after Iranian Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini, Mutah’s was Napoleon after French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, Washington’s was Hussein Fatal which was later changed to Fatal Hussein after Iraq president Saddam Hussein and Young Hollywood’s was Kadafi after Lybian colonel Muammar Al-Qadaafi. Tupac named himself Makaveli The Don after Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli.

Now all that was left was to come up with a name for the group. Tupac liked Lil’ Homies, but Fatal who was almost as old as Tupac didn’t want people to refer to him as a lil’ homie, instead he suggested Outlaw Immortalz which Tupac agreed with.. On February 13, 1996, All Eyez On Me was released. The group guest appeared on “When We Ride” and they made solo guest appearances on “All About U”, “Tradin’ War Stories,” “Thug Passion,” “Picture Me Rollin’,” “Check Out Time,” “All Eyez On Me” and “Run Tha Streetz.” After the release Komani and Moozaliny left the group for unknown reasons and female rapper Donna “Storm” Hunter joined the group who changed its name from the Outlaw Immortalz to the Outlawz.

Outlawz stands for Operating Under Thug Laws As WarriorZ.

On June 14, Tupac’s “How Do U Want It” single was released. It featured “Hit ‘Em Up” featuring the Outlawz. It’s the most notorious dis song in history. Bad Boy Entertainment, Chino XL, Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Mobb Deep is dissed on it. Tupac claimed he had sex with Bad Boy Entertainment recording artist The Notorious B.I.G.’s wife, Faith Evans. The video which was made for the song was the first Tupac video the Outlawz appeared in. Kadafi and Fatal had their friend, Rufus “Young Noble” Cooper, to join the Outlawz.

On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by-shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to University Medical Center where he died a week later. E.D.I. and Kadafi were in the car behind the one Tupac was riding in. E.D.I. said he couldn’t identify the murderer, but Kadafi said he might be able to. The police lead was never followed and Kadafi moved with the rest of the Outlawz back to New Jersey before the police could question him.

On November 5, Tupac’s LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. The Outlawz guest appeared on four songs, “Bomb First (My Second Reply),” “Hail Mary,” “Life Of An Outlaw” and “Just Like Daddy.” “Hail Mary” was the third single and video. Death Row Records didn’t credit the Outlawz for being on it and they cut them out of the video.

On November 10, after visiting his girlfriend, Kadafi was shot and killed.. He was found by the police in a third floor hallway of an apartment building in Irvington, New Jersey. He was taken to University Hospital where he died on the afternoon. Who killed him remained unknown to the public until September, 2000, when Napoleon revealed in The Source that it was his cousin, Roddy, who killed him. Roddy claimed it was an accident, Napoleon believed him, but not everyone did; Fatal was one of them.

All of the Outlawz with the exception of Fatal moved back to Los Angeles, California. Although Tupac told them serveral times not to sign with Death Row, the Outlawz signed a contract with Death Row Records. Between 1997 and 1999, you didn’t hear much from the Outlawz who were obviously wondering where to go from there. They appeared on other artists’ albums, compilations and soundtracks. They guest appeared on “Still Ballin’ (remix),” the first single and video of Yukmouth’s double LP, Thugged Out: The Albulation. In late 1997, Fatal signed a solo contract with Relativity Records who released his debut single, “Everyday,” on March 17, 1998 and his debut LP, In The Line Of Fire, on March 31. Former Kausion member Gonzoe joined the group, but left after three months due to beef with the rest of the members.

Death Row Records and Rap-A-Lot Records almost worked out a deal which would let the Outlawz sign with Rap-A-Lot. They even advertised their upcoming Rap-A-Lot album, Neva Surrenda, in The Source. But the Outlawz changed their minds at the last minute and never signed with Rap-A-Lot. Fatal however signed with them as a solo artist.

On December 21, 1999, their debut album, Still I Rise, was finally released. Tupac appeared on 14 out of 15 songs and Fatal was removed from the songs he originally was on due to beef with the rest of the group. The first single and video of the LP was “Baby Don’t Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II).” The LP suffered sales because Death Row Records’ CEO Marion “Suge” Knight ordered Interscope Records not to promote it because the Outlawz refused to sign with Suge Publishing. It still went double platinum.

On April 1, the Outlawz filed a $4.5 million lawsuit against Suge, Death Row Records, Interscope Records, Suge Knight Films and Suge Publishing claiming breach of contract, unfair business practices, intentional interference with prospective economic advantages, racketeering and others. They won the lawsuit. With Death Row Records behind them, they felt it was time for them to pursue a deal with another major label. But with each offer they got something would go wrong. So they came to the solution where there’s nothing else to do, besides starting their own label.

In February, 2000, the Outlawz were on Live From L.A. and stated they were starting their own label, Outlaw Recordz. They signed Noble’s step-daughter, Baby Girle, Dirty Bert, Napoleon’s little brother, Hellraza, and Lil’ D. Then they looked for distribution. Bay area rapper Spice 1 told his distributor, Bayside Entertainment Distribution, about this. They contacted the Outlawz and signed a distribution deal. On November 7, 2000, the Outlawz’s second LP and Outlaw Recordz’s first release, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us, was released. It debuted at the ninth position on the Billboard independent album charts and became the best selling independent rap album of 2000. The first and second single and video were “Black Rain” and “Thug With Me.”

In 2001, Napoleon made his film debut in Thug Life which also starred The Lady Of Rage and Willie D. New Child from Harlem, New York joined the group. Tupac always wanted someone from New York to be a member of the Outlawz and Fatal felt New Child was exactly what Pac was looking for before his death. On October 23, Big Syke’s label, RideOnUm Record Group, released Thug Law Chapter 1, a collaboration album between the Outlawz and Thug Life.

The Outlawz felt Bayside Entertainment Distribution was too small for them. They left and signed a distribution deal with Koch Entertainment (now Entertainment One) instead. On November 6, their third LP, Novakane, was released. It debuted at the 100th position on the Billboard 200 and third on the Billboard independent album charts. The first single and video was “World Wide” featuring Tupac and T-Low. The LP also featured “Loyalty,” a dis directed at Fatal. There had been beef between Fatal and the rest of the Outlawz for a long time, but it wasn’t known for the public until we interviewed Fatal in 2001. Fatal said he was angry at them for not being there for Tupac when he was shot and for “forgiving” Roddy for Kadafi’s killing, which Fatal may or may not believe was an accident but felt there was no reason to point a gun at Kadafi’s head, period. As Fatal said, accident or not, the outcome is the same. Fatal also questioned their judgement because they signed with Death Row Records although Tupac told them not to.

The future looks bright for the Outlawz. Next year, Fatal’s second album, Death Before Dishonor, and New Child’s debut album, S.O.G. (Son Of A Gangster) are coming out. Outlaw Recordz is releasing Napoleon’s solo debut album, Bonapartes, Noble’s solo debut album, Noble Justice, E.D.I. and Kastro’s collaboration album, Blood Brothers, and the fourth group album. Fortress Entertainment is releasing their homevideo, World Wide, and E.D.I. is writing a screen play. They’ve got Outlaw Films and O.G. (Outlaw Gear) coming soon. Let’s just hope they can squash their beef, like Tupac said, “Let no man separate what we create!”

There were 10 original members of the Outlawz, including Makaveli:

Makaveli (Tupac Shakur) was the leader of the group, and gave himself the name of Makaveli after the Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, whose writings inspired Shakur in prison.

Yaki Kadafi (Yafeu Fula), also known as Young Hollywood, Killer Kadafi and The Prince, was given the name Yaki Kadafi after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He was also Shakur’s godbrother and an original member of Dramacydal.

Kastro (Katari Cox), also known as K-Dog, was given the alias Kastro after Cuban leader Fidel Castro. He is also a blood cousin of Shakur and an original member of Dramacydal.

E.D.I. Mean (Malcolm Greenridge), also known as Big Malcolm, was given the alias E.D.I. (aka EDIDON) after Ugandan president Idi Amin and was also an original member of Dramacydal.

Hussein Fatal (Bruce Washington), introduced to Yildirum by childhood friend Yaki Kadafi, was given the alias after former leader of Iraq Saddam Hussein. Hussein left the group after the killings of Pac and Yaki. He felt that the remaining group members were going against Tupac’s wishes by signing contracts with Death Row. He more recently rejoined the Outlawz, which then comprised him, Young Noble and Edi.

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

Moozaliny (Tyruss Himes), also known as Big Syke who was in 2Pac’s previous group Thug Life, joined the Outlawz and Makaveli gave him the name Moozaliny after Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

Komani (Mopreme Shakur), 2Pac’s stepbrother, who was in 2Pac’s previous group Thug Life, joined the Outlawz under the alias Komani after the Iranian political figure Ruhollah Khomeini.

Storm (Donna Harkness), The only female member of the group, 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 a solo artist for Tupac’s record label. She was introduced on the multiplatinum selling album All Eyez on Me.

Young Noble (Rufus Cooper III), 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.

Code Of THUG LIFE

By

2PacLegacy

-

December 3, 2015

0

In 1992 at the ‘Truc Picnic’ in Cali, Tupac was instrumental in getting rival members of the Crips and Bloods to sign the Code Of THUG LIFE.

What do you think when you hear the word thug? A violent person maybe, or a criminal or a gangster? Well, Tupac Shakur came up with his own definition of Thug and sparked a whole movement from this vision.

Tupac was always for the underdog, the oppressed and the disadvantaged youth. In 1992, America was making out that most of the crime being committed was by the black community and calling them thugs and criminals.

In light of this and sick of his people getting blamed, Tupac came up with an an acronym for the word thug. “The Hate U Gave Little Infants F—s Everyone“. It was not just a catchphrase to Tupac, it was a movement. A way of life. In the same year, Tupac formed a group called Thug Life. The Group consisting of himself, Randy ‘Stretch‘ Walker, Big Syke, Mopreme, Macadoshis and Rated R. They would go on to release one album together, Thug Life: Volume 1.

Tupac would take it one step further and got the words ‘Thug Life’ tattooed across his stomach. Replacing the “I” with a bullet.

Tupac would come up with the ‘Code of Thug Life’. Pac grew up around revolutionaries and gangsters who would give up their lives fighting for what they believed in. He used this as inspiration to draw up a code of ethics for gangbangers, promoting unity and peace. He visited his stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, in prison for guidance and direction with the Thug Life code. He put in place 26 rules and ethics for a more peaceful community.

He and Mutulu Shakur had helped write up the ‘code’ , with help from other ‘og’s’.

The Code of THUG LIFE is listed here. It details do’s and don”ts for being a righteous thug and banger.

Code OF THUG LIFE:

1. All new Jacks to the game must know: a) He’s going to get rich. b) He’s going to jail. c) He’s going to die.

2. Crew Leaders: You are responsible for legal/financial payment commitments to crew members; your word must be your bond.

3. One crew’s rat is every crew’s rat. Rats are now like a disease; sooner or later we all get it; and they should too.

4. Crew leader and posse should select a diplomat, and should work ways to settle disputes. In unity, there is strength!

5. Car jacking in our Hood is against the Code.

6. Slinging to children is against the Code.

7. Having children slinging is against the Code.

8. No slinging in schools.

9. Since the rat Nicky Barnes opened his mouth; ratting has become accepted by some. We’re not having it.

10. Snitches is outta here.

11. The Boys in Blue don’t run nothing; we do. Control the Hood, and make it safe for squares.

12. No slinging to pregnant Sisters. That’s baby killing; that’s genocide!

13. Know your target, who’s the real enemy.

14. Civilians are not a target and should be spared.

15. Harm to children will not be forgiven.

16. Attacking someone’s home where their family is known to reside, must be altered or checked.

17. Senseless brutality and rape must stop.

18. Our old folks must not be abused.

19. Respect our Sisters. Respect our Brothers.

20. Sisters in the Life must be respected if they respect themselves.

21. Military disputes concerning business areas within the community must be handled professionally and not on the block.

22. No shooting at parties.

23. Concerts and parties are neutral territories; no shooting!

24. Know the Code; it’s for everyone.

25. Be a real ruff neck. Be down with the code of the Thug Life.

26. Protect yourself at all times..

“If the enemy is not doing anything against you, you are not doing anything”
-Ahmed Sékou Touré

“speak truth, do justice, be kind and do not do evil.”
-Baba Orunmila

“Cowardice asks the question: is it safe? Expediency asks the question: is it political? Vanity asks the question: is it popular? But conscience asks the question: is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular – but one must take it simply because it is right.”
–Dr. Martin L. King

Some other Interpretations:

Thug Life means – The Hate U Gave Lil” Infants Fucks Everyone.

NIGGA means – Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished.

OUTLAW stands for ”Operating Under Thug Laws As Warriors”

MOB stands for Member Of Bloods and /or Money Over Bitches

THUG LIFE : To This Day We Continue To Learn From Tupac

Using this code, Tupac was able to get members of the Crips and Bloods to agree to it in California and was used in the 1992 gang truce. On the other side of the country, in Brooklyn, a meeting of big time gangsters and thugs firmly agreed to adhere to the code. “I got people in the penitentiary, big‑time OG criminals, calling me, telling me they want me to lead their movement,” Tupac explained.

By looking at the code he came up with, you can tell he was always thinking and strategizing, coming up with plans to help better himself and his people. At the young age of 22, Tupac had the vision of having the OG’s who were living the street life and getting money to be more productive. Sponsor sports teams. Putting not only money but community spirit back into the ghetto. He had a vision of putting a community center in every ghetto in the country. A center which included pool tables and a library, so the people living in the community could have better access to knowledge.

“When I say thug I mean not a criminal. Not someone who beats you over the head. I mean the underdog. You could have two people. One person has everything he needs to succeed and one person has nothing. If the person has nothing succeeds, he’s a thug. Because he overcame all the obstacles. Don’t ask me why, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the dictionary’s version of thug. Sorry. I have a whole energy that represents not just black youth but white youth, Mexican youth. Youth,” said Tupac Shakur.

Tupac’s thought process was way ahead of his time, given that he was only 22 at this time. There are many stories of Tupac thinking differently to others. Take Molly Monjauze, a friend and assistant of Pac’s. Molly helped put together the book ‘Tupac Remembered’ with Tupac’s aunt Gloria Cox. In the book she tells a short story of how her and Tupac saw a story on TV about a teenage girl who had been gang-raped and left in abandoned house and set on fire by a group of teenage boys.

Molly, horrified with what she had just heard, says “What kind of animals would do such a thing?” Tupac then looked at her with tears in his eyes and said, “Imagine what kind of animal hurt a child so badly, it caused them to do something like that.” Tupac saw past what the rest of the world were so quick to pass judgement.

History Of Digital Underground

By

2PacLegacy

-

December 1, 2015

0

Digital Underground helped usher in a new style of rap music during the late eighties, a style heavily influenced by the sound and attitude of seventies funk bands like George Clinton’s groups, Parliament and Funkadelic. Sampling from recordings by Clinton’s various “P-Funk” bands, the Underground also emulated the wild stage shows featuring bizarre and funny characters that were the other side of the P-Funk legacy. From its independent debut single, through hits like “The Humpty Dance” and “Doowutchyalike,” Digital Underground has broadened its appeal, continuing to live up to its self-description as an “all-Atlantic, all-Pacific, all-city, grand-imperial dance music and hip hop dynasty.” As Newsday commented in 1990, “Digital Underground looks like the new face of hip hop, as the music tries to make sense of its expanded range of possibilities.”

Shock-G Found Dead in a Hotel Room in Tampa

Before becoming a “dynasty,” Digital Underground was the brainchild of musician and rapper Shock G. whom Eric Weisbard of the San Francisco Weekly described as “a hip hop jack-of-all-trades: He plays drums, piano and other instruments; is a capable MC and disc jockey; produces his records; makes his own videos; [and] designs and choreographs his stage show.” Born Greg Jacobs in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, c. 1963, Shock G played drums in a band that only knew one song—the Commodores’ funk hit “Brick House.” Hip hop was a fledgling form, but the excitement of early rappers like Grandmaster Flash left an indelible impression on the young musician. Soon, Shock was asking his parents for turntables and a mixer, the main instruments of a rap DJ. In an interview with Weisbard, Shock G recounted, “We’d constantly spend time at 42nd Street Records, Downstairs Records, getting all the break beats.”

Founded by Shock G and Chopmaster J
Shock G’s family moved to Tampa, Florida, in 1980. He landed a job there disc jockeying on radio station WTMP and participated in a rap group known alternately as Spice or Chill Factor. He also picked up work recording demos for other rappers. His outlook changed, however, when his parents divorced; Shock dropped out of high school and became involved in various illegal activities, including pimping and selling drugs. He served a number of jail terms but after a few years went straight, got his high school diploma, and began pursuing music. While monitoring rap’s development, he took music theory classes at a neighborhood college.

Shock moved to Oakland, California, in the mid-1980s and began working in the keyboard and drum machine department of a music store in neighboring San Leandro. One day a customer named Jimmy Dright—an experienced drummer trained in jazz but determined to jump on the hip hop bandwagon—spent several thousand dollars on equipment. Sensing an opportunity, Shock struck a deal with Dright: he would teach him to use the new equipment if Dright would let him make a demo with it. That night, according to Weisbard’s article, the Dright and Shock recorded four-track versions of the two songs that would grace Digital Underground’s first single: “Underwater Rimes” and “Your Life’s a Cartoon.” Dright sent the tape to a producer friend in Los Angeles, who offered to oversee the re-recording of the tracks. A partnership had been created. Though Shock was leery of allying himself with an acoustic drummer who considered himself a hippie, he knew his new friend had business savvy. Shock was right; soon Dright became “Chopmaster J” and Digital Underground had a 12-inch single.

Unfortunately the song’s release was held up by a number of complications. Consequently the duo spent a couple of lean years without a record contract. At one point they were even living off of a $10,000 loan they received from a bail bondsman, but the money ran out before anything spectacular happened. Meanwhile hip hop was maturing into a multifaceted art form, and emerging artists like De La Soul were reaping praise and profit from a style that Shock G and Chopmaster J felt they had helped invent. Turnabout came in the fall of 1988 when Digital Underground’s new manager, Atron Gregory, finally got the record released on TNT/Macola Records. Daria Kelly of Leopold’s Records—described by Weisbard as “one of the guardian angels of Bay Area rap”—sent the 12-inch to the hip hop label Tommy Boy. Interested, the company signed Digital Underground in 1989.

By this time Shock G and Chopmaster J had recruited two new members—DJ Fuse, also known as David Elliot, and his friend and roommate Money B., also known as Ronald Brooks. Shock G particularly admired the new recruits because, as he told Weisbard, “Money B and DJ Fuse eat, sleep, and drink hip hop.” The revamped Digital Underground fell halfway between the hardcore Oakland rapping style that was Money B’s preferred mode and the extravagant strangeness of Shock’s P-Funk model. Trouble hadn’t strayed far, though; the ensuing album, Sex Packets, was not released until early in 1990 due to legal problems related to samples the group had selected.

Tall Tales and Sex Packets
Thematically Sex Packets juxtaposes sex, fun, and silliness with a few more serious subjects, most notably street life as in “The Danger Zone.” The album also spawned the infectious hit “Doowutchyalike,” a tune Billboard branded “a hilarious party record espousing personal freedom,” in addition to “The Humpty Dance” and “Underwater Rimes.” The latter songs showcased the rapping talents of two mysterious figures, Humpty Hump and MC Blowfish. Though Shock G never admitted to providing the voices for these two characters, his talent for different voices is legendary in the rap community. Stories circulated in press releases and interviews about Humpty’s former career as a soul singer and the tragic accident that deformed his face and ruined his voice—hence the necessity of his wearing a rubber nose in videos and other appearances. MC Blowfish, according to the band, pursued the group by swimming back and forth between the two coasts.

The yarns escalated; Shock even claimed in his interview with Musicmakers that the group formed when “we were all out eating pizza. The ground rumbled and opened up and this voice said ‘You are the chosen ones.’ We were sucked down into this underground recording lab and the equipment in that place was so fabulous that we didn’t even worry about what was happening.” The story continued: “This light blinded us, we lost consciousness, and two days later we had these master tapes in our hands and our name was Digital Underground.”

Perhaps the most controversial element of Sex Packets was the legendary—and, many claim, fictional—substance that gave the album its name. Shock told interviewers around the world that sex packets were a special drug originally designed for astronauts; “All they have to do is put a capsule on their tongue in order to have an orgasm,” he explained to Musicmakers. Given Shock’s flair for tall tales, the sex packets story was taken with a grain of salt by most reviewers. Though critics were skeptical about the existence of the drug, they were believers when it came to the record. Detour proclaimed, “This is one hyped up album.” Rolling Stone called it an “inventive debut,” and Sounds declared that “Sex Packets is consistently engaging in a way that many rap albums aren’t. It also shows there are no rules in hip-hop.” Billy Kiernan of the San Francisco Independent dubbed the effort “a concept album that will be considered a landmark in rap music for years to come.” Kiernan’s praise was modified only by his distaste for some of the album’s “sexist imagery.”

“The Humpty Dance” made its way into Billboard’s Top 100 with a bullet, dominating both radio and dance clubs, and helping propel the album to gold status. Another sales-pushing factor was the innovative sampling featured on Sex Packets. For example, “Underwater Rimes,” the self-described “Underwater Hip Hop Extravaganza” and sequel to Parliament’s deep-sea funk epic “Aqua Boogie,” sampled that Parliament tune as well as “Chameleon” by jazz-rock pioneer Herbie Hancock; the latter was a sly choice, given Shock’s chameleonlike character changes. “The Humpty Dance” nicked its large-nosed character’s groove from Parliament’s nasally fixated LP Trombipulation; “The Way We Swing” lifted a riff from “Who Knows” by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, looping it to emphasize the swing in its rhythm. “Doowutchyalike” and two other tracks sampled different parts of Parliament’s hit “Flash Light.”

Digital Underground toured the planet, discovering a worldwide audience that was mad for P-Funk-inspired hip hop. In Vienna, when a computer program lost all the group’s samples, a DJ loaned them all the records they needed to redo the program.

A World Tour, an EP, and New Personnel
1990 saw the advent of This Is An EP Release. The seven-track recording featured the single “Same Song” and marked the debut of rapper 2Pac, who would later release a hit solo album entitled 2Pacalypse Now. The Underground had also recruited rapper-drummer Big Money Odis and singer-musician-producer Ramone PeeWee Gooden. Digital Underground continued touring and reaching ever-larger audiences in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Tupac performing with Digital Underground, January 1, 1990

By 1991, as noted in The Source, the band had “sold more product, domestically, than any other Tommy Boy artist, including De La Soul.” That year Chopmaster J left the group to start his own project, Force One Network.

Backstage with 2Pac & Shock G at KMEL Summer Jam, 1991

In 1992 Digital Underground released Sons of the P. The new album sported a more ambitious batch of Funkadelic samples than either of its predecessors, and none other than George Clinton himself appeared on the record to hand the mantle of P-Funk over to the Underground. “Digital Underground is where Parliament left off,” Shock insisted to James Bernard in the New York Times. “Funk can be rock, funk can be jazz, and funk can be soul. Most people have a checklist of what makes a good pop song: it has to be three minutes long, it must have a repeatable chorus, and it must have a catchy hook. That’s what makes music stale. We say, ‘Do what feels good.’ If you like it for three minutes, then you’ll love it for thirty.” The joy-in-repetition argument certainly applies to the record’s first single, “Kiss You Back,” which Bernard described as “an irresistible, playful ode to cuddling and snuggling.” He further observed that the album “focuses attention on the ground-shaking bass, which seems injected with adrenaline.”

Yet Sons of the Palso takes up more sober topics. Even the relatively comical “No Nose Job”—narrated by Humpty, of course—makes some tough arguments about cosmetic surgery as a retreat from ethnicity. “Heartbeat Props” insists that too many people don’t get “proper respect” until they die; to remedy this, the song lists dozens of prominent African Americans, from Muslim minister Louis Farrakhan to rapper Queen Latifah.

Most of all, though, Sons of the Ptakes the legacy of P-Funk as its major focus; the recurring theme here is the legendary “DFLO Shuttle”—the mythical train that transports Clinton’s successors from the underground to the outside world. This concept, like the cover photo of the group members sleeping in glass pods, makes reference to Parliament’s 1976 album The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein. And yet Digital Underground didn’t merely pay homage to those funkmasters in efforts like “Tales of the Funky,” a song detailing the highlights of P-Funk tours over a sample of Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove.” “We’ve come out and declared that this isn’t a tribute to P-Funk, it is P-Funk,” Shock told The Source. “Instead of harping on how live everything that George [Clinton] did was, he’s on the album, doing it. It’s like the next step in funk.” New personnel included singer Schmoovy Schmoove and young rapper MC Clever. Shock emphasized that Digital Underground “is a liquid band,” and that the rotating personnel—and multiple MCs—reflect a desire “to bring fresh new perspectives into Black music. If we just sealed ourselves off and said ‘these are the members, ’ where would the opportunity be for other brothers? Plus, it keeps it fun.”

Fun, of course, has been the name of the game all along for Digital Underground—a band that, in New York Times contributor Bernard’s words, “make the kind of music that would make Scrooge laugh, if he were not too busy dancing.” As Shock G was quoted as saying in Spin, “We’re trying to break out of the normal modes of music. There’s no one out there like us.” Like Clinton, Shock expanded a band into a small musical industry, and the fluctuating musical talents of Digital Underground serve to get more solo projects onto the market while infusing Underground records and tours with fresh blood. Of course, into every hip hop dynasty a little rain must fall; “Humpty’s been on an attitude trip and doesn’t show up unless he has to,” Shock reported to Bernard. “He doesn’t do any interviews until ‘No Nose Job’ comes out.”

Selected discography
“Underwater Rimes”/ “Your Life’s a Cartoon” (single), TNT/Macola, 1988.
Sex Packets (includes “Doowutchyalike,” “The Humpty Dance,” “Underwater Rimes,” “The Way We Swing,” and “The Danger Zone”), Tommy Boy, 1989.
This Is an EP Release (includes “Same Song”), Tommy Boy, 1990.
Digital Underground, Tommy Boy, 1991.
Sons of the P (includes “Kiss You Back,” “No Nose Job,” “Heartbeat Props,” “Good Thing We’re Rappin’,” “The DFLO Shuttle,” and “Tales of the Funky”),

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Outlawz stands for Operating Under Thug Laws As WarriorZ.

There were 10 original members of the Outlawz, including Makaveli:

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