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Outlawz

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This article is about the American rap group. For the southern rock band, see The Outlaws.
Outlawz

Outlawz (also Outlaw Immortalz) is an American rap group from Montclair, New Jersey, founded by the late Tupac Shakur in late 1995 after his release from prison. Collectively, they are probably best known for appearing in the video for, and rapping on "Hit 'Em Up".


History

Inception

Outlaw is an acronym for Operating Under Thug Laws As Warriorz. In the Earlier years of the Outlawz they were known as Dramacydal. Dramacydal first appeared on the Tupac Shakur's 1995 Me Against the World, the Outlawz were on the title track "Me Against the World" and "Outlaw". Dramacydal was composed of K-Dog who later became Kastro, Young Hollywood who later became Yaki Kadafi, Mu who later became Napoleon, and Big Malcolm who later became E.D.I. Mean.The outlaw member, Yaki Kadafi, was part of an underground group Meeshka Productionz, which still exists, with active members Finhum and Pooz

Outlawz

When 2pac signed to Death Row upon his release from prison, Shakur recruited his stepbrother Mopreme Shakur and Big Syke. Hussein Fatal and Napoleon were also added, and together they formed the original lineup, which debuted on 2Pac's multi-platinum smash All Eyez on Me, on the song When We Ride. Other times members of the Outlawz appear on the record, they are still credited as Dramacydal. 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, past and present.

  • Tupac Shakur was the leader of the group, and gave himself the title of Makaveli after Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli; his was the only pseudonym which wasn't taken from a dictator, although Machiavelli's writings often promoted dictatorship.
  • Yafeu Fula, also known as Young Hollywood, was given the name Yaki Kadafi'.
  • Kastro, also known as K-Dog, was given the alias Kastro.
  • E.D.I. Mean, also known as Big Malcolm, was given the alias E.D.I. Mean after Ugandian president Idi Amin.
  • Hussein Fatal, introduced to 2Pac by childhood friend Yaki Kadafi.
  • Napoleon childhood friend of Kadafi, was given the name Napoleon.
  • Big Syke, who was in 2Pac's first group Thug Life, joined the Outlawz under the alias Mussolini.
  • Mopreme, 2Pac's stepbrother, who was in 2Pac's first group Thug Life, joined the Outlawz under the alias Komani.
  • Young Noble, the final member of the group to be signed.
  • Storm, The only female member of the group. Tupac first met her on a movie-set and later included her in the group. She was featured on All Eyez on Me but was absent from the last album 2Pac made while alive, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. Her rapping-style is very similar of Tupac's. Sometime in 1996 she left the group.

Later years

Soon after joining the group, Mopreme and Big Syke severed all ties with Death Row and left the Outlawz for financial 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, 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, so did Napoleon. Napoleon has now reverted to Islam and has left the Outlawz. His video can be seen here on YouTube[1]. He talks a little about 2pac as well.

The Outlawz are also known for their longtime relationship with Brooklyn's Boot Camp Clik, a relationship that begun as a result of 2Pac's friendship with Boot Camp's Smif n Wessun and Buckshot, 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, an album of unreleased songs with 2Pac, entitled Still I Rise was released. Fatal did not appear on any of the tracks on this album, because the group signed with Death Row Records when 2Pac strictly told them not to.

Discography

Main article: Outlawz discography

Albums

DVDs

References

  1. ^ YouTube - Napoleon from Outlawz accepts Islam!
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