Outlawz
The group in 1996. Standing: Napoleon, E.D.I. Mean, and Hussein Fatal; Below: Kastro, Makaveli and Yaki Kadafi
Background information
Also known as	Outlaw Immortalz Fatal-N-Felony Dramacydal Thug Life
Origin	Montclair, New Jersey
Genres	Gangsta rap hardcore hip-hop
Years active	1995–2025
Labels	Death Row Interscope Outlaw Rap-A-Lot
Past members	Makaveli Kadafi Hussein E.D.I. Kastro Napoleon Mussolini Komani Storm Young Noble

Outlawz was an American hip-hop group founded by Tupac Shakur (Makaveli) and Yafeu Fula (Yaki Kadafi) in 1995. The group's core members originally performed under the names Thoro Headz and Young Thugz, first gaining recognition for their guest appearance on Shakur's 1993 track "Flex", which served as the B-side of his single "Holler If Ya Hear Me".

By 1995, the group had reorganized as Dramacydal. Under this name, they were featured on the tracks "Me Against the World" and "Outlaw" from Shakur's third studio album, Me Against the World. Following Shakur's release from prison in late 1995, the group was officially rebranded as the Outlaw Immortalz.

In 1992, Kastro (Katari Cox), E.D.I Mean (Malcolm Greenridge), and Tupac's godbrother Yafeu "Kadafi" Fula formed a rap trio, originally performing under the names Thoro Headz and Young Thugs. Following Tupac's rise to stardom, the group was featured on his song "Flex", which was released on February 4, 1993, as the B-side to the single "Holla If Ya Hear Me".

In late 1993, Mutah "Napoleon" Beale joined the group, which was now known as Dramacydal. They guest appeared on the songs "Me Against the World" and "Outlaw" from Tupac's LP, Me Against the World, which was released on March 14, 1995.

In late 1995, following Shakur’s release from prison, the group was reformed as the Outlaw Immortalz. The lineup featured Shakur (using the alias Makaveli) alongside Hussein Fatal and Yaki Kadafi, who also performed as the duo Fatal-N-Felony. They were joined by former Thug Life members Big Syke and Mopreme Shakur, who adopted the aliases Mussolini and Komani, respectively. Members of Shakur's earlier group Dramacydal – Big Malc, K-Dog, and Lil' Mu – also joined the collective, taking on the names E.D.I. Mean, Kastro (rapper), and Napoleon.

This iteration of the group made its debut on the song "When We Ride" from Shakur's 1996 album, All Eyez on Me. Storm, who was introduced on the same album, became the group's ninth member, and its only female member. She began recording a solo album under Shakur's mentorship shortly thereafter.

In June 1996, Hussein Fatal, Yaki Kadafi, and E.D.I. Mean were featured on Shakur's prominent diss track "Hit 'Em Up". Although Kastro and Napoleon did not perform on the track, they appeared in the accompanying music video.^[1][2] During the recording sessions for All Eyez on Me and "Hit 'Em Up," Hussein and Kadafi introduced Shakur to their associate Rufus Cooper III. Cooper, later known as Young Noble, became the final member to join the group during Shakur's lifetime and was featured extensively on the album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.

On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. While at the hospital, the Outlawz and Death Row Records music video director, Gobi M. Rahimi, took turns guarding Shakur, since they were afraid the ones that shot him were going to "finish him off." The Outlawz allegedly had weapons in their car as a precautionary measure.^[3] Six days later, on September 13, 1996, Shakur died from his gunshot wounds.

After 2Pac died, Hussein Fatal left the group and went back to New Jersey along with Yaki Kadafi.

On November 10, 1996, Yaki Kadafi was fatally shot by Napoleon's cousin Roddy Beale in Orange, New Jersey. He was 19 years old. At the time of his death, Las Vegas police had been trying to contact him as he was a key witness in Shakur's murder.^[4][5]

Storm, the only woman in the group, decided to leave the Outlawz shortly after the deaths of her closest friends. Her name was subsequently taken off some of 2Pac's original unreleased tracks that were later remixed.^{[citation needed]}

The Outlawz were featured on the Gang Related soundtrack in 1997, which went on to peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and become certified double platinum.^{[citation needed]}

The group signed with Death Row Records in 1997 after the death of 2Pac and remained on the label until 1999. They released a collaboration album with 2Pac titled Still I Rise which went on to get certified platinum and peak at No. 6 on the Billboard 200.^[6] After the release of the album, they went on to form their own record label, Outlaw Recordz, and released Ride wit Us or Collide wit Us in 2000.^[7]

Hussein Fatal briefly left the group in 1999 on bad terms due to the group not protecting Tupac at the time of the Vegas shooting, for forgiving Roddy Beale for Yaki Kadafi's death, and for signing to Death Row Records after Shakur asked them not to.^[8]

Tupac's blood cousin Kastro left the group in 2009, citing differences in the group's direction post-Shakur's death and a desire to pursue a solo career.

In 2010, Hussein Fatal rejoined the group to record the album Perfect Timing which saw its release in 2011. His career was cut short when Fatal was killed in a traffic collision in Banks County, Georgia on July 10, 2015.^[9] The following year he was posthumously credited as a featured artist on the Outlawz song "So Much Pain".

Big Syke, also known as Mussolini, died at his home in Hawthorne, California on December 5, 2016.^[10]

Young Noble died by suicide in Atlanta, Georgia on July 4, 2025.^[11][12]

E.D.I. Mean is the last remaining active member of the Outlawz. He continues to mantain the group's legacy and keeps it alive to this day.^{[citation needed]}

• Tupac Amaru Shakur, alias: Makaveli, the original leader of the group, named after the Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, was murdered in September 1996 at age 25. In 2011, members of the group confirmed the longstanding rumour that they smoked Shakur's ashes in a blunt mixed with kush on a beach after his cremation.^[13]
• Yafeu Akiyele Fula, alias: Yaki Kadafi, Shakur's godbrother and named after Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, was shot dead by Roddy Beale (cousin of fellow group member Napoleon) in November 1996 at age 19.^[14][15]
• Bruce Edward Washington Jr., alias: Hussein Fatal, childhood friend of Kadafi and named after Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, briefly left the group on bad terms due to the group not protecting Shakur at the time of the Vegas shooting; for forgiving Roddy Beale for Kadafi's death; and for signing to Death Row Records after Shakur asked them not to. In 2010, Fatal rejoined the group to record the album Perfect Timing which saw its release in 2011. In 2015, Fatal died in a car accident at age 42. The following year he was posthumously credited as a featured artist on the Outlawz song "So Much Pain".^[16][17][18]
• Katari Terrance Cox, alias: Kastro, Shakur's cousin and named after Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, left the group in 2009, citing differences in the group's direction post-Shakur's death and to also pursue a solo career.
• Mutah Wassin Shabazz Beale, alias: Napoleon, childhood friend of Kadafi and named after French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, left the music industry and became a motivational speaker after converting to Islam in 2001.^[19]
• Tyruss Gerald "Big Syke" Himes, alias: Mussolini, member of Shakur's previous group Thug Life and named after Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, died of natural causes in 2016 at age 48. Big Syke is only credited as a member of the Outlawz on one song; the group's introductory track, "When We Ride", from Shakur's 1996 album All Eyez on Me. Syke later guest featured on the song "Letter to the President" from the group's first album Still I Rise which saw its release in 1999. Although he was featured with the Outlawz on the song "M.O.B." from Shakur's posthumous album Until the End of Time, he is instead credited with Mopreme as a member of Thug Life. He was also credited as a solo artist alongside the Outlawz on the song "There U Go" from Shakur's following release, Better Dayz.^[20]
• Mopreme Shakur, alias: Komani, Tupac Shakur's stepbrother and member of the group Thug Life, was named after Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Mopreme only made one credited appearance as an Outlaw; their introductory track, "When We Ride", from the 2Pac album All Eyez on Me. Although he does feature on the song "M.O.B." from his late brother's posthumous album Until the End of Time, he is instead credited as a member of Thug Life alongside Big Syke.
• Donna Harkness, alias: Storm, the only female of the group, met Tupac and immediately became an official Outlaw Immortal in 1995 by 2Pac himself. She was featured on three tracks on the 1996 All Eyez On Me album; "Tradin War Stories" "Thug Passion" and "Run Tha Streetz." She later featured on the Gridlock'd and Gang Related soundtracks and some of Tupac’s posthumous albums and unreleased tracks. Storm left the group after the death of Tupac and was subsequently taken off some of 2Pac's original unreleased tracks that were later remixed. She and Young Noble are the only members not named after a historical figure or dictator.

Studio albums

• Ride wit Us or Collide wit Us (2000)
• Novakane (2001)
• Neva Surrenda (2002)
• Outlaw 4 Life: 2005 A.P. (2005)
• We Want In: The Street LP (2008)
• Perfect Timing (2011)
• Livin' Legendz (2016)
• #LastOnezLeft (2017)
• One Nation (2021)

Collaborative albums

• Still I Rise (with 2Pac) (1999)

• Life is Raw: The Story of a Reformed Outlaw by Mutah Beale and Sulaiman Jenkins^[21]

• Journey With an Outlaw by Hussein Fatal and Nikita Renee'^[22]

• Spirit of an Outlaw: The Untold Story of Tupac Amaru Shakur and Yaki "Kadafi" Fula by Yaasmyn Fula, Yaki Kadafi's mother.^[23]

• The Homicide of Yafeu 'Yaki Kadafi' Fula by Yaasmyn Fula, Yaki Kadafi's mother.^[24]

• Street Fame by E.D.I. Mean^[25]

The Outlawz also appeared on Celebrity Crime Files Season 4, Episode 10 "Outlawz and Yaki Kadafi" which aired on TV One. It explored the life and tragic death of Yaki Kadafi, diving into Kadafi's career, his relationship with Tupac and the mystery surrounding his untimely death.^[26]

• Outlawz discography at Discogs