Outlawz, formally known as Outlaw Immortalz, is an American hip hop
group founded by Tupac Shakur in late 1995 after Shakur's release
from prison. Collectively, they are probably best known for appearing
in the video "Hit 'Em Up", in a diss track aimed at Biggie
Smalls and other New York rappers.
In the earlier years of the Outlawz they were known as Dramacydal.
Dramacydal first appeared on Tupac Shakur's 1993 single Holler If
Ya Hear Me, they were on the track "Flex". Dramacydal was
composed of K-Dog who later became Kastro, Young Hollywood who later
became Yaki Kadafi, Mutah or Mu who later became Napoleon, and Big
Malki who later became E.D.I. Mean.
[edit] Outlawz
When 2Pac signed to Death Row upon his release from prison, he recruited
his step brother Mopreme Shakur and Big Syke from Thug Life. Hussein
Fatal, Napoleon, E.D.I. Mean, Kastro, Yaki Kadafi, and Storm (the
only female Outlaw) were also added, and together they formed the
original lineup of the Outlaw Immortalz that debuted on 2Pac's multi-platinum
smash All Eyez on Me. Young Noble was later added and appeared on
2Pac's second Deathrow release Makaveli, the 7 Day Theory. 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. Outlawz chose in later years to make a motto out of the
letters of their group name Operating Under Thug Laws As Warriorz
although it does not stand for the groups name and is used infrequently.
All together, there were 10 Original Members of the Outlawz, including
Tupac:
* Tupac Shakur was the leader of the group, and gave himself the
title of Makaveli after an Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli;
this was the only pseudonym which wasn't taken from a dictator, although
Machiavelli's writings often promoted dictatorship.
* Yaki Kadafi, also known as Young Hollywood, was given the name
Yaki Kadafi after Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi. He was also Shakur's
half-brother and an original member of Dramacydal.
* Kastro, also known as K-Dog, was given the alias Kastro after
the leader of Cuba Fidel Castro. He is also blood cousins of Shakur
and an original member of Dramacydal.
* E.D.I. Mean, also known as Big Malcolm, was given the alias E.D.I.
Mean after Ugandan president Idi Amin and was also an original member
of Dramacydal.
* Hussein Fatal, introduced to 2Pac by childhood friend Yaki Kadafi.
Given alias after former leader of Iraq Sadaam Hussein. Hussein Left
the group after the tragic killings of Pac and Yak. He felt that
the remaining group members were going against Tupac's wishes by
signing contracts with Death Row. He recently returned on an Outlawz
mixtape.
* Napoleon, childhood friend of Kadafi, was given the name Napoleon
after French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte and was also an original
member of Dramacydal. Left the group to be a Muslim Motivational
Speaker.
* Big Syke, who was in 2Pac's first group Thug Life, joined the
Outlawz under the alias Mussolini after Italian leader Benito Mussolini.
* Mopreme Shakur, 2Pac's stepbrother, who was in 2Pac's first group
Thug Life, joined the Outlawz under the alias Komani after the Iranian
political figure Ruhollah Khomeini.
* Young Noble, the final member of the group to be signed as the
last official Outlaw member by Tupac himself. He was introduced to
Tupac, by Kadafi and Hussein Fatal in L.A., 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.
* Storm, the only female member of the group. She met Tupac during
the shooting of a film. After he found out how well she could rap,
he asked her to join his group (not yet named), on the spot; which
later became known as the Outlaw Immortalz. On February 13, 1996,
Tupac's double LP, All Eyez On Me, was released. Storm appeared on
three songs, "Tradin' War Stories", "Thug Passion",
and "Run Tha Streetz", which were to be an introduction
to her solo album release. She made a guest appearance on one song
on the Outlawz's debut LP, Still I Rise. She was one of the first
members to leave the Outlawz after Tupac and Yaki Kadafi's death.
[edit] Later years
Shortly 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 due to his conversion to Islam. Napoleon
is now travelling all around the globe to spread the teachings of
Islam.
In 2009 Kastro had confirmed he had left the Outlaws to pursue a
solo career.
New Child and Muszamil were never official members but have worked
closely with the Outlawz and remain good friends.
The Outlawz are also known for their longtime relationship with
Brooklyn'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 as he was edited out of the original recordings due to
issues with the record labels.
[edit] Current Years
As of 2010, The Outlawz, reunited with former member Hussein Fatal,
who immediately left the group following the deaths of 2Pac and Yaki
Kadafi.
The group has teamed up with allhiphop.com to release a new Outlawz
song every week on the site in a series entitled "RETURN OF
THE REAL" in anticipation for their upcoming studio album "Perfect
Timing".[1]
The studio album "Perfect Timing" is slated for release
in March 2011. Although The Outlawz are yet to speak on how each
track is taking shape, sources close to the group assert that 'Perfect
Timing' will feature guest appearances from many big name rappers
and singers and features production from Cozmo, Maxwell Smart, The
Network and CyFyre.
In October 2010, Kastro reunited with the Outlawz on Outlaw Culture
Radio. Now there are 4 members total.
[edit] Discography
Main article: Outlawz discography
[edit] Albums
* 1999: Still I Rise
* 2000: Ride wit Us or Collide wit Us
* 2001: Novakane
* 2002: Neva Surrenda
* 2005: Outlaw 4 Life: 2005 A.P.
* 2008: We Want In
* 2010: The Lost Songs Vol.1 (iTunes Exclusive)
* 2010: The Lost Songs Vol.2 (iTunes Exclusive)
* 2010: The Lost Songs Vol.3 (iTunes Exclusive)
* 2010: Killuminati 2K10
* 2011: Perfect Timing
[edit] Collaboration albums
* 2006: Can't Sell Dope Forever (With Dead Prez)
[edit] DVDs
* 2002: Outlawz: Worldwide