Latest news with #YoungNoble
New York Post
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Outlawz rapper Young Noble, who collaborated with Tupac Shakur, dead at 47 as Snoop Dogg leads tributes
Rapper Young Noble, who belonged to the hip-hop group Outlawz, has died at age 47. The musician, who was a frequent collaborator of the late rapper Tupac Shakur, died by suicide in Atlanta on July 4, TMZ reported. A GoFundMe has since been launched by his family to raise funds for funeral expenses. Advertisement 4 Rapper Young Noble, who belonged to the hip-hop group Outlawz, has died at age 47. @young_noble/Instagram The Post has reached out to the Atlanta Police Department for comment. Following the news of Young Noble's death, rapper Snoop Dogg led tributes to Noble, whose real name was Rufus Lee Cooper III, on social media. Advertisement 'DAMN Mental health is real,' wrote Snoop, who was on Death Row Records with Noble and Shakur in the lead up to his 1996 death. The 'Drop It Like It's Hot' hitmaker, 53, shared the post on his Instagram Story to Shakur and Outlawz's track, 'The Good Die Young.' Elsewhere, musician Damien 'Big Percy' Roderick paid his respects to the late rapper, writing, 'Damn @outlawznation @theoutlawzofficial REST EASY HOMIE @young_noble wish I could change our last call we had DAMN PRAYERS UP.' 4 The musician, who was a frequent collaborator of the late rapper Tupac Shakur, died by suicide in Atlanta on July 4. @young_noble/Instagram Advertisement Fellow Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean also shared a heartfelt tribute about his former groupmate. 'Today I got some of the worst and unexpected news imaginable,' he wrote on Instagram. 'My brother and partner for over 30 years took his life this morning. Rest in Power Rufus Young Noble Cooper.' He added that he's in 'no shape to talk about this right now.' 4 Young Noble joined Outlawz in 1996 after being personally selected by Shakur. Getty Images Advertisement 'Mental illness is a real battle being fought by so many. CHECK ON UR FOLKS!' he wrote. He captioned the heartbreaking post, 'I'm at a loss for words. 💔' Snoop rushed to the comments section, writing, 'Damn cuz 🙏🏾. 🕊️. Sending prayers to the family,' as co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records Suge Knight's son, Suge J. Knight, wrote, '🙏🏽 Long Live a Legend.' The rapper joined Outlawz in 1996 after being personally selected by Shakur, who put the group together in 1995. He was the last member to join the popular hip-hop group. The group signed with Death Row Records in 1997 following Shakur's death and remained on the label until 1999. He went on to collaborate with the 'Changes' hitmaker on a total of four tracks on Shakur's 1996 album 'The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,' including the hit song 'Hail Mary.' As for his solo music, Noble released the 'Noble Justice' album in 2002, followed by 'Son of God' in 2012. Advertisement 4 The group signed with Death Row Records in 1997 following Shakur's death and remained on the label until 1999. @young_noble/Instagram In his final social media post before his untimely death, Noble shared a message on Instagram that read, 'You're not reading this by accident. This is your confirmation. You're going to make it. No matter what it looks like right now.' 'God is going to send blessings, solutions, healing, love, and positive change your way. So hold on, be strong and don't give up. You are next in line for your miracle,' his June 22 post added. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or go to
The National
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Why the Outlawz remain one of hip-hop's most tragic groups
"You know what? We are the last two breathing.' Those words echoed through Bur Dubai's The Music Room, a much–loved but now–closed venue, where The Outlawz performed a riotous show in 2015 to a near–capacity crowd of 700. The declaration came from Young Noble after surveying the crowd – many wearing band shirts emblazoned with images of the group's founder, the late Tupac Shakur – before turning to bandmate EDI Mean. What made it more plaintive than a boast was who wasn't on stage. Fellow band member Hussein Fatal, who was due to perform in Dubai, had died in a car crash weeks earlier. Rather than cancel the gig, the group pressed ahead. The Dubai show – one of The Outlawz's first international appearances since the tragedy – went ahead not as a tribute, but another chapter in a group whose inception and path have been mired in loss. That story appeared to reach its bleak denouement this week when Young Noble, real name Rufus Cooper III, was found dead at his Atlanta home on Friday at age 47. EDI Mean, real name Malcolm Greenidge, and now the last remaining member of the group, shared his grief on Instagram: 'My brother and partner for over 30 years took his life this morning. Rest in power, Rufus 'Young Noble' Cooper. I obviously am in no shape to talk about this right now, so please give his family and I some time to process this. Mental illness is a real battle being fought by so many. Check in on your folks.' Former member Napoleon – now known as Mutah Beale after embracing Islam and currently residing in Saudi Arabia – also posted a tribute: 'From Allah we belong to Allah we return. I received disturbing news that Young Noble from the Outlawz has passed away. May Allah make this time easy for his family, his wife and kids.' Grief has long been a defining motif for a group marked by the loss of its members. Formed by Tupac in 1995, The Outlawz were not just his backing crew for live shows, but a collective meant to embody his revolutionary spirit. Each member adopted a name drawn from the United States' list of past and present geopolitical adversaries – Hussein Fatal, Napoleon, Yaki Kadafi and EDI Mean, the latter a play on Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Young Noble, who joined in 1996 as the last addition to the group, was the only member not given a politically charged moniker. His arrival was one of Tupac's final creative decisions before he was shot in Las Vegas that same year. Two months later, Kadafi – who had been in the car with Tupac on the night of the shooting – was also killed, reportedly under unrelated circumstances. That foreboding backdrop coloured the 1999 debut album Still I Rise, credited to TuPac and The Outlawz and featuring unreleased vocals from Tupac. The reaction was muted, perhaps because it occupied that uncomfortable space of being more reverent of Tupac than a true rejuvenation for the group. That creative territory became something of a niche for the group. It wasn't common in hip-hop, but had precedent in rock with acts such as Dead and Company, who continue to release new works, while also performing tracks from their original incarnation, The Grateful Dead. Independent releases such as 2000's Ride Wit Us or Collide Wit Us, 2001's Novakane, and the following year's Neva Surrenda serviced that fanbase with little fanfare, as Hussein Fatal left the group in 1999 before returning in 2010 to record on Perfect Timing. Meanwhile, Napoleon eventually left the music industry in 2005 after converting to Islam four years prior. Young Noble, along with EDI Mean, became the group's anchor – first by necessity, then by choice. He toured when possible, released solo material and kept The Outlawz name alive even as industry recognition faded. The commitment wasn't nostalgic, but practical. Someone had to carry the legacy that remained while also supporting his family. The night before the Dubai concert, I joined them at a Lebanese restaurant in Dubai Marina. A friend had invited me along to witness what turned out to be the first time in more than a decade that Young Noble, Napoleon and EDI Mean had shared a table. They reminisced quietly, and I left early, leaving them to their moment. It was a small piece of hip-hop history – underreported, but one that mattered. Noble's health began to decline in the following years. He suffered a heart attack in 2021 and many of his social media posts from that period were reflective and personal, framed around healing. As hip-hop celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, many of The Outlawz's peers were receiving due recognition. Wu-Tang Clan landed a hit biographical drama series in 2019. A Tribe Called Quest was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 and De La Soul's venerated catalogue returned to streaming platforms in 2023, but The Outlawz were largely absent from the conversation. Perhaps this was because their story never quite fit the legacy narrative. They weren't viewed as a creative collective, but as a group built to amplify the voice of its founder. The tragedy – now fully underscored by Young Noble's death – is that they never truly had the chance to redefine themselves. In 2021, Noble spoke plainly when I i nterviewed him for The National. When I asked how he managed to continue The Outlawz despite the tragedy surrounding the group, his no-nonsense response was true to the man. "Considering all the stuff we went through, we should have lost our minds by now. You go through so much stuff and you are traumatised and you don't know it. I mean, we still didn't get over Tupac's and Kadafi's passing and all the other homies that we lost as well," he said. "But we have children and families that look to us to provide and take care of, and to them our failure is not an option." He said it with more clarity than bitterness. Young Noble chose to carry one of hip-hop's heaviest legacies. With his loss, we're left to consider how heavy it must have been.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tupac Shakur collaborator Young Noble dead at 47
Tupac Shakur collaborator Young Noble has died. The 47-year-old rapper – whose real name was Rufus Lee Cooper III - was a member of hip-hop group Outlawz and frequently collaborated with Shakur before his death in 1996. E.D.I. Mean, a fellow Outlawz member, confirmed his death on Instagram on Friday (04.07.25) and wrote: 'Today I got some of the worst and unexpected news imaginable. My brother and partner for over 30 years took his life this morning. Rest in Power Rufus Young Noble Cooper. 'I obviously am in no shape to talk about this right now so PLEASE give his family and I some time to process this. Mental illness is a real battle being fought by so many. CHECK ON YOUR FOLKS!' Musician Damien 'Big Percy Roderick wrote: 'Damn @outlawznation @theoutlawzofficial REST EASY HOMIE @young_noble wish I could change our last call we had DAMN PRAYERS UP." And, Snoop Dogg, who was on Death Row Records with Shakur before his death, shared Roderick's post and wrote: 'DAMN Mental health is real.' He added the song, The Good Die Young, by Shakur and Outlawz. A representative for the rapper confirmed his death to PEOPLE but did not give any other details. Noble and Shakur met in California while Shakur was working on his 1996 record All Eyez on Me. He made his debut on Shakur's posthumous album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, and was featured on songs Bomb First (My Second Reply), Hail Mary, Life of an Outlaw and Just Like Daddy.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Young Noble, Member of Tupac Shakur's Outlawz Rap Group, Dies at 47
Young Noble, a member of Tupac Shakur's rap group the Outlawz, has died. He was 47. E.D.I. Mean, a fellow Outlawz member, confirmed his death on Instagram and said he reportedly died by suicide. More from The Hollywood Reporter Julian McMahon, Australian Actor Known for 'Nip/Tuck' and 'Fantastic Four' Movies, Dies at 56 Mark Snow, 'The X-Files' Theme Song Composer, Dies at 78 Caitlyn Jenner's Manager Sophia Hutchins Dies at 29 (Reports) 'Today I got some of the worst and unexpected news imaginable. My brother and partner for over 30 years took his life this morning,' he wrote on Instagram Friday. 'Rest in Power Rufus Young Noble Cooper.' He added, 'I obviously am in no shape to talk about this right now so PLEASE give his family and I some time to process this. Mental illness is a real battle being fought by so many. CHECK ON YOUR FOLKS!' Shakur's official Instagram account, which is managed and operated by his estate, reshared Mean's posts. Young Noble, whose real name is Rufus Lee Cooper III, was born in Sierra Madre, California, and moved to New Jersey as a child. There, he met future Outlawz members Hussein Fatal and Yaki Kadafi. Cooper crossed paths with Shakur in California after moving back to his native state while the latter rapper was working on his 1996 record All Eyez on Me. He made his debut on Shakur's posthumous album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, and was featured on songs 'Bomb First (My Second Reply),' 'Hail Mary,' 'Life of an Outlaw' and 'Just Like Daddy.' He released his debut solo album, Noble Justice, in 2002. 10 years later, his second record Son of God came out, followed by Powerful in 2016 and 3rd Eye View in 2019. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Party in the U.S.A.' to 'Born in the U.S.A.': 20 of America's Most Patriotic (and Un-Patriotic) Musical Offerings Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025
Metro
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Young Noble, member of Tupac Shakur's Outlawz, dies at 47
Young Noble has died aged 47, his fellow Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean has confirmed. The rapper – real name Rufus Lee Cooper III -also featured in the music group alongside the late Tupac Shakur and reportedly died in Atlanta on Friday. In an Instagram post featuring pictures of the pair of them, E.D.I. Mean (real name Malcolm Greenidge), wrote: 'Today I got some of the worst and unexpected news imaginable. My brother and partner for over 30 years took his life this morning. 'Rest in Power Rufus Young Noble Cooper.' He added: 'I obviously am in no shape to talk about this right now so PLEASE give his family and I some time to process this. Mental illness is a real battle being fought by so many. CHECK ON YOUR FOLKS!'. The caption read: 'I'm at a loss for words.' Shakur's official Instagram account, which is managed by his estate, reshared the post with the song Never Had A Friend Like Me and the caption: 'RIP Young Noble'. Under the original post, condolences flooded in for the hip-hop artist who reportedly died from self-inflicted wounds, per TMZ. Snoop Dogg wrote: 'Damn cuz. Sending prayers to the family.' DJ Premier echoed: 'This is so sad to get this news Edi. Damn I'm speechless right now. My dude Noble.' More Trending 'Just don't know what to say man,' Buckshotz commented. 'Rest in power king Young Noble god bless your family !!!!' blackcityhustlarecords shared. Shakur died from his injuries in 1996 after being shot four times. Cooper made his debut on Shakur's posthumous album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory with his featured songs including, Bomb First (My Second Reply), Hail Mary, Life of an Outlaw, and Just Like Daddy. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
