Reports has surfaced that Young Noble of Outlawz, born Rufus Lee Cooper III, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound the morning of Friday, July 4 in Atlanta. He was 47.
Fellow Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean, aka Malcolm Greenidge, confirmed Noble’s death on Instagram.
“Today I got some of the worst and unexpected news imaginable,” he said Friday. “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!”
Noble was born in Sierra Madre, California and lived in Pasadena before moving to New Jersey.
He would later return to California, but his rap career is associated with Montclair and New Jersey, where he connected with Outlawz members Hussein Fatal and Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula.
Outlawz formed as Outlaw Immortalz in 1995 and signed to Death Row Records in 1997.
After Young Noble met Shakur and joined the group in 1996, he performed on 2Pac’s posthumous Makaveli album “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
The album was released in 1996 following Shakur’s death after a drive-by shooting when the hip-hop icon was 25.
The Outlawz appeared with Shakur on the soundtrack to his 1997 posthumous movie “Gang Related,” which charted at No. 2.
Noble was featured on the song “Mash for Our Dreams” alongside Daz Dillinger.
He can also be heard throughout the joint Outlawz and 2Pac album “Still I Rise,” released in 1999 (No. 6 on the Billboard 200).
Noble contributed to the tracks “Still I Rise,” “Secretz of War,” “Baby Don’t Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II),” “As the World Turns,” “Black Jesuz,” “Homeboyz,” “Hell 4 a Hustler,” “The Good Die Young,” “Tattoo Tears,” “U Can Be Touched” and “Y’all Don’t Know Us.”
In 2000, Outlawz released their debut solo album, “Ride wit Us or Collide wit Us,” on their own label, Outlaw Recordz.
Noble appears on 14 songs from the album.
His debut solo album, “Noble Justice,” was released on the Outlaw label in 2002.
He followed that up with the 2012 album “Son of God,” then “Powerful” in 2016, “3rd Eye View” in 2019 and “Outlaw University” in 2023.
Noble also released collaborative albums with Layzie Bone from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (“Thug Brothers”), E.D.I. Mean (“Against All Oddz”), Hussein Fatal (“Thug in Thug Out,” “Jerzey Giantz”), Stic.man from Dead Prez (“Soldier 2 Soldier”), Krayzie Bone from Bone Thugs (“Thug Brothers 2,” “Thug Brothers 3″) and Lil’ Flip (“All Eyez on Us”), among others.
“I’m at a loss for words,” E.D.I. Mean posted on Instagram, sharing a photo he took with Noble.
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Mutah “Napoleon” Beale, a former member of the Outlawz who grew up in Irvington, also mourned Noble Friday.
“From Allah we belong to Allah we return, I received disturbing news that Young Noble from the outlawz has passed away,” he posted on Instagram, sharing photos from over the years. “May Allah make this time easy for his family, his wife and kids.”
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In 2021, Noble shared with his friends and fans that he had suffered a heart attack.
He spent much time remembering and paying tribute to Shakur and other members of the Outlawz.
In 1996, two months after Shakur died, Yafeu “Yaki Kadafi” Fula, a founding member of the Outlawz, was found dead of a gunshot wound in Orange. He was 19.
Hussein Fatal, another member of the Outlawz from Montclair, born Bruce Washington Jr., died in a car accident outside Atlanta in 2015. He was 42.
Outlawz member Mussolini, born Tyruss Gerald Himes, also known as Big Syke, died in 2016. He was 48.
“Woke up thinkin about all my amazing Family & Friends who are no longer with me in the physical but are now my Angels & Ancestors walking with me forever in my Heart & Spirit,” Noble posted on Instagram earlier this year.
“Life is shorter than we think I turn 47 later this month by the good grace of God an im extremely grateful to have made it this far.. Don’t take TODAY for granted good people.. Live, Love & Forgive Have a blessed day!!”
S: New Jersey
