Groups
Although Tupac was of course foremost a solo artist, throughout his short career, he was always involved in various rap groups. It was his way to help other, young, talented rappers. An overview.
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Strictly Dope
Introduced to each other by Leila Steinberg, Tupac & Ray Luv started a short-lived six-member group called ‘Strictly Dope’. The group performed at clubs and house parties in the Marin City area. When they wanted to go professional, Steinberg, who they had asked to be their manager, got them into contact with her friend Atron Gregory. Gregory had just founded a new record label, which had a local rap group signed to it: Digital Underground…
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Digital Underground
Although not a group Tupac started, it was Digital Underground (D.U.) that actually got Tupac started in the rap game. Tupac originally joined D.U. as a roadie/dancer, but eventually made his mainstream rap debut on the group’s “Same Song” in 1991. Tupac went solo and D.U.’s Shock G and Money B made some guest appearances on both “2Pacalypse Now” and “Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…”.
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Dramacydal
This rap trio, also known as ‘Thoro Headz’ and ‘Young Thugz’, consisted of Yafeu “Young Hollywood” Fula, Katari “K-Dog” Cox and Malcolm “Big Mal” Greenridge. They first appeared on 2Pac’s “Me Against the World” and on the “Million Man Strong”-featured song “Runnin’”, together with Tupac, Stretch and The Notorious B.I.G.. Dramacydal was the back bone of what would grouw out to be the Outlaw Immortalz.
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Thug Life
In 1994, Tupac released a more underground album called “Volume 1” alongside a group called “Thug Life”. Other members of the group were Maurice “Mopreme” Harding, Tyruss “Big Syke” Himes, Macadoshis and The Rated R. Both Mopreme and Big Syke later joined the Outlawz. The group’s single “Pour Out a Little Liquor” appeared on the soundtrack of the Tupac starring movie “Above the Rim”.
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Outlaw Immortalz
Late 1995, after being released from prison and signing for Death Row Records, Tupac started a new group: the Outlaw Immortalz. They were featured for the first time on “When We Ride” (“All Eyez on Me”). All (original) member’s aliases, except for Tupac’s, were taken from infamous dictators and adversaries of the U.S..After Tupac died, the group released a “2Pac + Outlawz” album entitled “Still I Rise”.
Although the line-up changed a couple of times, the Outlawz are currently still active.Most important members Outlaw alias Real name Also known as Named after Makaveli Tupac Shakur 2Pac Niccolò Machiavelli Yaki Kadafi Yafeu Fula Young Hollywood Muammar al-Gaddafi Komani Maurice Harding Mopreme Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Mussolini Tyruss Himes Big Syke Benito Mussolini E.D.I. Mean Malcolm Greenridge Big Mal Idi Amin Kastro Katari Cox K-Dog Fidel Castro Hussein Fatal Bruce Washington Saddam Hussein Napoleon Mutah Beale Napoleone di Buonaparte
