Young Noble, a Tupac Shakur affiliate and member of the rap group the Outlawz, passed away at the age of 47.
According to fellow Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean, who posted the news of the emcee’s passing on social media, the rapper, whose true name is Rufus Lee Cooper III, apparently committed suicide in Atlanta.
He wrote, “I received some of the most terrible and unexpected news I could have ever imagined today.”
This morning, my brother, who had been my companion for more than 30 years, took his own life. Rufus Young Noble Cooper, rest in peace. Please give his family and I some time to comprehend this, as I am obviously not in a position to discuss it at this time. Many people are fighting a true battle with mental illness. The remark was republished on Shakur’s estate-run Instagram account.
The Outlawz and Shakur’s songs, such as Hail Mary and the posthumous Baby Don’t Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II), are what made the rapper most famous. During his career, he put out five solo albums and worked on many joint ventures with Dead Prez’s Stic.Man, Layzie Bone, and Krayzie Bone.
At the age of eight, Cooper, who was born in Sierra Madre, California, relocated to New Jersey. He began recording songs there after meeting Hussein Fatal and Yaki Kadafi, two other Outlawz members.
After returning to California, he became friends with Shakur and made his debut on the rapper’s 1996 album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, as part of the Outlawz on Just Like Daddy and Hail Mary, as well as on the opening track, Bomb First (My Second Reply).
After making his solo debut in 2002 with Noble Justice, Cooper accumulated a substantial discography over the years. In 2023, he published Outlaw University, his most recent album.
Several of his colleagues shared tributes to him on social media after learning of his passing. Layzie Bone posted, “RIP to my Thug Brother @young_noble just got the devastating news.”
Edi and his entire family come to mind. I send my sympathies to his family. Rest in peace forever, bro, wife, kids, friends, and fans. It’s frightening to think about mental health.
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