There are at least two bands with this name:
(1) a U.S. Rapcrew
(2) a… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two bands with this name:
(1) a U.S. Rapcrew
(2) a Dutch Punkband

(1)
Katari Cox and Malcolm Greenidge grew up together in New York. They knew each other through Cox's mother and Greenidge's father who were close friends. They and their families later moved to New Jersey where they became friends with Yafeu Fula. Cox's cousin and Fula's Godbrother, Tupac Amaru Shakur, used to look out for them and when he became famous he moved them out of the ghetto and bought them homes in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1992, Cox, Greenridge and Fula formed a trio. Cox's alias was K-Dog, Greenridge's was Big Malcolm and Fula's was Young Hollywood. The trio went under several names including the Thoro Headz and the Young Thugs. Big Malcolm and K-Dog made their debut on "Flex" on Tupac's "Holler If Ya Hear Me" single which was released on February 4, 1993. In 1994, Young Hollywood's mother and Tupac's aunt, Yassmyn Fula, told Tupac about Mutah Wasin Shabazz Beale, a 16-year-old who witnessed his parents being murdered when he was three or four-years-old. The story made Tupac cry. He decided he wanted to met Beale. They met and soon Beale joined the group. He didn't go under an alias, just his first name, Mutah.

On November 30, Tupac was robbed and shot four times at Quad Recording Studios in New York. The next day he was arrested for sexual abuse. He was found guilty and on February 14, 1995, he was sent to prison to serve up to four and a half years. On April 5, his LP, Me Against The World, was released. The group now known as Dramacydal appeared on two songs, "Me Against The World" and "Outlaw." On June 27, Tupac's "So Many Tears" single was released. It featured "Hard To Imagine," a song by Big Malcolm, K-Dog and Mutah.

Dramacydal almost signed with Interscope Records, but on October 12, Death Row Records, Interscope Records and Time Warner paid a $1.4 million bail to have Tupac released. In return he had to sign a three album deal with Death Row Records. When he was released, he and Dramacydal flew to Death Row Records in Los Angeles, California and started working on his double LP, All Eyez On Me.

When Tupac was serving time he planned to form a new group. He asked Young Hollywood to start searching for members. Of course him, Big Malcolm, K-Dog and Mutah would be members of it, but more were needed. Young Hollywood told Tupac about his friend, Bruce Washington. He said that once when Big Malcolm and K-Dog visited him in Montclair, New Jersey they were robbed of their hats so he went to Washington and asked him to get their hats back. Washington confronted the thieves and they returned their hats. Young Hollywood asked if he could bring Washington with him, Tupac agreed.

Young Hollywood told Washington that he's helping Tupac to search for members for a group they were forming and asked him to be a part of it. Washington didn't believe him and it wasn't brought up again until Yaasmyn Fula mentioned it. At that point he realized that Young Hollywood had been serious. The next day, they visited Tupac. Before he had any chance to introduce himself Tupac asked Washington to drop a few verses. Soon he joined the group. Tupac's brother Mopreme Shakur and Tyruss "Big Syke" Himes of Thug Life joined the group as well.

Tupac gave each member of the group an alias taken from an enemy of America. Big Malcolm's alias was E.D.I. after Ugandian president Idi Amin, Big Syke's was Moozaliny after Italian president Benito Mussolini, K-Dog's was Kastro after Cuban president Fidel Castro, Mopreme's was Komani after Iranian Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini, Mutah's was Napoleon after French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, Washington's was Hussein Fatal which was later changed to Fatal Hussein after Iraq president Saddam Hussein and Young Hollywood's was Kadafi after Lybian colonel Muammar Al-Qadaafi. Tupac named himself Makaveli The Don after Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli.

Now all that was left was to come up with a name for the group. Tupac liked Lil' Homies, but Fatal who was almost as old as Tupac didn't want people to refer to him as a lil' homie, instead he suggested Outlaw Immortalz which Tupac agreed with.. On February 16, 1996, All Eyez On Me was released. The group guest appeared on "When We Ride" and they made solo guest appearances on "All About U," "Tradin' War Stories," "Thug Passion," "Picture Me Rollin'," "Check Out Time," "All Eyez On Me" and "Run Tha Streetz." After the release Komani and Moozaliny left the group for unknown reasons and female rapper Donna "Storm" Hunter joined the group who changed its name from the Outlaw Immortalz to the Outlawz. Outlawz stands for Operating Under Thug Laws As WarriorZ.

On June 14, Tupac's "How Do U Want It" single was released. It featured "Hit 'Em Up" featuring the Outlawz. It's the most notorious dis song in history. Bad Boy Entertainment, Chino XL, Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Mobb Deep is dissed on it. Tupac claimed he had sex with Bad Boy Entertainment recording artist The Notorious B.I.G.'s wife, Faith Evans. The video which was made for the song was the first Tupac video the Outlawz appeared in. Kadafi and Fatal had their friend, Rufus "Young Noble" Cooper, to join the Outlawz.

On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by-shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to University Medical Center where he died a week later. E.D.I. and Kadafi were in the car behind the one Tupac was riding in. E.D.I. said he couldn't identify the murderer, but Kadafi said he might be able to. The police lead was never followed and Kadafi moved with the rest of the Outlawz back to New Jersey before the police could question him. On November 5, Tupac's LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. The Outlawz guest appeared on four songs, "Bomb First (My Second Reply)," "Hail Mary," "Life Of An Outlaw" and "Just Like Daddy." "Hail Mary" was the third single and video. Death Row Records didn't credit the Outlawz for being on it and they cut them out of the video.

On November 10, after visiting his girlfriend, Kadafi was shot and killed.. He was found by the police in a third floor hallway of an apartment building in Irvington, New Jersey. He was taken to University Hospital where he died on the afternoon. Who killed him remained unknown to the public until September, 2000, when Napoleon revealed in The Source that it was his cousin, Roddy, who killed him. Roddy claimed it was an accident, Napoleon believed him, but not everyone did; Fatal was one of them.

All of the Outlawz with the exception of Fatal moved back to Los Angeles, California. Although Tupac told them serveral times not to sign with Death Row, the Outlawz signed a contract with Death Row Records. Between 1997 and 1999, you didn't hear much from the Outlawz who were obviously wondering where to go from there. They appeared on other artists' albums, compilations and soundtracks. They guest appeared on "Still Ballin' (remix)," the first single and video of Yukmouth's double LP, Thugged Out: The Albulation. In late 1997, Fatal signed a solo contract with Relativity Records who released his debut single, "Everyday," on March 17, 1998 and his debut LP, In The Line Of Fire, on March 31. Former Kausion member Gonzoe joined the group, but left after three months due to beef with the rest of the members.

Death Row Records and Rap-A-Lot Records almost worked out a deal which would let the Outlawz sign with Rap-A-Lot. They even advertised their upcoming Rap-A-Lot album, Neva Surrenda, in The Source. But the Outlawz changed their minds at the last minute and never signed with Rap-A-Lot. Fatal however signed with them as a solo artist.

On December 21, 1999, their debut album, Still I Rise, was finally released. Tupac appeared on 14 out of 15 songs and Fatal was removed from the songs he originally was on due to beef with the rest of the group. The first single and video of the LP was "Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II)." The LP suffered sales because Death Row Records' CEO Marion "Suge" Knight ordered Interscope Records not to promote it because the Outlawz refused to sign with Suge Publishing. It still went double platinum.

On April 1, the Outlawz filed a $4.5 million lawsuit against Suge, Death Row Records, Interscope Records, Suge Knight Films and Suge Publishing claiming breach of contract, unfair business practices, intentional interference with prospective economic advantages, racketeering and others. They won the lawsuit. With Death Row Records behind them, they felt it was time for them to pursue a deal with another major label. But with each offer they got something would go wrong. So they came to the solution where there's nothing else to do, besides starting their own label.

In February, 2000, the Outlawz were on Live From L.A. and stated they were starting their own label, Outlaw Recordz. They signed Noble's step-daughter, Baby Girle, Dirty Bert, Napoleon's little brother, Hellraza, and Lil' D. Then they looked for distribution. Bay area rapper Spice 1 told his distributor, Bayside Entertainment Distribution, about this. They contacted the Outlawz and signed a distribution deal. On November 7, 2000, the Outlawz's second LP and Outlaw Recordz's first release, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us, was released. It debuted at the ninth position on the Billboard independent album charts and became the best selling independent rap album of 2000. The first and second single and video were "Black Rain" and "Thug With Me."

In 2001, Napoleon made his film debut in Thug Life which also starred The Lady Of Rage and Willie D. New Child from Harlem, New York joined the group. Tupac always wanted someone from New York to be a member of the Outlawz and Fatal felt New Child was exactly what Pac was looking for before his death. On October 23, Big Syke's label, RideOnUm Record Group, released Thug Law Chapter 1, a collaboration album between the Outlawz and Thug Life.

The Outlawz felt Bayside Entertainment Distribution was too small for them. They left and signed a distribution deal with KOCH Records instead. On November 6, their third LP, Novakane, was released. It debuted at the 100th position on the Billboard 200 and third on the Billboard independent album charts. The first single and video was "World Wide" featuring Tupac and T-Low. The LP also featured "Loyalty," a dis directed at Fatal. There had been beef between Fatal and the rest of the Outlawz for a long time, but it wasn't known for the public until we interviewed Fatal in 2001. Fatal said he was angry at them for not being there for Tupac when he was shot and for "forgiving" Roddy for Kadafi's killing, which Fatal may or may not believe was an accident but felt there was no reason to point a gun at Kadafi's head, period. As Fatal said, accident or not, the outcome is the same. Fatal also questioned their judgement because they signed with Death Row Records although Tupac told them not to.

The future looks bright for the Outlawz. Next year, Fatal's second album, Death Before Dishonor, and New Child's debut album, S.O.G. (Son Of A Gangster) are coming out. Outlaw Recordz is releasing Napoleon's solo debut album, Bonapartes, Noble's solo debut album, Noble Justice, E.D.I. and Kastro's collaboration album, Blood Brothers, and the fourth group album. Fortress Entertainment is releasing their homevideo, World Wide, and E.D.I. is writing a screen play. They've got Outlaw Films and O.G. (Outlaw Gear) coming soon. Let's just hope they can squash their beef, like Tupac said, "Let no man separate what we create!"

(2)
The Dutch punkband formed in november 1981 and were first named Koi Boys. With Jeroen on bass, Maarten and David on guitars and Barend played the drums, vocals were done by Fokkie. The Outlawz split up in july 11983. Numbers by them may be found on the two albums "Als je Haar maar goed Zit".

2nd Hand Smoke
Outlawz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Kastro - Chorus]
You gon' croak
Suckin' up that smoke
Fuckin with them folks
You gon' choke
Dog trust me
It ain't no joke
You know a million people die everyday

Breathin' in second hand smoke
You gon' croak
Suckin' up that smoke
Fuckin with them folks
You gon' choke
Dog trust me
It ain't no joke
Did you know a million people die everyday
Breathin' second hand smoke

[Young Noble]
I'm like a ball of smoke
Blown from a crackpipe
Into the hands of the street
My.. father to be since the age of 5
Real cold you gotta be just to stay alive
We the second hand smoke of a fiend generation
Swear we will
But they know we won't make it
Smoking a ciggarete
Breathin' ya last breath
Tasting my own death
Rest on my home steps
And just vision all the karma and all the drama
Inherited the pain of a lost father
Heavy black raining
With no umbrella
Life's like a dice game
You can throw whatever
And it might not be in your favor
And now ya worst enemy becomes ya neighbor
And that's life
Everything happens twice
Breathin' second hand smoke from my ancestors' pipes
(God help us)

[Kastro - Chorus]
Suckin' up that smoke
Fuckin with them folks
You gon' choke
Dog trust me
It ain't no joke
You know a million people die everyday
Breathin' in second hand smoke
You gon' croak
Suckin' up that smoke
Fuckin with them folks
You gon' choke
Dog trust me
It ain't no joke
Did you know a million people die everyday
Breathin' second hand smoke

[Napoleon]
The streets dog gave birth
Another nutty baby
Plus the son of a ghetto widow might make him crazy
On his own since he 16
Turning the block out
Sleep in the crack house
Making his cash routes
Fiendin' on the side
This nigga scheming on the side
This nigga....
Cream is always on his mind
Ain't been the same since he bought that .9
Promised him a life of crime
But he ain't been the same since he bought that .9
He was once a child of god
But he ain't been the same since he bought that .9
Listen to me closely
I'ma tell you how it roast me
He's a victim of second hand smoke and choking
It's only cause he lonely cause his father ain't home
Became a victim of the gunsmoke..... he gone (damn)
Second hand smoke

[Kastro - Chorus]
Suckin' up that smoke
Fuckin with them folks
You gon' choke
Dog trust me
It ain't no joke
You know a million people die everyday
Breathin' in second hand smoke
You gon' croak
Suckin' up that smoke
Fuckin with them folks
You gon' choke
Dog trust me
It ain't no joke
Did you know a million people die everyday
Breathin' second hand smoke

[Kastro]
I'm all the way real
And you could see it in my grill
And I can't chill
Too much my blood don' spilled
I give you the deal
Just to see if you can feel
I grind for mines
I don't cheat and I don't steal
I'm about a half a mil from a half a mil
And I'd still be this real without a rapper deal
And thus.... I fight a truck for a pot of luck
And bite dust so my kids don't hurt this much
We come a long way
Still we got lots to learn
We.... toss and turn like a roster burn
So I'm concerned
Youngster, I'm still amongst ya
We grew up in the sewer
Raised up in the dumpsters
It's like we all suffer for somebody other
Born from my daddy to my baby mother
All my folks
All born with high hopes
Crying.... dying from second hand smoke

[Kastro - Chorus]
You gon' croak
Suckin' up that smoke
Fuckin with them folks
You gon' choke
Dog trust me
It ain't no joke
Did ou know a million people die everyday
Breathin' second hand smoke
You gon' croak
Suckin' up that smoke
Fuckin with them folks
You gon' choke
Dog trust me
It ain't no joke

Did you know a million people die everyday
Breathin' second hand smoke

Overall Meaning

The song "2nd Hand Smoke" by Outlawz deals with the issue of tobacco addiction and its devastating consequences. The song's chorus warns that those who inhale smoke from cigarette smoke or any source of smoke will ultimately end up with severe health problems that can lead to death. The chorus works to call attention to their audience of the dangers of tobacco, and despite the convenience, the long-term effects could be deadly. The mood and tone of the song are urgent, and the lyrics are blunt.

In the first verse by Young Noble, he compares himself to a ball of smoke, blown from a crack pipe and into the hands of the streets. He talks about the hardships of growing up in a community where addiction is rampant and how difficult it is to survive. He also touches on the generational effects of tobacco use and the toll it takes on the body. In Napoleon's second verse, he sings about a boy who is a victim of the "second-hand smoke" lifestyle, with an absent father and an addicted mother. Napoleon explains how the boy's loneliness and lack of support led him to fall into a life of crime and ultimately lose his life to gun violence.

The song "2nd Hand Smoke" by Outlawz has a deep message and is a reflection of the challenges and realities of growing up in an environment where smoking and addiction are prevalent. The song is a warning to smokers about the risks involved when smoking, and it reflects the group's appreciation for life and an overall love for humankind. It shows that they care deeply about improving the lives of others, and this is the message that the song aims to convey.

Line by Line Meaning

You gon' croak
You will die

Suckin' up that smoke
Inhaling second hand smoke

Fuckin with them folks
Messing with the wrong people

You gon' choke
You will suffocate

Dog trust me
Believe me

It ain't no joke
It's a serious matter

You know a million people die everyday
A large number of people die daily

Breathin' in second hand smoke
Inhaling smoke from someone else's smoke source

I'm like a ball of smoke
I'm a product of drug use

Blown from a crackpipe
Created from drug abuse

Into the hands of the street
Became part of the environment

My.. father to be since the age of 5
Father was absent from an early age

Real cold you gotta be just to stay alive
You have to be tough to survive in harsh environments

We the second hand smoke of a fiend generation
We are a product of a past generation's drug use

Swear we will
Promise we'll succeed

But they know we won't make it
Others expect us to fail

Smoking a cigarette
Indulging in harmful habits

Breathin' ya last breath
Taking your final breath

Tasting my own death
Feeling the effects of my unhealthy lifestyle

Rest on my home steps
Dying at my own doorstep

And just vision all the karma and all the drama
Visualizing the consequences of my actions

Inherited the pain of a lost father
Suffering due to absent parents

Heavy black raining
Depressing situation

With no umbrella
Without help

Life's like a dice game
Life is unpredictable

You can throw whatever
You can try anything

And it might not be in your favor
It might not work out

And now ya worst enemy becomes ya neighbor
Your former enemy becomes close to you

And that's life
That's how things go sometimes

Everything happens twice
History repeats itself

Breathin' second hand smoke from my ancestors' pipes
Suffering the consequences of prior generations' actions

The streets dog gave birth
The environment created criminals

Another nutty baby
Another victim of the rough neighborhood

Plus the son of a ghetto widow might make him crazy
Growing up fatherless could affect one's mental health

On his own since he 16
Had to fend for himself since 16 years old

Turning the block out
Dominating his market

Sleep in the crack house
Living in an unhealthy environment

Making his cash routes
Earning a living

Fiendin' on the side
Struggling with addiction

This n***a scheming on the side
This person is up to no good

Cream is always on his mind
Money is his priority

Ain't been the same since he bought that .9
Changed since owning a gun

Promised him a life of crime
Encouraged to pursue a life of crime

But he ain't been the same since he bought that .9
Changed negatively since owning a gun

He was once a child of God
He was raised with religious values

But he ain't been the same since he bought that .9
Changed negatively since owning a gun

Listen to me closely
Pay attention

I'ma tell you how it roast me
I'll explain how it impacted me

He's a victim of second hand smoke and choking
He is suffering due to others' bad habits

It's only cause he lonely cause his father ain't home
He turned to negative influences due to absent father

Became a victim of the gunsmoke..... he gone (damn)
Died due to gun violence

I'm all the way real
I am honest

And you could see it in my grill
It's evident in my expression

And I can't chill
Can't relax

Too much my blood don' spilled
I have experienced too much trauma

I give you the deal
I'll explain the reality

Just to see if you can feel
To relate to the emotions

I grind for mines
Work hard for myself

I don't cheat and I don't steal
I have integrity

I'm about a half a mil from a half a mil
I am close to making a significant amount of money

And I'd still be this real without a rapper deal
I am genuine regardless of my career

And thus.... I fight a truck for a pot of luck
I struggle to make ends meet

And bite dust so my kids don't hurt this much
I am willing to sacrifice for my children's wellbeing

We come a long way
We have made progress

Still we got lots to learn
We have much to improve upon

We.... toss and turn like a roster burn
We struggle to find peace

So I'm concerned
I am worried

Youngster, I'm still amongst ya
I am still in the same environment

We grew up in the sewer
We had difficult upbringings

Raised up in the dumpsters
We were surrounded by poverty and violence

It's like we all suffer for somebody other
We experience consequences for others' actions

Born from my daddy to my baby mother
From my father to my child's mother

All my folks
My family and friends

All born with high hopes
Had aspirations

Crying.... dyin' from secondhand smoke
Suffering due to others' unhealthy habits

Did you know a million people die everyday
There's a high mortality rate

Breathin' secondhand smoke
Inhaling smoke from other people's habits

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: KATARI T. COX, MUTAH W. BEALE, RUFUS LEE COOPER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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