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".

Secretz Of War
Outlawz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas

War Time
War Time, it's either yours or mine
Outlawz be on a grind, and a mission to shine

And ride on em', leave em' stuck and fucked from the gate
Set it straight, regulate
Wit' a bomb I'm about to detonate (Boom!)
Hesitate, aw, now you know what
Y'all niggas were here to go
If you know it was good for ya
Buncha toy souljahs all dressed in fatigue
But I'm Edi Amin on a mission to make em bleed
Nigga what? Nigga who?
It was cool? And at you? What the fuck is gone do?
Barbecue and boo-hoo
Ride or die, get money all at the same time
Split the pie with the homie, ball at the same time
Any nigga splippin', fall at the same time
We all links in the chain, tryin' to gain, do time
We all see the sunshine
But when you could do yours, we'll bring these muthafuckas war

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas

As I approach the scene, from smokin' green
Got my eyes closed, niggas so cold on my foes
I make em' die froze
Watch me make em' bleed, make em' G's
Lord help me wit' it
Got me paintin' pictures of a mil-ticket
Help me get it
See me and pray for options
But the pressures nonstop
Niggas get the pistol poppin'
And watch they body drop
I'm a lethal threat, watch me hit your set
Flash on, blast on them bitch-made niggas wit' my mask on
Do it for profit, plus I'm, lookin for punks to bust on
If you ain't screamin' WestSide, you can get the fuck on
I'm seein' demons hittin' weed
Got me hearin' screamin'
Scared to go to sleep, watch the scene like a dope-fiend
Probably be punished for it, though you can't ignore it
I live the life of a thug nigga, and die for it
Niggas pass the clip and watch me bring em to the floor
I got some shit that they ain't ready for (What you got?)
I got the Secretz of War

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas

We do this thug life shit, like 4, 5, 6, dick em'
Down wit' no rounds left up in the pound when the sounds (Here we go)
Squeeze the lead off, I blow his muthafuckin' head off
Signal all the other Outlawz to get this shit set off
Yaki Kadafi, it ain't a cop here to stop me
These streets is black hockey and raw we get sloppy
Put a pamper on your silly ass pre-style grammar
Locked in the slammer, while I'm laid cocked back like a hammer
Y'all newly weds that in honey moons, times bout up
Y'all, that means I leave no trace found with you face, bounce, stuck
Your pig scanners can't come close touch or even hit me
Doin' my dirt, puttin' in work, you see shit, what you gonna do?

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
Yo, we go to war

We check the murder rate percentage
Niggas is finished
Get blood checks from clinics
This thug shit is in us
Flowin' through my system, you a victim
Blunts, I twist em', fuck the whole world
It's us against them
You got some heat? Pull it out
Cock the hammer if you wit' it, don't make
No difference here, with the 25 to life sentence
We already doin' life on the streetz
Like algae, niggas be heated, when they walkin' the beat
This shit is flaky, makin' backs shaky, niggas hate me
Scared to face me, knowin' that the Outlawz blase me
Pull me up on game, put me up on a hustle
Once I suck my money muscle, all the G's got devils
Movin' shit like a dollar, beatin' niggas like Rodney
Turn a killa' like Kadafi, and a nuke stream to stop me

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
We go to war

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
It's as simple as that for me and my niggas

Bring it on
And all you lil' young ass souljahs
You play this shit back about fifteen times
You'll have enough game to roll up in a club or somethin'

Teach these bitches a lil' somethin', you know what I mean?
Secretz of muthafuckin' War

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Outlawz/Tupac Shakur's song Secretz of War are a display of the gangster life that both artists lived. The song speaks of loyalty and the us-vs-them mentality that is commonly present in gang culture. The lyrics state that you are either with us or against us, and if you are against us, then you will be met with violence. The song starts with Outlawz introducing themselves as a group that is on a mission to shine and leave their enemies stuck and fucked from the gate. The lyrics continue with references to missions and regulating, suggesting that their group is involved in a war-like lifestyle. The chorus repeats the message that you either ride with them or collide with them.

As the song continues, Tupac's verse introduces a darker side to the lyrics, emphasizing death and violence. He portrays himself as a lethal threat, someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the victory of his group. The lyrics convey a sense of fearlessness and recklessness, stating that they are prepared to die for their gangster lifestyle. The beat of the song contributes to the intensity of these lyrics, with a slow and steady percussion that adds to the ominous tone of the song.

Overall, the lyrics of Secretz of War depict a brutal world of gang violence and gangster loyalty. Tupac and the Outlawz emphasize that there is no in-between in their world; you are either with them or against them, and if you are against them, you better be prepared for a war.

Line by Line Meaning

You either ride wit' us, or collide wit' us
We are in a war, and you must either join us or become our enemy.

It's as simple as that for me and my niggas
We have a clear stance on where we stand in this war.

War Time
We are in a time of war.

War Time, it's either yours or mine
In this war, only one side can come out victorious.

Outlawz be on a grind, and a mission to shine
Our gang is working hard to succeed and stand out.

And ride on em', leave em' stuck and fucked from the gate
We will attack our enemies and leave them unable to fight back.

Set it straight, regulate
We will make sure everything is under control.

Wit' a bomb I'm about to detonate (Boom!)
We will use any means necessary to win the war.

Hesitate, aw, now you know what
If you hesitate, you will suffer the consequences.

Y'all niggas were here to go
Our enemies should be prepared for what is to come.

If you know it was good for ya
If you are smart, you will make the right decision.

Buncha toy souljahs all dressed in fatigue
Our enemies are just pretending and cannot handle the war.

But I'm Edi Amin on a mission to make em bleed
I am on a mission to cause pain and suffering to our enemies.

Nigga what? Nigga who?
Who are you to challenge us?

It was cool? And at you? What the fuck is gone do?
Do not make excuses or try to justify your actions. The war has already started.

Barbecue and boo-hoo
We will make our enemies pay for their actions.

Ride or die, get money all at the same time
We are committed to both the war and making money.

Split the pie with the homie, ball at the same time
We share our successes with our gang members.

Any nigga splippin', fall at the same time
Any member who betrays or fails us will suffer the same consequences.

We all links in the chain, tryin' to gain, do time
We are all working together towards a common goal and will go to great lengths to achieve it.

We all see the sunshine
We all want to live the good life.

But when you could do yours, we'll bring these muthafuckas war
We will start a war even when things seem calm.

As I approach the scene, from smokin' green
As I come closer to the war zone, having just smoked marijuana.

Got my eyes closed, niggas so cold on my foes
I am focused and ready to fight my enemies.

I make em' die froze
I will kill my enemies without remorse.

Watch me make em' bleed, make em' G's
I will attack and harm my enemies financially.

Lord help me wit' it
I vow to do whatever it takes to win this war.

Got me paintin' pictures of a mil-ticket
I am fantasizing about earning millions from my actions in the war.

Help me get it
I need assistance in achieving my goals.

See me and pray for options
Those who oppose me should pray for mercy.

But the pressures nonstop
There is no end to the pressure of the war.

Niggas get the pistol poppin'
Our enemies are beginning to use guns in the war.

And watch they body drop
They will pay the price for their actions with their lives.

I'm a lethal threat, watch me hit your set
I am a serious threat to anyone who opposes me.

Flash on, blast on them bitch-made niggas wit' my mask on
I will attack my enemies quickly and without warning, using any means necessary.

Do it for profit, plus I'm, lookin for punks to bust on
I am looking to cause harm to anyone who opposes me and to benefit financially from my actions.

If you ain't screamin' WestSide, you can get the fuck on
Those who do not support our gang should leave before they suffer the consequences.

I'm seein' demons hittin' weed
I am experiencing paranoia and anxiety due to the war.

Got me hearin' screamin'
I am hearing things and feeling paranoid.

Scared to go to sleep, watch the scene like a dope-fiend
I am unable to relax or rest because of the war.

Probably be punished for it, though you can't ignore it
I may face consequences for my actions in the war, but I cannot ignore it.

I live the life of a thug nigga, and die for it
I am living a life of violence and will risk my life for it.

Niggas pass the clip and watch me bring em to the floor
My gang members and I will attack our enemies with deadly force.

I got some shit that they ain't ready for (What you got?)
I have some new tactics that my enemies are not prepared for.

I got the Secretz of War
I have the knowledge and strategy to win the war.

Bring it on
I am ready for whatever my enemies may bring.

And all you lil' young ass souljahs
I am speaking to the younger generation of gang members.

You play this shit back about fifteen times
You should listen to this song repeatedly to understand the message.

You'll have enough game to roll up in a club or somethin'
You will have enough knowledge to navigate the gang lifestyle.

Teach these bitches a lil' somethin', you know what I mean?
Show these non-gang members what we are made of.

We go to war
We are in the midst of a violent war.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: BRUCE WASHINGTON, JOHNNY LEE JACKSON, MALCOLM GREENIDGE, RUFUS LEE COOPER, TUPAC AMARU SHAKUR, YAFEU FULA

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