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".

Soldier To A General
Outlawz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Napolean - Verse 1]
Yo, it's gettin colder with time, Thug rollers with rhymes
Gotta look out for the spineless, marchin with mines
Outlawz on the grind, in the back of my mind
Gotta watch out for the one-time all the time
Lot of fights on the block, so I walk with my glock
First head get hot, gettin shot on the spot
It's a sticky sitch-e-ation, tryin to duck to hatin

Fuckin with my family, I get worse than Satan
Turnin niggaz out, at a young age
It's what my life story's about, I ain't afraid
Turnin in the water, gaspin' for air
But I'm in the air at the same time, searchin for land
It's the life of a man, without no parents to call
Had to learn right and wrong when it's on, fuck all y'all
Walkin through the cemetery talkin to the dead
Conversation we gonna keep between us, heard what he said
Think about the niggaz that can't make it to see tomorrow
Left his family all alone cause he got hit by the lead
Drama on the streets is what the Outlawz fed
And if your ass get out of line, you got a price on your head

[Chorus - Young Noble]
I was born all alone, I'mma die all alone (yeah)
So I ride all alone, from a soldier to a general
I taught myself, went to court myself (uh-huh)
Made a choice, from a soldier to a general
A boy to a man, ain't nobody give a damn (fuck that!)
Live the streets without nobody, from a soldier to a general
We was raised around criminals, and played around criminals
The game of a criminal, from a soldier to a general

[Kastro - Verse 2]
I walk around with the weight of the world
Faith in my shotty since I made it my girl (love you)
Oh! Somebody save me please, I've been
Brought up amongst these scram blest thieves and
All they can show me is I fight with my muscle and (uh-huh)
I'd do anything for these stripes in the struggle and
Happiness is Hennessey, mixes, and bitches and I'm all about my riches
From a small time grinder to a timer am I
Scandalous mind is a constant reminder of the
Evil these men do, struggle contend you
Lord, what you got your boy all into
I must be mental, I must by psycho
Crazy deranged and my brains with a rifle
That's the price we pay to have life today
Will I have it any other way? No Way (oh)

[E.D.I. Mean - Verse 3]
Seems like my addiction to the streets been a life long one
I chose to wrong damn crease
See momma work her fingers to the bone to make me a happy home
But I chose the wrong, steppin out on my own
Intrigued by them big-league niggaz with the blow
See my first dead man as a kid in eighty-four
Seen crack come and turn bums to millionaires
Turn and die a bitch out, oh, and now she don't care
Something bought the ghetto in the Summer, make niggaz tougher
Niggaz die to be fresh, so we all turn to hustlas
Some stuck with it, some really couldn't fuck with it
Some trust the wrong, and now they gone
Them flowers for the dead, all the powers in my head
I give a fuck what them cowards said, I'm all about my bread
Struggle love to, huh, hustle ball to
From a soldier to a general, nigga you better let em through

Chorus

[Young Noble - Verse 4]
I grew up, like every other kid in the ghetto
Up the hill on my mountain bike, struggle to peddle
I was a freshman with no medals
But I earned my stripes
Wrong turns made me burn my life
Got a comment 'fore you walk soldier, follow the rules
Be a leader when I see you, don't follow the crew
There's only one way to live and one way to die
One way to fail and one way to try
My eyes bloodshot from the drugs on the block
And my thugs on the block got slugs for the cops
My moms loves my pops but she hurtin herself
Laid off, so she broke, not workin herself
On my own at fifteen, learnin the ropes quick
Had to eat so I hustled, turnin my coat quick

I ain't no shit, only how to be a criminal
But plan to expand from a soldier to a general

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Outlawz's song Soldier to a General reflect the struggles and harsh realities of life in the inner city. The verses each cover different aspects of this life, such as the constant fear of violence, the need to fend for oneself and the importance of family. The first verse, performed by Napolean, describes what it's like to live in a dangerous environment and the steps one must take to survive it. He talks about carrying a gun for protection and dealing with hostile neighbors. He also alludes to his troubled past, which involved turning to a life of crime early on due to a lack of parental guidance. The chorus, performed by Young Noble, deals with the loneliness and isolation that often come with this life. He speaks of being born and dying alone and raps about moving from being just a soldier to becoming a general one day. Kastro's verse covers the weight of carrying the world on one's shoulders and the kinds of people one has to deal with in the struggle to succeed. Finally, E.D.I. Mean's verse deals with addiction and the various temptations of street life, such as drugs and fast money.

Overall, the song is a tribute to those who struggle to get ahead and survive in tough environments, as well as an ode to the internal strength that helps people push through all obstacles.

Line by Line Meaning

Yo, it's gettin colder with time, Thug rollers with rhymes
The environment is getting harsher and the rappers have to be tougher.

Gotta look out for the spineless, marchin with mines
They must beware of weak individuals who may betray them.

Outlawz on the grind, in the back of my mind
The Outlawz are working hard to achieve their goals, and it's always on Napoleon's mind.

Gotta watch out for the one-time all the time
They must be vigilant and look out for the police at all times.

Lot of fights on the block, so I walk with my glock
There are many conflicts on the streets, so Napoleon carries a gun for protection.

First head get hot, gettin shot on the spot
The situation can escalate quickly and result in violence.

It's a sticky sitch-e-ation, tryin to duck to hatin
The situation is complicated and they have to avoid those who hate them.

Fuckin with my family, I get worse than Satan
They have strong loyalty to their family, and anyone who hurts them will face severe consequences.

Turnin niggaz out, at a young age
They became involved in the criminal lifestyle at an early age.

It's what my life story's about, I ain't afraid
Their life story is one of criminality, and they are not afraid to take risks.

Turnin in the water, gaspin' for air
They feel like they are drowning and struggling to survive.

But I'm in the air at the same time, searchin for land
They are trying to stay afloat while searching for a way out of their situation.

It's the life of a man, without no parents to call
They had to navigate their upbringing without parental support.

Had to learn right and wrong when it's on, fuck all y'all
They had to learn the difference between right and wrong on their own, without help from others.

Walkin through the cemetery talkin to the dead
They feel like they are surrounded by death and it's always on their mind.

Conversation we gonna keep between us, heard what he said
They have conversations with the dead that they keep secret from others.

Think about the niggaz that can't make it to see tomorrow
They realize that their lifestyle puts them at risk of dying young.

Left his family all alone cause he got hit by the lead
They understand the pain of losing loved ones to violence.

Drama on the streets is what the Outlawz fed
They contributed to the violent atmosphere of the streets.

And if your ass get out of line, you got a price on your head
Anyone who crosses them or the gang will face consequences.

I was born all alone, I'mma die all alone (yeah)
They feel alone in the world and expect to die alone.

So I ride all alone, from a soldier to a general
They have moved up the ranks from a simple soldier to a leader.

I taught myself, went to court myself (uh-huh)
They had to learn how to navigate the legal system on their own.

Made a choice, from a soldier to a general
They made a conscious decision to become a leader.

A boy to a man, ain't nobody give a damn (fuck that!)
They had to grow up fast and take responsibility for themselves.

Live the streets without nobody, from a soldier to a general
They had to make their own way in life, without help from others.

We was raised around criminals, and played around criminals
They grew up in an environment where criminal behavior was the norm.

The game of a criminal, from a soldier to a general
They learned the ways of a criminal and rose to the top.

I walk around with the weight of the world
Kastro feels the burden of the world on his shoulders.

Faith in my shotty since I made it my girl (love you)
He has deep affection for his gun and relies on it for protection.

Oh! Somebody save me please, I've been
He feels overwhelmed and in need of help.

Brought up amongst these scram blest thieves and
He was raised in an environment where thievery was common.

All they can show me is I fight with my muscle and (uh-huh)
He has only seen violence as a way to resolve conflicts.

I'd do anything for these stripes in the struggle and
He is willing to do anything to earn his place in the hierarchy.

Happiness is Hennessey, mixes, and bitches and I'm all about my riches
He finds pleasure in material possessions, partying, and women.

From a small time grinder to a timer am I
He started from small beginnings but has grown into a successful criminal.

Scandalous mind is a constant reminder of the
His corrupt thoughts are a constant presence in his mind.

Evil these men do, struggle contend you
He struggles with the evil and immoral behavior of others.

Lord, what you got your boy all into
He questions why God allowed him to get caught up in this lifestyle.

I must be mental, I must by psycho
He realizes that his behavior and thoughts are abnormal.

Crazy deranged and my brains with a rifle
He feels like he is losing his mind and is dangerous with a gun.

That's the price we pay to have life today
He acknowledges the risks and sacrifices he has made to survive.

Will I have it any other way? No Way (oh)
He accepts his life as it is and wouldn't change it.

Seems like my addiction to the streets been a life long one
E.D.I. Mean has been drawn to the streets since a young age.

I chose to wrong damn crease
He made poor decisions that put him on the wrong path.

See momma work her fingers to the bone to make me a happy home
He is aware of the sacrifices his mother made to provide a stable home.

But I chose the wrong, steppin out on my own
He made choices that hurt his family and went down his own path.

Intrigued by them big-league niggaz with the blow
He was interested in the glamorous life of drug dealers.

See my first dead man as a kid in eighty-four
He witnessed violent death at a young age.

Seen crack come and turn bums to millionaires
He saw people go from homelessness to riches due to drug dealing.

Turn and die a bitch out, oh, and now she don't care
He has seen women become hardened and apathetic after being in the criminal lifestyle.

Something bought the ghetto in the Summer, make niggaz tougher
There is something about the summer in the ghetto that brings out the worst in people.

Niggaz die to be fresh, so we all turn to hustlas
People are willing to risk their lives to buy lavish clothing, so they turn to crime.

Some stuck with it, some really couldn't fuck with it
Some people are cut out for the criminal lifestyle, while others are not.

Some trust the wrong, and now they gone
Some people put their trust in the wrong individuals and paid the price.

Them flowers for the dead, all the powers in my head
He is haunted by the memory of those who died and feels the weight of the world on his shoulders.

I give a fuck what them cowards said, I'm all about my bread
He doesn't care what others say, as long as he can earn money.

Struggle love to, huh, hustle ball to
He has learned to thrive in the midst of struggle and competition.

From a soldier to a general, nigga you better let em through
He has worked his way up from a simple soldier to a leader and expects to be respected.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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