Reports state that Young Noble, a 47-year-old former member of the Outlawz rap group, which Tupac Shakur created in the 1990s, died by apparent suicide.
According to sources who spoke to TMZ, Noble, whose actual name was Rufus Lee Cooper III, was discovered dead in Atlanta on Friday morning from what seemed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
E.D.I. Mean, a fellow Outlawz rapper, confirmed his death on Friday.
I received some of the worst and most unexpected news I could have ever imagined today. Mean said on Instagram, “This morning, my brother, who has been my partner for more than 30 years, took his own life.” 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.
One of the final official members of Outlawz, Noble debuted on Shakur’s fifth studio album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, in 1996.
The group continued to make songs, including the platinum-certified Still I Rise duet with Shakur, despite experiencing severe difficulty after the 1996 killings of Shakur and co-founder Yaki Kadafi. Ride Wit Us or Collide Wit Us, the group’s debut album, was released in 2000 after they founded their own label, Outlawz Records.
Under the group’s label, Noble himself put out four solo albums, the most recent of which was Third Eye View in 2019.In addition, he published a number of mixtapes, notably the nine-volume Outlaw Nation series, of which Volume 10 was just announced.
Noble thanked God for getting him through a severe heart attack that kept him out of commission for a period in 2021.
At the time, he posted on Instagram, “I intend to put everything in my life on hold while I recover and get my health all right.” I’m thankful for another opportunity, and I implore everyone to treat their health seriously. Stress and poor lifestyle choices eventually catch up with you!
Noble offered a quote on persevering through life’s challenges in his most recent Instagram post.
Part of the phrase says, “God will send blessings, solutions, healing, love, and positive change your way.” Thus, persevere, remain resilient, and never give up. The next person in line for your miracle is you.
