BIG KATO
Kato (Big Kato) was Big Syke’s best friend and helped fund Big Syke’s earlier rap group, ”Evil Mind Gangstas”, back when Big Syke was known as Little Psycho. In 1990 Big Syke found ”Evil Mind Gangstas” with rappers Domino and Mental illness (best Kato’s friend). Big Kato also appeared in the music video Gotta Get Mine. According to Warren G Tupac got the news that Kato passed away right after recording Definition of a Thug Nigga. After that Tupac decided to record the song How Long Will They Mourn Me ft Nate Dogg. The song was dedicated to Kato who died in 93.
MENTAL ILLNESS
Big Syke met Tupac in 1992, after release Evil Mind Gangstas – All Hell Breakin’ Loose Album and they created Thug Life’s group. Big Syke introduced Kato and Mental to Tupac Mental Illness whom Tupac became friendly through Syke, was also killed; and Syke’s brother killed himself. (“I guess from the stress,” Syke said.)
MOUSE MAN
Dana Smith known as Mouse Man was Tupac’s friend during his teenage years in Baltimore. Together, they created rap groups East Side Crew & Born Busy. Which is where Tupac’s first recorded audio came from. The group created their 1st song “Babies Having Babies.” According to Mouse Man the first time he saw Tupac was in Roland Park School then he met him on the bus when he sat next to him. Tupac rapped a verse for Mouse and they hooked up to become the East Side Crew.
QD3
Quincy Delight Jones III (born 23 December 1968), better known as QDIII, QD3 and Snoopy, is an English-born Swedish-American music producer and film producer. Jones was born in Wimbledon, London, the son of Swedish model Ulla Andersson and American musician-music producer Quincy Jones Jr. Rashida and Kidada Jones are his his half sisters. QD3 got the chance to work with Pac on the song Heaven Ain't Hard to Find for the All Eyez On Me album. He said Pac recorded the song in ten minutes.
SHOCK G
Gregory Edward Jacobs (August 25, 1963 – April 22, 2021), known professionally as Shock G and by his alter ego Humpty Hump, was an American rapper and musician who was best known as the lead vocalist of the hip hop group Digital Underground. He was responsible for Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance", 2Pac's breakthrough single "I Get Around", and co-producer of 2Pac's debut album 2Pacalypse Now.
In addition to his work with Digital Underground, Shock G found moderate success as a solo artist and music producer. In 1993, Shock G produced Tupac Shakur's breakthrough platinum single "I Get Around" as well as guest starred on the single and music video, and went on to produce Tupac's "So Many Tears" from his multi-platinum 1995 album Me Against the World.
Tupac's first published work was while still a member of Digital Underground when he appeared on the 1991 song and video "Same Song". Shock co-produced Tupac's debut album 2Pacalypse Now. Shock G appeared as a producer and guest artist on fellow Oakland-based rap group The Luniz platinum debut release Operation Stackola in 1995, also appearing as a guest emcee in the "I Got 5 on It" Bay Ballers Remix and video.
BIG SYKE
Tyruss Gerald Himes (November 22, 1968 – December 5, 2016), better known by his stage names Big Syke and Mussolini, was an rapper best known for his work with the American hip-hop groups Thug Life and Outlawz. His stage name Big Syke is a revision of his childhood nickname "Little Psycho". He died at his home in Hawthorne, California on December 5, 2016.
DANNY BOY
Daniel Steward (born October 31, 1977) better known as Danny Boy, is an American R&B/soul singer. Danny Boy originally signed for a five-year run with Death Row Records by Suge Knight at the age of 16. He made his debut on 1994's Murder Was the Case soundtrack with the R&B track "Come When I Call" (produced by DJ Quik). In 1995, he released his first single titled "Slip N Slide" (produced by Reggie Moore and DeVante Swing) with then-unknown artist Ginuwine singing the chorus.
The video for the song was shot in Cabo, and also features scenes with 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Tha Dogg Pound. Danny is best known for singing the choruses of the 2Pac songs "I Ain't Mad at Cha", "What'z Ya Phone #", "Picture Me Rollin'" and "Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find" on All Eyez on Me, as well as "Toss It Up" on The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. He had recorded several albums' worth of music while on Death Row Records, but none were released during his time there.
MONEY-B
Ronald Brooks (September 22, 1969) better known by his stage name Money-B, is an American rapper, best known for being a member of the funk and rap group Digital Underground. He is a member of Raw Fusion with DJ Fuze whom they had two albums, Live From the Styleetron and Hoochified Funk.
He had a solo album named Talkin' Dirty which features Digital Underground released in 1999. Money-B contributed, edited the script and acted as himself for the Digital Underground portion of the 2017 Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me. Tupac and Money B freindship developed when they danced and toured together as members for Digital Underground.
DAZ DILLINGER
Delmar Drew Arnaud (born May 25, 1973), known professionally as Daz Dillinger (formerly Dat Nigga Daz and commonly Daz), is an American rapper and record producer. In the 1990s at Death Row Records, aided the catapult of West Coast rap and gangsta rap into the mainstream. He is one half of the rap duo tha Dogg Pound, along with Kurupt.
Daz learned production from Dr. Dre in working on Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic, in 1992. Daz did more on Snoop Dogg's debut solo album Doggystyle in 1993, and secured his production standing on 2Pac's All Eyez on Me in 1996. Since leaving Death Row around 2000, Daz has focused on his own releases through his D.P.G. Recordz.
Daz worked with Tupac on the first song he recorded when he arrived on Death Row. Daz produced five songs on All Eyez on Me "Ambitionz Az A Ridah", "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted", "I Ain't Mad At Cha", "Skandalouz", and "Got My Mind Made Up" which rapidly became 2Pac's most commercially successful album.
O.F.T.B. (an abbreviation of Operation From The Bottom) was a hip hop group from the Watts district of Los Angeles, California. The group O.F.T.B. consisted of three founding actual gang members Kevin "Flipside" White, Sammy "Bust Stop" Williams, and Ronald "Low M.B." Watkins, who grew up in Nickerson Gardens Project, which is home to the notorious gang Bounty Hunter Bloods. They were signed to Big Beat Records where they released Straight Up Watts in 1992 with the hit single "Slangin' Dope"
Tupac Shakur worked with O.F.T.B. on several tracks such as "The Struggle Continuez", "Worldwide (Time After Time)" and the original version "Better Dayz". The remake of Better Dayz was released after the death of 2Pac on his multi-platinum double-album (Better Dayz). They also made tribute song dedicated to 2Pac and Yaki Kadafi called "Still A Mystery" featuring The Outlawz and Kurupt. 2Pac also mention them in his hit single "To Live And Die In L.A." from The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.
NAPOLEON
Mutah Wassin Shabazz Beale (born October 7, 1977), better known as Napoleon, is an American former rapper of Tupac's rap group Outlawz. He has since converted to Islam and is now a motivational speaker. Beale grew up in Newark, New Jersey. He was raised by his Christian grandmother after his Muslim parents were murdered in their home in front of him in "an 'execution-style' slaying" when he was three.
Conversion to Islam in 2001, a Muslim record producer, impressed by Napoleon's potential as a leader, motivated him to embrace Islam and forsake his former use of alcohol and drugs. Beale considers hip hop and Islam to be incompatible, because "they basically call for two different things" and that even if the song's message is positive, "if it is not according to the Sunnah (teachings) of the Prophet Muhammad, then it is unacceptable"
DJ QUIK
David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an American rapper, songwriter, DJ, and record-producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop, Kurupt, Tupac, Erick Sermon and Shaquille O'Neal, among others. Blake's stage name reflects his ability to produce songs in a short period of time. Some of his top songs include "Dollaz + Sense", "Tonite", "Born and Raised in Compton" and "Jus Lyke Compton"
RATED R
Walter Burns aka Rated R met 2Pac through Treach of Naughty by Nature & Coolio in L.A. After an impromptu rhyme session in Treach’s hotel room – ‘Pac took immediate interest & put me down in his new group he was starting called THUG LIFE. The Thug Life group eventually disbanded and Rated R changed his nickname to Runner, while forming his own click called “Presidential”. They recorded an album called “The Real First Family”, that was released in 2004. Rated R got sentence for murder but witnesses said it was self defense.
HURT-M-BADD
Tyrone Wrice, better known by his stage name Hurt-Em-Badd, is an American singer and record producer. He is a former member of short-lived R&B duo B-Rezell with Marc "MGM" McWilliams, which appeared on Death Row Records 1994 compilations Murder Was the Case and Above the Rim – The Soundtrack before the break-up. He participated on 2Pac's 1996 The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory album, most notably produced the single "Hail Mary". In 1997 he co-produced one song each for The Lady of Rage's debut album and Gang Related Soundtrack. From 1998 to 2002, he continued to produce songs for the Outlawz and 2Pac's posthumous releases.
E.D.I. MEAN
Malcolm Greenidge (born July 7, 1974), known as E.D.I Mean and EDIDON, is an American hip hop artist and a member of the Outlawz. The name is a play on the name Idi Amin, former president of Uganda. While in the third grade, Malcolm became friends with Katari "Kastro" Cox who later introduced him to his cousin, Tupac Shakur.
MAN MAN
Charles “Man Man” Fuller was Tupac’s road manager and co-defendant in his rape case. His name was recently brought up by Ayanna Jackson, the woman who accused Tupac, Fuller and Jacques “Haitian Jack” Agnant of rape in 1993. Charles known Tupac since his early career of 2Pacalypse Now.
NATE DOGG
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer and rapper. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning the nickname "King of Hooks".
Hale began his career in the early 1990s as a member of 213, a trio formed in 1990 with his friends Snoop Dogg and Warren G. In 1994, he co-wrote and sang as the featured performer on Warren G's hit single "Regulate", which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and served as a breakout success for both artists. Nate Dogg would soon become a fixture in the West Coast hip hop genre, regularly working with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Xzibit in the 1990s; his deep vocals became sought after for hooks, and he would expand to work with a larger variety of artists in the 2000s, such as Eminem, 50 Cent, Fabolous, Mos Def and Ludacris. As a featured artist, Nate charted 16 times on the Billboard Hot 100, and in 2003 reached number one via 50 Cent's "21 Questions". Nate Dogg also was notably featured on Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode" and Eminem's "'Till I Collapse". In addition to his guest work, Nate Dogg released three studio albums, as well as a string of moderately successful singles of his own in the 1990s.
In December 2007, Hale suffered a stroke, weakening his body's left side, while his cognition and voice remained intact. Several months later, he had another stroke. In 2011, he died of heart failure at age 41. Nate Dogg was featured on the song How Long Will They Mourn Me with Thug Life in 93. A song dedicated to Kato. He was also on All About U one of the first songs Tupac recorded after his release from prison in 95.
K-CI & JOJO
K-Ci & JoJo is an R&B duo, consisting of brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (born September 2, 1969) and Joel "JoJo" Hailey (born June 10, 1971). Natives of Monroe, North Carolina, they are also the lead singers of the chart-topping R&B group Jodeci with the DeGrate brothers—Donald (better known as DeVante Swing) and Mr. Dalvin. Music runs in K-Ci & JoJo's family, who are cousins with vocalists Stephanie Mills, Dave Hollister, Calvin Richardson, Fantasia Barrino, Ricco Barrino. The brothers also worked with Tupac on How Do You Want It and Toss It Up.
JON B.
Jonathan David Buck (born November 11, 1974) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. His debut album, Bonafide (1995), went platinum. Jon B., before his rise to fame, used to be a songwriter and wrote songs for After 7, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Color Me Badd, the Spice Girls and others. Jon B.'s popularity began in the mid-1990s, he released his debut studio album in 1995 titled Bonafide; the album spawned the popular hit and Grammy-nominated single "Someone to Love" He released his second studio album Cool Relax in 1997, the album spawned the top 10 single "They Don't Know" and two other top 20 hits, including Are U Still Down featuring Tupac Shakur.
Darryl Harper is a singer and producer. He produced multiple Tupac’s songs like ‘White Man's World, Krazy, The Good Die Young, Military Minds and many more. He also worked closely with Hurt M badd during his time on Death Row.
MOE Z MD
Moe Z's first experience in mainstream music was singing back up for Earth, Wind and Fire. He performed five nights a week with them and established a relationship that would lead to more opportunities down the road. Moe Z then got his big break when he became part of the circle of rappers and producers contributing to Tupac's landmark album, Me Against the World. Moe Z also worked with Tupac on his CD, Thuglife.
MACADOSHIS
Dave Rivers known as Macadoshis or Mac Boss is a rapper from Los Angeles, California. Mac and Rated R was part of a group called Double Jeopardy before they joined Thug Life with Tupac, Mopreme and Big Syke.
Deon “Big D” Evans was one of Tupac's most important team members as a producer and collaborator. “Big D” Evans (a true gentle giant) made me proud to handle deals on many of Tupac's most iconic records: “Brenda's Got a Baby,” “Ghetto Gospel,” and “Changes,” to name a few. He passed away on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 in Los Angeles at the age of 45. In recent years, Deon struggled to maintain his health after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2005.
NOBLE
Rufus Cooper III (born March 21, 1978), also known by his stage name Young Noble, is an American rapper who was part of Tupac Shakur's rap group Outlawz. Noble later joined the Outlawz in 1996, and was added to the group by Tupac himself, before the late rapper's death in September 1996. Noble was born in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He made his debut on Shakur's album The 7 Day Theory on 4 songs Bomb First (My Second Reply), Hail Mary, Life of an Outlaw and Just Like Daddy.
JOHNNY J
Johnny Lee Jackson (August 28, 1969 – October 3, 2008) was a Mexican-American multi-platinum songwriter, music producer and rapper best known for his early career with Thug Life and for his work with 2Pac on Me Against the World and All Eyez on Me, as well as 2Pac's posthumously released albums. He was born in Juárez, Mexico, in 1969 and raised in South Los Angeles. Johnny "J" was co-owner and CEO of Klock Work Entertainment. Johnny J produced numerous songs for Tupac when he arrived on Death Row.
KURUPT
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer who aided gangsta rap's rise via 1990s verses helping set lasting trends. He is one half of the rap duo tha Dogg Pound, along with Daz. His first solo album arrived in 1998. After feuding, the duo reunited in 2005. Kurupt has been in rap supergroups such as the DPGC.
Tupac Shakur's 1996 murder triggered an exodus of artists from Death Row Records. Preceded only by Dr. Dre, Kurupt was second to leave. He then signed with A&M Records, where he founded the imprint Antra Records, releasing his debut solo album Kuruption! in 1998. Kurupt left the Antra label upon releasing his second album, Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha, featuring the diss track "Calling Out Names", in which Kurupt insults New York rap figures Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Irv Gotti, and DMX, accusing the latter of having an affair with Kurupt's then-fiancée Foxy Brown.
BAD AZZ
Jamarr Antonio Stamps (November 27, 1975 – November 11, 2019) better known by his stage name Bad Azz, was an American rapper and member of Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta Crips.
Jamarr Antonio Stamps was born in Hawaiian Gardens, California and grew up in Long Beach. He began his career rapping at house parties and joined the LBC Crew. After having a guest verse on the Tupac song "Krazy" in 1996 he was set to sign to Tupac's proposed record label, Makaveli Records. After being briefly signed to Snoop Dogg's label Doggystyle Records, Bad Azz made various guest performances before debuting on Priority Records in 1998 with Word on tha Streets.
TRAY DEEE
Tracy Lamar Davis (born April 27, 1966), better known by his stage name Big Tray Deee (formerly Tray Deee and Tracy Deee), is an American rapper signed with Snoop Dogg's label Dogghouse Records. Before becoming a rapper, Davis was an active gang member. Tray Deee is a member of the Insane Crips Gang in Long Beach, California. Tray Deee made his first appearance on Snoop Doggy Dogg's Murder Was the Case soundtrack in 1994, guest starring on the track 21 Jumpstreet, Tray Dee also featured on the song Reality off the Doggfood album in 1995, followed by an appearance on Tha Doggfather in 1996. In 1999, he joined the Platinum-selling group Tha Eastsidaz, which consisted of himself, Snoop Dogg and Goldie Loc.
Associates & Comrades
HUSSEIN FATAL
Bruce Edward Washington Jr. (April 3, 1973 – July 10, 2015) better known by his stage name Hussein Fatal or sometimes as Fatal Hussein, was an American rapper, best known for his collaborative work with Tupac Shakur as a member of the rap group Outlaw Immortalz or just Outlawz.
Washington first appeared as "Hussein Fatal" on the songs "All Bout U" and "When We Ride" from Shakur's album All Eyez on Me. As a member of the Outlaw Immortalz, his name was chosen to evoke a villain, Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. In 1996, he was featured on Shakur's song "Hit 'Em Up", insulting Shakur's rivals in the song's second verse.
MIKE COOLEY
Mike Cooley is mentioned in many 2Pac songs, he was with 2Pac when he saw the story which influenced Pac to write “Brenda’s got a baby”. Mopreme Shakur said Mike Cooley gave 2Pac money to record, and that 2Pac would have still been on the streets without him. Mike Cooley knew Tupac since the era of Strictly Dope.
WARREN G
Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper and producer known for his role in West Coast rap's 1990s ascent. Along with Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg, he formed the hip-hop trio 213, named for Long Beach's area code. A pioneer of G-funk, he attained mainstream success with the 1994 single "Regulate", a duet with Nate Dogg. The younger stepbrother of rapper Dr. Dre, he introduced him to Snoop Dogg, who was later signed by him.