Yaki Kadafi

Yafeu Akiyele Fula (October 9, 1977 – November 10, 1996), better known by his stage name Yaki Kadafi, was an American rapper and a founding member of the hip hop group Outlawz.

Yafeu Fula was born in the Bronx, New York City, on October 9, 1977, to Sekou Odinga and Yaasmyn Fula.

When he was four years old, his father Sekou Odinga was arrested and imprisoned; he was raised by his mother and adopted her surname.

Kadafi's parents were both members of the Black Panther Party.

In 1994, Fula reconnected with his childhood friend Mutah "Napoleon" Beale.

Fula's mother, Yaasmyn, introduced Napoleon to Tupac Shakur, and all three created Dramacydal.

Fula, only 16, took on the stage name "Young Hollywood".

The group appeared on Tupac's album Me Against the World.

In 1995, upon Tupac's release from prison, Fula met with him to sign with Death Row.

He guest-starred on Tupac's All Eyez on Me and was featured on three songs.

Soon, Dramacydal became known as Outlaw Immortals (or just Outlawz), and Fula changed his stage name to "Yaki Kadafi" after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Yaasmyn Fula and Tupac Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur, were close friends, and Kadafi and Tupac were friends until their respective deaths in 1996.

Kadafi had two daughters.

The Outlawz recorded frequently with Tupac throughout 1996.

Fula also teamed up with fellow Outlawz member Hussein Fatal to record material under the name "Fatal-N-Felony".

On September 13, 1996, Tupac died after being shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip on September 7.

Kadafi was in the car directly behind Tupac, and claimed to have seen a white Cadillac pull up alongside him and open fire.

On November 10, 1996, nearly two months after Shakur's death, Fula was shot in the head and died in Orange, New Jersey, with police finding his body in the hallway of a friend's apartment building upon responding to a report of gunfire.

He was 19 years old.

Fellow Outlawz rapper Napoleon, whose cousin Rashad "Roddy" Beale had killed Fula, said in a 2017 interview that Beale had called the shooting accidental and turned himself in to police, and claimed he served "7 or 8 years" in prison.

Fula's mother responded that his death was intentional as Beale had threatened Fula beforehand, and claimed that Beale's family had also threatened witnesses.