E.D.I. Mean

In 1992, Kastro, Greenidge, and Tupac's godbrother Yafeu "Kadafi" Fula, formed a rap trio. Greenridge began rapping under the alias "Big Malcolm". The trio went under the names Thoro Headz and Young Thugs. By then, Tupac had become a rap star and he let them guest appear on his single, "Holla If Ya Hear Me", which was released on February 4, 1993. In 1994, Mutah "Napoleon" Beale joined the group, which was now known as Dramacydal. On March 14, 1995, Tupac's LP, Me Against the World, was released. They guest appeared on the songs "Me Against the World" and "Outlaw".[2]

In 1995, upon Tupac's release from prison, Greenidge, Tupac, Bruce "Fatal" Washington, Kadafi, Mopreme Shakur, Kastro, and Napoleon formed the group the Outlaw Immortalz, later changed to the Outlawz. Tupac gave each member of the group an alias from an enemy of the United States of America. Shakur gave Greenidge the alias E.D.I. Mean after former Ugandan president Idi Amin.[3] On February 13, 1996, Tupac's double LP, All Eyez on Me, was released. E.D.I. Mean appeared on "Tradin' War Stories," "When We Ride," and "Thug Passion."[1]

On June 4, 1996, Tupac's "How Do U Want It" single was released. Its b-side, "Hit 'Em Up", featured E.D.I. Mean, Fatal and Kadafi. It is considered one of the most aggressive diss songs in history, dissing Bad Boy Entertainment, Chino XL, Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Mobb Deep.

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 six days later. E.D.I. Mean was in the car behind Tupac, but claimed he could not identify the murderer. E.D.I. Mean and the rest of the Outlawz moved back to the East Coast after Shakur's death. On November 5, 1996, Tupac's LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. E.D.I. Mean appeared on three songs, "Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply)," "Life Of An Outlaw" and "Just Like Daddy . Kadafi was shot in the head in New Jersey while visiting his girlfriend which killed him instantly on November 10 just five days after Tupac's album was released. He was found wearing a bullet proof vest.[1]

In March, 1997, E.D.I. Mean and the rest of the Outlawz minus Fatal moved back to California and signed with Death Row Records. On November 25, 1997, Tupac's double LP, "R U Still Down? (Remember Me)" was released. E.D.I. Mean produced six songs on it, "Redemption," "Thug Style," "Fuck All Y'all," "Let Them Thangs Go," "When I Get Free," and "Enemies With Me." On December 21, 1999, the Outlawz' debut album, Still I Rise, was released.[4]

In 1999, the Outlawz, excluding Fatal, who by now had had a disagreement with the rest of the band claiming they had betrayed Tupac by signing with Death Row, started Outlawz Records and released their second and third LPs, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us and Novakane, on November 7, 2000 and October 23, 2001.[2]

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