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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallYoung Noble, born Rufus Lee Cooper III, was a rapper with the group Outlawz and a recording collaborator of Tupac Shakur. TMZ reported that he died in Atlanta on July 4, 2025, at age 47. Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean publicly confirmed the death, according to Complex. Coverage described the death as a suicide, but that account rests on outlet reporting and family-attributed context rather than a formal finding by a public authority. The sections below separate what is established from what is attributed.
Who Young Noble was
- Birth name: Rufus Lee Cooper III, the name used in the statement by fellow Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean.
- Group: He joined Outlawz in 1996. TMZ describes him as the last member Tupac personally added to the group.
- Age at death: 47, as reported by TMZ. Birth date was not part of the coverage reviewed.
Tupac-era credits
The most significant recorded credit tied to Tupac is The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. TMZ reported that the album debuted in November 1996 and that Young Noble appeared on four of its songs. Complex names the four tracks:
- “Bomb First (My Second Reply)”
- “Hail Mary”
- “Life of an Outlaw”
- “Just Like Daddy”
Readers looking for the album should check that a listing matches the 1996 release title and this track list, since later reissues and compilations can differ in packaging and track order.
Solo work and Outlawz after Tupac
Young Noble also released solo material, including Noble Justice and Son of God, according to TMZ and The National. The National places him within Outlawz’s continuing releases and describes how he and E.D.I. Mean helped keep the group active over the following decades. Neither outlet, in the coverage reviewed, gave a full discography, so this article does not list every release.
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The 2021 heart attack
In May 2021, Young Noble posted on Instagram that he had suffered a serious heart attack and was recovering. Complex reproduced the post, which read in part: “Thank you to all my luved ones who been praying for me. I had 1 of the worst days of my life yesterday I had a serious heart attack but God is too good & the amazing doctors brung me back an they getting me right.” The National also looked back at the episode.
No source reviewed links that illness to his death, and it should not be read as a cause or warning sign. The 2021 post is a documented health event, nothing more.
How the death was reported
Initial reports, July 4, 2025
TMZ reported the death the same day, citing sources familiar with the situation. Complex published under the headline “Outlawz Rapper Young Noble Dead by Suicide at 47,” and Mean’s confirmation was the basis for its report. Readers should note that the suicide characterization in these headlines is part of the reporting, not a separately verified finding.
Family statement
E.D.I. Mean’s public statement, as reproduced by The National, read: “My brother and partner for over 30 years took his life this morning. Rest in power, Rufus ‘Young Noble’ Cooper. I obviously am in no shape to talk about this right now, so please give his family and I some time to process this. Mental illness is a real battle being fought by so many. Check in on your folks.”
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Complex also quoted Mean asking people to check on their loved ones. This is a personal tribute, not a clinical assessment or an official death finding.
Follow-up reporting, July 8, 2025
In a follow-up, TMZ said it had obtained police records and attributed depression and financial hardship to family members. Those details are the reported account of family members and police records as described by TMZ. They have not been independently checked against a public statement, and they should be presented as attributed.
What is not established
The coverage reviewed did not include a formal finding from a public authority on the circumstances of the death. Anything beyond the date, the age, the place reported, and the confirmation by a fellow group member should be attributed to the outlet or person who reported it.
Sources and what each one supports
| Source | Date | What it supports |
|---|---|---|
| TMZ, “Outlawz Member Young Noble Dead at 47” | July 4, 2025; updated July 5, 2025 | Death date, Atlanta, age 47, Outlawz joining in 1996, album credits and four songs; attributed details of the death |
| Complex, “Outlawz Rapper Young Noble Dead by Suicide at 47” | July 4, 2025 | Confirmation by E.D.I. Mean, the four track titles, the 2021 Instagram post |
| The National, “Why the Outlawz remain one of hip-hop’s most tragic groups” | July 6, 2025 | Mean’s full statement, Outlawz’s continuing releases, the 2021 heart attack retrospective |
| TMZ, “Tupac’s Outlawz Rapper Young Noble Died by Suicide, Family Cites Depression, Financial Struggles” | July 8, 2025 | Police records and family-attributed context, which the outlet presented as its own reporting |
| Arizona State University, Academy for Justice, “Letter in Support of Commuting Federal Marijuana Offenses” | September 14, 2021 | Independent identification of Young Noble as an Outlawz member and a list of selected credits |
If you are struggling
If you are having thoughts of suicide, or are worried about someone who is, contact a crisis line now. In the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Outside the United States, contact local emergency services or the crisis line in your country. Mean’s request to check on the people in your life applies here: reaching out to someone you are concerned about can make a difference.
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