2Pac & the Outlawz are a group of rap icons from the 1980s and 1990s. While the band didn’t have a debut album, they released seven studio albums and dozens of mixtapes. Their sound is synonymous with the thug life movement, and their names evoke several different figures. For example, Tupac was known as Makaveli, after the Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli. Another group member, Yaki Kadafi, was named after the late Lybian Colonel Gadaffi. The band also had the name Kastro, after Cuban president Fidel Castro.

In addition to recording the One Nation album, 2Pac and the Outlawz also collaborated with Brooklyn rap crew Boot Camp Clik. Boot Camp Clik appeared on the album, and recorded a song with Pac and the Outlawz during a week-long recording session. East Coast rap groups Nice & Smooth’s Greg Nice and The Luniz’s Numskull also contributed to the project.

Two of the Outlawz, Napoleon Beale and Katari Terrance Cox, quit the group and converted to Islam. They signed with Death Row Records after Tupac’s death. The Outlawz’ lineup included Fatal and Napoleon, who were both formerly with Makaveli. They were later joined by Young Noble and were featured on two albums by 2Pac.

Outlawz was a hip-hop group that was formed after Tupac Shakur was released from prison. The group’s first album, Still I Rise, was released in 1999. This album included a plethora of songs featuring 2Pac, including some previously unreleased tracks.