Yaki Kadafi (rapper)

Yafeu Akiyele Fula (October 9, 1977 – November 10, 1996), also known by his stage name Yaki Kadafi, was an American rapper and member of the Outlawz. Yaki lived with his Godbrother Tupac Shakur from a young age. On November 10, 1996, two months after Tupac's death, which he witnessed, Kadafi was assassinated.

Yaki Kadafi was born in The Bronx, New York on October 9, 1977.^[1]

When Kadafi was four years old, his father Sekou Odinga was arrested and imprisoned; he was then raised by his mother Yaasmyn Fula, and adopted her surname.^[2] Kadafi would later co-found Shakur's rap group the Outlawz.

In 1994, Kadafi reconnected with his childhood friend Mutah "Napoleon" Beale. His mother, Yaasmyn, introduced Napoleon to Tupac Shakur, and all three created Dramacydal.^[3] Kadafi, only 16, took on the stage name "Young Hollywood" and the group appeared on Tupac's album Me Against the World.^[4]

In 1995, upon Tupac's release from prison, Kadafi 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 he changed his stage name to "Yaki Kadafi" after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The Outlawz recorded frequently with Tupac throughout 1996. Kadafi also teamed up with fellow Outlawz member Hussein Fatal to record material under the name "Fatal-N-Felony".^[5]

On November 10, 1996, nearly two months after Tupac's death, Kadafi was shot once in the head and died in Orange, New Jersey. Police found his body in the hallway of a friend's apartment building upon responding to a report of gunfire.^[6] He was 19 years old.

Fellow Outlawz rapper Napoleon, whose cousin Rashad "Roddy" Beale had killed Kadafi, 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.^[7] However, Kadafi's mother responded that his death was intentional as Beale had threatened her son beforehand, and claimed that Beale's family had also threatened witnesses.^[8]

Yaki Kadafi was believed to Muslim confirmed by Napoleon from the Outlawz. ^[9] Kadafi said lyrics such as "Faith in Allah" in 2Pac's song Who do you believe in from his Better Dayz album. ^[10] In the song Black Jezus, Kadafi also said "Wonder how shit like the Qu'ran and Bible was written/Shai-tan's way of gettin' us back" from the Still I Rise album which are common words used in the religion of Islam. ^[11]

• Spirit of an Outlaw: The Untold Story of Tupac Amaru Shakur and Yaki 'Kadafi' Fula by Yaasmyn Fula, Yaki Kadafi's mother.^[12]
• The Homicide of Yafeu 'Yaki Kadafi' Fula by Yaasmyn Fula, Yaki Kadafi's mother.^[13]

• Killing Fields: The Vindication of Yaki Kadafi^[14]