Yafeu Akiyele Fula, better known by his stage nameYaki Kadafi, was an American rapper, and a founder and member of the rap groups Outlawz and Dramacydal.
Early life and education
Yafeu Fula was born on October 9, 1977 in the Bronx, to Sekou Odinga and Yaasmyn Fula. When Fula was four years old, his father was arrested and charged with six counts of attempted murder, nine predicate acts of racketeering influenced corrupt organization, assisting in the escape of Assata Shakur from prison, and violent theft of an armored truck. Yafeu and his seven siblings were raised by their mother, whose surname he adopted. Kadafi's parents, Yaasmyn Fula and Sekou Odinga, were both members of the Black Panther Party. Fula and Tupac Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur, were close friends, and Kadafi and Tupac were friends until their respective deaths in 1996.
Career
In 1994, Fula ran into his childhood friend Mutah "Napoleon" Beale. Yafeu's mother introduced Napoleon to Tupac Shakur, and all three created Dramacydal. Yafeu, only 16, took on the stage name of Young Hollywood. The group appeared on Tupac's album Me Against The World. When Tupac was in prison in 1995 on sexual assault charges, Kadafi visited him daily. At one of these visits, Tupac and Kadafi decided to form the rap group Outlawz which would bring many members back from Tupac's earlier groups; Dramacydal and Thug Life. Fula also teamed up with fellow Outlawz member Hussein Fatal to record material under the name "Fatal-N-Felony." An album was planned but it never materialized, although some songs planned for the album appeared on Son Rize Vol.1. That same year, 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 featured on three songs. At this point Fula began his entry into the public eye, appearing in music videos, going to award shows, and performing on stage. The Outlawz recorded frequently with Tupac throughout 1996. 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 the white Cadillac pull up alongside him and open fire. Kadafi reportedly said he could identify the driver and had requested to keep it 100% confidential but was exposed by news reporters.
Death
On November 10, 1996, nearly two months after Tupac's death, Kadafi at the age of 19 was found slumped in the third-floor stairwell of an apartment building at 325 Mechanic Street, in Orange, New Jersey. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Fula was found by New Jersey police at 3:48 am. It is believed he had been accidentally shot once in the head by Napoleon's cousin, Roddy Beale, who later turned himself in to the police and served 7–8 years in prison. However, this has been disputed by Kadafi's mother. His death has been written about in numerous publications, including the book The Killing of Tupac Shakur, by Cathy Scott.
