Young Noble, a member of the hip-hop group Outlawz and frequent Tupac Shakur collaborator, has died at the age of 47, PEOPLE can confirm. TMZ reported that the rapper, born Rufus Lee Cooper III, died by suicide in Atlanta on July 4.

Young Noble has died aged 47, his fellow Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean has confirmed. The rapper – real name Rufus Lee Cooper III -also featured in the music group alongside the late Tupac Shakur and reportedly died in Atlanta on Friday.

West Coast rapper Young Noble, part of Tupac Shakur’s group Outlawz, has died at 47. Born Rufus Lee Cooper III, the hip-hop artist was personally selected by Shakur to join his ’90s rap crew just months before he was shot dead in Las Vegas in 1996.