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, the artist who was a member of the Outlawz with Tupac Shakur, has died at age 47. Fellow Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean confirmed the news of Young Noble’s death on Instagram on Friday, saying his beloved friend died by suicide.

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.