Tupac's Ashes Were Smoked by His Group, The Outlawz

In the pantheon of unusual celebrity send-offs, this one takes the crown. After Tupac Shakur was cremated following his death in September 1996, members of his rap group the Outlawz didn't scatter his ashes in the ocean or keep them in an urn on the mantle. Instead, they rolled them up with weed and smoked him.

Yes, really.

A Final Blaze of Glory

At a memorial gathering in 1997, Outlawz members including E.D.I. Mean, Young Noble, and others decided to honor their fallen friend in what they felt was the most fitting way possible. They mixed a portion of Tupac's cremated remains with marijuana and passed around blunts containing his ashes. In interviews years later, the group members have been remarkably candid about the experience, describing it as both surreal and deeply meaningful.

E.D.I. Mean told a radio station in 2011: "It's definitely true... Had a little memorial for him with his moms and his family. We had hit the beach, threw [ashes] in the water, threw [them] in the air. Then we took some of that ashes, put it in some chicken, and then put it in a blunt and smoked it."

The Context Behind the Cremation

Tupac was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, and died six days later from his injuries. He was just 25 years old. His mother, Afeni Shakur, made the decision to have him cremated, and different portions of his ashes were distributed to family and close friends.

The Outlawz—founded by Tupac himself—were among his inner circle. The group had recorded extensively with 2Pac and considered him not just a collaborator but family. Their decision to consume his ashes wasn't meant as disrespect but as an intimate, if unconventional, final connection.

Hip-Hop's Most Infamous Tribute

The revelation sparked widespread media coverage and internet fascination when it became public. Some found it touching in a strange way, others found it shocking or inappropriate. But for the Outlawz, it aligned with Tupac's own philosophy about death and legacy.

• Tupac frequently referenced mortality and legacy in his lyrics
• He advocated for authentic, unfiltered expression
• His larger-than-life persona made conventional tributes feel inadequate
• The Outlawz wanted something personal that reflected their bond

Whether you find it beautiful, bizarre, or both, there's no denying it's one of the most memorable send-offs in music history. Tupac lived loudly, and his crew made sure he went out the same way.

The bottom line: This isn't an urban legend or publicity stunt. Multiple Outlawz members have confirmed it happened, and while it may sound like something from a satirical headline, it's one of those rare cases where the truth is stranger—and more sincere—than fiction.