American hip hop artist, a rapper and producer, and a member of the group Outlawz (1995–2017), he is also known as EDIDON. The name “E.D.I. Mean” is intended to be a play on the name Idi Amin, former president of Uganda. Since 2010 he has released several solo albums including O.G. Part 2: Classics in Session (2020).
While in the third grade, Malcolm became friends with Katari “Kastro” Cox who later introduced him to his cousin, Tupac Shakur. In 1992, Kastro, Greenidge, and Tupac’s godbrother Yafeu “Kadafi” Fula, formed a rap trio. Greenidge began rapping under the alias “Big Malcolm”. The trio went under the names Thoro Headz and Young Thugs. By then, Tupac had become a rap star and he let them guest appear on his single, “Holla If Ya Hear Me”, which was released on 4 February 1993. In 1994, Mutah “Napoleon” Beale joined the group, which was now known as Dramacydal. On 14 March 1995, Tupac’s LP, Me Against the World, was released. They guest appeared on the songs “Me Against the World” and “Outlaw”.
In 1995, upon Tupac’s release from prison, Greenidge, Tupac, Bruce “Fatal” Washington, Kadafi, Mopreme Shakur, Kastro, and Napoleon formed the group the Outlaw Immortalz, later changed to the Outlawz. Tupac gave each member of the group an alias from an enemy of the USA. Shakur gave Greenidge the alias E.D.I. Mean after former Ugandan president Idi Amin. On 13 February 1996, Tupac’s double LP, All Eyez on Me, was released. E.D.I. Mean appeared on “Tradin’ War Stories,” “When We Ride,” and “Thug Passion.”
On 4 June 1996, Tupac’s “How Do U Want It” single was released. Its b-side, “Hit ‘Em Up”, featured E.D.I. Mean, Fatal and Kadafi. It is considered one of the most aggressive diss songs in history, dissing Bad Boy Entertainment, Chino XL, Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Mobb Deep.
On 7 September 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by-shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to University Medical Center where he died six days later. E.D.I. Mean was in the car behind Tupac, but claimed he could not identify the murderer. E.D.I. Mean and the rest of the Outlawz moved back to the East Coast after Shakur’s death. On 5 November 1996, Tupac’s LP, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released. E.D.I. Mean appeared on three songs, “Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply),” “Life Of An Outlaw” and “Just Like Daddy. Kadafi was shot in the head in New Jersey while visiting his girlfriend which killed him instantly on 10 November just five days after Tupac’s album was released.
In March 1997, E.D.I. Mean and the rest of the Outlawz minus Fatal moved back to California and signed with Death Row Records. On 25 November 1997, Tupac’s double LP, R U Still Down? (Remember Me), was released. E.D.I. Mean produced six songs on it, “Redemption,” “Thug Style,” “Fuck All Y’all,” “Let Them Thangs Go,” “When I Get Free,” and “Enemies With Me.” On 21 December 1999, the Outlawz’ debut album, Still I Rise, was released.
In 1999, the Outlawz, excluding Fatal, who by now had had a disagreement with the rest of the band claiming they had betrayed Tupac by signing with Death Row, started Outlawz Records and released their second and third LPs, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us and Novakane, on 7 November 2000 and 23 October 2001.
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