Tupac Shakur's protégé Young Noble died by suicide with a gunshot to the head on the morning of July 4 ... TMZ Hip Hop has confirmed. The Outlawz rapper's wife told police at the scene he had been battling significant depression.

Noble became close with 2Pac and was the final member of the Outlawz recruited by the legendary Death Row rapper. Born in California and raised in New Jersey, Young Noble formed bonds with fellow Outlawz members Yaki Khadafi and Hussein Fatal.

Outlawz rapper Young Noble, a close collaborator of Tupac Shakur, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 4. He was 47.