List of 56 Rappers and Hip-Hop Artists who were Murdered.

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu (11 June 1993 – 29 May 2022), better known by his stage name Sidhu Moose Wala, was an Indian singer, rapper, actor and politician associated with Punjabi music and Punjabi cinema. He started his career as a songwriter for the song “License” by Ninja, and began his singing career on a duet song titled “G Wagon”. Following his debut, he collaborated with Brown Boyz for various tracks which were released by Humble Music.
Moose Wala gained wide attention with his track “So High”. In 2018, he released his debut album PBX 1, which peaked at 66th on Billboard Canadian Albums chart. Following the album, he started releasing his songs independently. His 2019 single “47” was ranked on the UK Singles Chart. In 2020, Moose Wala was named by The Guardian among 50 up and coming artists. Ten of his songs have peaked on UK Asian chart, two of which have topped the chart. His song “Bambiha Bole” was among the top five on Global YouTube music chart. In 2021, he released Moosetape, tracks from which charted globally including Canadian Hot 100, UK Asian, and New Zealand Hot charts.                                                                                                                     He was shot dead by unidentified assailants on 29 May 2022. He was travelling in his personal car and did not take the two bodyguards provided by the state nor his bullet proof car. Canada based gangster, active in Punjab claimed responsibility for the killing.

Read More About Sidhu Moose Wala / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Scott Monroe Sterling (March 2, 1962 – August 27, 1987), known by the stage name DJ Scott La Rock, was an American hip-hop disc jockey and music producer from the Bronx, New York. He was a founding member of the East Coast hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.Sterling’s death in August 1987 is said to be the first murder of a major hip hop artist.

Read More About Scott La Rock / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Tupac Amaru Shakur ( TOO-pahk shə-KOOR; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), better known by his stage name 2Pac and later by his alias Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Considered one of the most influential rappers of all time, Shakur is among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Much of Shakur’s music has been noted for addressing contemporary social issues that plagued inner cities, and he is considered a symbol of activism against inequality.
Shakur was born in New York City to parents who were both political activists and Black Panther Party members. Raised by his mother, he relocated to Baltimore in 1984 and to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. With the release of his debut album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, he became a central figure in West Coast hip hop for his conscious rap lyrics. Shakur achieved further critical and commercial success with his follow-up albums Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z… (1993) and Me Against the World (1995). His Diamond certified album All Eyez on Me (1996), the first double-length album in hip-hop history, abandoned his introspective lyrics for volatile gangsta rap. In addition to his music career, Shakur also found considerable success as an actor, with his starring roles in Juice (1992), Poetic Justice (1993), Above the Rim (1994), Bullet (1996), Gridlock’d (1997), and Gang Related (1997).
In 1995, Shakur served eight months in prison on sexual abuse charges, but was released pending an appeal of his conviction. Following his release, he signed to Marion “Suge” Knight’s label Death Row Records and became heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry. On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas; he died six days later. Following his murder, Shakur’s friend-turned-rival, the Notorious B.I.G., was at first considered a suspect due to their public feud, but was also murdered in another drive-by shooting six months later in March 1997 while visiting Los Angeles.Five more albums have been released since Shakur’s death, all of which have been certified Platinum in the United States. In 2002, Shakur was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Shakur among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Read More About Tupac Shakur / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper and songwriter. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap traditions, he is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace became known for his distinctive laidback lyrical delivery, offsetting the lyrics’ often grim content. His music was often semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality, but also of debauchery and celebration.Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, Wallace signed to Sean “Puffy” Combs’s label Bad Boy Records as it launched in 1993, and gained exposure through features on several other artists’ singles that year. His debut album Ready to Die (1994) was met with widespread critical acclaim, and included his signature songs “Juicy” and “Big Poppa”. The album made him the central figure in East Coast hip hop, and restored New York’s visibility at a time when the West Coast hip hop scene was dominating hip hop music. Wallace was awarded the 1995 Billboard Music Awards’ Rapper of the Year. The following year, he led his protégé group Junior M.A.F.I.A., a team of himself and longtime friends, including Lil’ Kim, to chart success.
During 1996, while recording his second album, Wallace became ensnarled in the escalating East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud. Following Tupac Shakur’s death in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996, speculations of involvement in Shakur’s murder by criminal elements orbiting the Bad Boy circle circulated as a result of Wallace’s public feud with Shakur. On March 9, 1997, six months after Shakur’s death, Wallace was murdered in a drive-by shooting while visiting Los Angeles. The assailant remains unidentified. Wallace’s second album Life After Death, a double album, was released two weeks later. It reached number one on the Billboard 200, and eventually achieved a diamond certification in the United States.With two more posthumous albums released, Wallace has certified sales of over 28 million copies in the United States, including 21 million albums. Rolling Stone has called him the “greatest rapper that ever lived”, and Billboard named him the greatest rapper of all time. The Source magazine named him the greatest rapper of all time in its 150th issue. In 2006, MTV ranked him at No. 3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, calling him possibly “the most skillful ever on the mic”. In 2020, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Read More About The Notorious B.I.G. / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974 – February 15, 1999), known professionally as Big L, was an American rapper and songwriter.Emerging from Harlem in New York City in the early to mid-1990s, Coleman became well known amongst underground hip-hop fans for his freestyling ability. He was eventually signed to Columbia Records, where, in 1995, he released his debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous. On February 15, 1999, Coleman was shot nine times in his East Harlem neighborhood and later died from his injuries.
Noted for his use of wordplay, multiple writers at AllMusic, HipHopDX and The Source have praised Coleman for his lyrical ability, and he has also been described as “one of the most auspicious storytellers in hip-hop history.” Regarding Coleman’s legacy in an interview with Funkmaster Flex, Nas claimed “[Coleman] scared me to death. When I heard [his performance at the Apollo Theater] on tape, I was scared to death. I said, ‘Yo, it’s no way I can compete if this is what I gotta compete with.'”

Read More About Big L / Source

Bugz, a member of D12 was shot and killed at a picnic on May 21, 1999.

D12 (an initialism for the Dirty Dozen) was an American hip hop collective from Detroit, Michigan. Formed in 1996, the group achieved mainstream success with its lineup of de facto leader Eminem, Proof, Bizarre, Mr. Porter, Kuniva and Swifty McVay.D12 had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia during the early 2000s. The group released the albums Devil’s Night in 2001 and D12 World in 2004, spawning numerous hits such as “Fight Music”, “Purple Pills”, “My Band”, “How Come” and “Shit on You” throughout that period. Both albums were certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2004, the group won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Act.Since 2006, Eminem’s hiatus and the death of Proof resulted in the group being less active in subsequent years. On August 31, 2018, Eminem released a song titled “Stepping Stone” on his tenth studio album Kamikaze (2018) announcing that D12 had officially disbanded.

Read More About D12 / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion (often stylized as XXXTENTACION) and commonly referred to as simply X, was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gained a cult following among his young fanbase during his short career with his depression and alienation-themed music. Critics and fans often credit him for his musical versatility, with his music exploring emo, drill, trap, lo-fi, indie rock, nu metal, hip hop, R&B, and punk rock. He is considered to be a leading figure in the emo-rap and SoundCloud rap genres which garnered mainstream attention during the mid-late 2010s.Born in Plantation, Florida, XXXTentacion spent most of his childhood in Lauderhill. He began writing music after being released from a juvenile detention center and soon started his music career on SoundCloud in 2013, employing styles and techniques that were unconventional in rap music such as distortion and heavy guitar-backed instrumentals, drawing inspiration from third-wave emo and grunge. In 2014, he formed the underground collective Members Only and alongside other members of the collective soon became a popular figure in SoundCloud rap, a trap music scene that takes elements of lo-fi music and harsh 808s.XXXTentacion gained mainstream attention with the single “Look at Me”. His debut album 17 (2017) is certified double-platinum in the US and reached number two on the Billboard 200. His second album ? (2018) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and is certified triple-platinum in the US. Its lead single, “Sad!”, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and had amassed more than 1.3 billion views on YouTube and 1.7 billion streams on Spotify by November 2021, as well as being certified Diamond by the RIAA in August 2021. He is also the bestselling emo rapper of all time.XXXTentacion had faced a variety of legal issues throughout his lifetime, most notably the controversy that arose from the battery charges which were levied against him in 2016 when he was 18-years old. XXXTentacion’s history of legal issues and alleged violence has been described by some as defining his legacy, while others have criticized the media’s portrayal of him, saying that his perceived improvements in character later in life have made his legacy into a tale of the power of second chances and redemption.On June 18, 2018, XXXTentacion was murdered at the age of 20 when he was fatally shot near a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The attackers fled the scene in an SUV after stealing a Louis Vuitton bag containing $50,000 from him; four suspects were arrested. No trial date has been set for the accused and the motive for the murder remains under investigation.XXXTentacion has RIAA-certified sales of 61 million units in the US and BPI-certified sales of over 7 million units in the UK, bringing his total to 68 million certified records sold in the two countries. Since his death, he has won an American Music Award and a BET Hip Hop Award and received 11 Billboard Music Award nominations. Two posthumous albums were released, Skins (2018) and Bad Vibes Forever (2019); the former became his second number-one album on the Billboard 200 while the latter entered the top 5.

Read More About XXXTentacion / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Melvin Abdul Noble Jr. (May 31, 1992 – November 11, 2020), better known by his stage name MO3, was an American rapper and singer best known for his 2019 collaboration “Errybody” with Boosie Badazz. His joint album with longtime associate Boosie Badazz (BadAzz Mo3) peaked at number 136 on the US Billboard 200. His posthumous album Shottaz 4Eva reached number 36 on the US Billboard 200 in April 2021, while his single “Outside” debuted at number 16 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 the same week, later reaching number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Read More About MO3 (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death:Stabbed

Joshua Ribera (10 August 1995 – 21 September 2013), performing as Depzman, was a British rapper, considered by some “a leading artist on the UK grime scene.” Joshua featured on some of the largest music channels on YouTube that showcase grime music all across the UK, from JDZMedia, P110 and, the largest out of them all, SB.TV. Ribera was stabbed in the heart outside of a Birmingham nightclub by Armani Mitchell. He was 18 years old.

Read More About Joshua Ribera / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Theodore Joseph Jones III (September 19, 1984 – October 29, 2018), better known by his stage name Young Greatness, was an American rapper and singer best known for his 2015 single “Moolah”, which peaked at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He was shot and killed in 2018. Young Greatness signed to Quality Control Music & Cash Money Records.

Read More About Young Greatness / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Bashar Barakah Jackson (July 20, 1999 – February 19, 2020), known professionally as Pop Smoke, was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He was considered by many to be the face of Brooklyn drill. Born and raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Pop Smoke began his musical career in late 2018 with his debut single “MPR (Panic Part 3 Remix)”. Pop Smoke rose to fame with the release of his breakout singles “Welcome to the Party” and “Dior” in 2019. He often collaborated with UK drill artists and producers, who employed more minimal and aggressive instrumentation than drill artists from Chicago. Following his rise to fame, record producer Rico Beats introduced Pop Smoke to Steven Victor in April 2019. Victor would later have Pop Smoke sign a recording contract with Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. He released his debut mixtape Meet the Woo in July 2019. His second mixtape, Meet the Woo 2, was released on February 7, 2020, and debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, becoming the rapper’s first top-10 project in the United States.Less than two weeks after the release of the mixtape, Pop Smoke was murdered during a home invasion in Los Angeles.

Read More About Pop Smoke / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. (July 27, 1985 – November 17, 2021), better known by his stage name Young Dolph, was an American rapper. In 2016, he released his debut studio album, King of Memphis, which peaked at number 49 on the Billboard 200 chart. He was featured on O.T. Genasis’s hit single “Cut It”, which peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Young Dolph’s seventh album, Rich Slave, was released in 2020 and became his highest-charting project, debuting at number four on the Billboard 200. On November 17, 2021, he was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee.

Read More About Young Dolph / Source

Cause of Death: Stabbed

Darrell Wayne Caldwell (December 1, 1993 – December 18, 2021), known professionally as Drakeo the Ruler, was an American rapper and songwriter. He was known for his flow, as well as his “oddly expressive, poetic word-choices”, leading the Los Angeles Times to call him “the most original West Coast stylist in decades”. His fourth mixtape, Cold Devil, has been streamed over 10 million times.

Read More About Drakeo the Ruler / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

LePreston Porter (April 23, 1985 – February 26, 2022), better known by his stage name Snootie Wild, was an American rapper and singer. He was best known for his first single, “Yayo”, whose success helped launch his career. The song charted in the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In October 2013, it was announced that a fellow Memphis-based rapper, Yo Gotti, had signed Wild to his Collective Music Group (CMG) imprint. In September 2014, Wild released his only extended play, Go Mode. The EP’s second single, “Made Me”, peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the highest-charting single of his career. Snootie Wild signed to Epic Records/CMG with Yo Gotti.

Read More About Snootie Wild / Source

Cause of Death: Shot

Paul Frappier (May 8, 1977 – February 11, 2011), better known by his stage name Bad News Brown (at times, also as BNB and Briz Brown), was a Montreal-based Canadian entertainer, musician, and hip hop MC of Haitian origin. He was known for pairing the sound of his chief instrument, the harmonica, with hip-hop beats and rhymes. Frappier started out busking in Montreal in streets and subway stations. He later toured and opened for many well-known hip hop acts or as background musician. He also appeared as an impromptu host in Music for a Blue Train, the 2003 documentary about busker musicians in the Montreal Metro subway train system. In 2004, he signed a management deal with E-Stunt Entertainment Group. In 2009, he established his own record label, Trilateral Entertainment Inc., and released his debut album Born 2 Sin. Brown was found murdered in an alley near the Lachine Canal in Montreal on February 11, 2011. The feature film BumRush, featuring Brown in a leading role, premiered posthumously on April 1, 2011.

Read More About Bad News Brown (musician) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Daniel Pedreira Senna Pellegrine (30 October 1992 – 7 July 2013), better known by his stage name MC Daleste, was a Brazilian funk paulista singer, songwriter and rapper. MC Daleste was born in Penha, São Paulo, Brazil. He began his career in 2009, composing his first funk songs and had his first hit after releasing “Pedra da Exaltação”.

Read More About MC Daleste / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Trentavious Zamon White Sr. (August 2, 1987 – March 4, 2016), better known by his stage name Bankroll Fresh or Yung Fresh, was an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. Fresh is best known for his 2015 single “Walked In”. He starred in the independent short film Take Over Your Trap in 2016. White originally rapped under the alias Yung Fresh, and under this alias appeared alongside Gucci Mane on multiple records. In 2014, Fresh collaborated with Mike Will Made It, on the song “Screen Door”.

Read More About Bankroll Fresh / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Kevin Fret (June 11, 1994 – January 10, 2019) was a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and the first openly gay male Latin trap artist. He was known for his gender-variant looks. Between 2016 and 2018, Fret participated in singing competitions including La Banda and Solo Tu Voz. He used social media to advocate against bullying and used his voice as a member of the LGBT community to encourage other new artists beginning their careers. Fret released his breakthrough single, “Soy Asi” (“I’m Like This”) on April 7, 2018 and was featured on Mike Duran’s song “Diferente” (“Different”), released on July 18, 2018. Kevin Fret was managed by Alfonso J. Alvarez around the stretch of “Soy Asi”.

Read More About Kevin Fret / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Lawrence Franks Jr. (September 12, 1987 – June 25, 2020), better known by his stage name Huey, was an American rapper from St. Louis, Missouri. Originally signed to Jive Records, Franks was best known for his 2006 debut single, “Pop, Lock & Drop It”. Lawrence Franks Jr. was born on September 12, 1987, in Kinloch, Missouri, where he was raised. He moved to the Walnut Park neighborhood of St. Louis when he was five and returned to St. Louis County as a teenager.

Read More About Huey (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Dayvon Daquan Bennett (August 9, 1994 – November 6, 2020), known professionally as King Von, was an American rapper and serial killer from Chicago, Illinois. He had multiple bodies against his opps. He was signed to Lil Durk’s record label Only the Family and Empire Distribution. On November 6, 2020, he was shot and killed in Atlanta, Georgia. Bennett was born on August 9, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois. He had six half-siblings from his father, Walter E. Bennett, and three siblings from his mother, Taesha. He was raised mostly by his mother, as his father was in and out of his life due to his incarcerations. When Von was 11 years old his father was killed by gunfire. Von would later pay tribute to his father in multiple songs, notably in the song “Exposing Me”.

Read More About King Von / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Nils Kurt Erik Einar Grönberg (5 September 2002 – 21 October 2021), who was commonly known as Einár, was a Swedish rapper. He released four albums, two of which topped the Swedish album chart. In 2019, he won the Musikförläggarnas pris for Breakthrough of the Year and in 2020 he won two Grammys, Sweden’s oldest pop music awards. Two of his singles peaked at number one on the Swedish singles chart and four have been certified platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association (SRIA). He is also featured on the number-one single “Gamora” by the group Hov1.
Einár was involved in several high-profile incidents, most notably his kidnap by rival rapper Yasin and a Vårby-based criminal gang in 2020. A week before he was scheduled to testify in a trial connected to his kidnapping, he was found to have been shot dead in what police described as an execution-style shooting.

Read More About Einar (Rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Daniel Dimitri Rodriguez (November 10, 1967 – October 6, 1990), alias D-Boy Rodriguez, was a Christian rap artist. He released two albums that received moderate commercial success, before being murdered in 1990. His third album was released posthumously. Rodriguez was signed to Frontline Records, who released his debut album Plantin’ a Seed in 1989.

Read More About Danny Rodriguez / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Charles Edward Hicks Jr. (July 6, 1973 – December 16, 1993), also known by his stage name Charizma, was an MC from Milpitas, California. He is best known for his work with Peanut Butter Wolf; the two artists formed a duo after meeting in 1990. Their musical partnership was cut short following Charizma’s murder in 1993.                                                                                        Charizma was 13 when he started rapping at high school talent shows. He was 16 when he met 19-year-old Chris Manak, also known as Peanut Butter Wolf, in 1990. They became best friends, recording several demos and performing live in the San Jose area. After hearing Charizma on San Jose State’s KSJS 90.5 FM, Matt Brown approached Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf, offering to become their manager. Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf agreed and began looking for a record label. After entertaining offers from some major record labels, including Columbia Records, they signed with the Disney-owned record label Hollywood Basic, now Hollywood Records.

Read More About Charizma / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Randy Walker (August 21, 1968 – November 30, 1995), of the stage name Stretch, was an American rapper and record producer, working in Live Squad. In the early 1990s, he joined 2Pac’s rap group Thug Life. The November 30, 1994, shooting of Shakur led to their split. On November 30, 1995, exactly one year before the shooting of Shakur, Stretch was shot and killed at the age of 27.

Read More About Stretch (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Seagram Miller (April 13, 1970 – July 31, 1996) was an American rapper from Oakland, California, United States.Miller released two albums in his lifetime: The hard-edged and violent The Dark Roads and the more typically laid-back West Coast style Reality Check. Miller was shot to death in a drive-by shooting on July 31, 1996. The killing remains unsolved and the perpetrator remains unknown. He is interred in Oakland. His first posthumous album titled Souls on Ice was released in 1997.Seagram also recorded collaborations with his labelmates, the Geto Boys.

Read More About Seagram (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Yafeu Akiyele Fula (October 9, 1977 – November 10, 1996), better known by his stage name Yaki Kadafi, was an American rapper and a founder and member of the hip hop groups Outlawz and Dramacydal.                                                                                 Yafeu Fula was born in the Bronx, New York City, on October 9, 1977, to Sekou Odinga and Yaasmyn Fula. When he was four years old his father Sekou Odinga was arrested and imprisoned; he was raised by his mother and adopted her surname. Kadafi’s parents were both members of the Black Panther Party. Yaasmyn Fula and Tupac Shakur’s mother, Afeni Shakur, were close friends, and Kadafi and Tupac were friends until their respective deaths in 1996. Kadafi has two daughters.

Read More About Yaki Kadafi / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Patrick Lamark Hawkins (December 4, 1970 – February 3, 1998), better known by his stage name Fat Pat (also known as Mr. Fat Pat), was an American rapper from Houston, Texas who was a member of DEA (Dead End Alliance) with his brother John “Big Hawk” Hawkins, DJ Screw, and Kay-K, all original members of the Screwed Up Click (S.U.C.).Wreckshop Records released his first two albums, Ghetto Dreams and Throwed In Da Game in 1998 after his death. Later releases were on the Screwed Up Click label.

Read More About Fat Pat / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Tahliq Raymond Rogers (May 14, 1971 – March 28, 1999), better known as Freaky Tah, was an MC, hype man and promoter. Freaky Tah was a member of a hip hop group called the Lost Boyz, together with Mr. Cheeks, DJ Spigg Nice, and Pretty Lou. On the night of March 28, 1999, after leaving Mr. Cheeks’ birthday party with friends William Brown and Thomas Roman of Boston, Massachusetts, Rogers was fatally shot by Kelvin Jones while he was going towards the exit of a Sheraton hotel in Queens, New York. It was a case of mistaken identity. He was pronounced dead at the nearby Jamaica Hospital. The getaway driver, Raheem Fletcher, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Jones pleaded guilty to murder. Rogers was aged 27 at the time of his death.

Read More About Freaky Tah / Source

Cause of Death: Shot

Albert Moss (August 14, 1969 – September 10, 2001), better known by the stage name “DJ Uncle Al”, was an American DJ based in Miami, Florida.Moss was known for his trendsetting and innovative abilities in music producing and broadcasting as well as his philosophy of “peace in the hood” and non-violence in the community. He was shot and killed on September 10, 2001.

Read More About DJ Uncle Al / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Jason William Mizell (January 21, 1965 – October 30, 2002), better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was an American musician and DJ. He was the DJ of the influential hip hop group Run-DMC. During the 1980s, Run-DMC became one of the biggest hip hop groups and are credited with breaking hip hop into mainstream music.

Read More About Jam Master Jay / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Mauro Mateus dos Santos (April 3, 1973 – January 24, 2003), better known by his stage name Sabotage, was a Brazilian rapper and songwriter from São Paulo. He grew up selling drugs in Brooklin Novo, a neighborhood in São Paulo’s South Zone. He gained fame in 2001 after the release of his first and only album titled Rap é Compromisso. He performed on other artists’ recordings, such as Sepultura’s Revolusongs EP, a cover of Public Enemy’s “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”, which was released in 2002.

Read More About Sabotage (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Jasun Wardlaw (January 25, 1973 – October 24, 2003) better known by his stage name Half a Mill, was a Brooklyn-based American rapper. Half a Mill was considered an underground rapper in the early 1990s. His mainstream breakthrough came in 1997 when he scored a guest spot on supergroup The Firm’s only release, The Album.

Read More About Half a Mill / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Blade Icewood (March 14, 1977 – April 19, 2005), birth name Darnell Quincy Lindsay, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He was a member of the rap group Street Lord’z and is arguably considered as the most influential rapper of the Detroit underground rap genre. On April 19, 2005, he was fatally shot due to gang-related violence in Detroit, Michigan, United States.

Read More About Blade Icewood / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

DeShaun Dupree Holton (October 2, 1973 – April 11, 2006), known professionally as Proof, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups 5 Elementz, Funky Cowboys, Promatic, Goon Sqwad, and D12. He was a close childhood friend of rapper Eminem, who also lived in Detroit. Proof was often a hype man at Eminem’s concerts.

Read More About Proof (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Michael Allen (January 19, 1976 – April 20, 2008), better known as VL Mike, was an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He first appeared on the mainstream rap scene in 2004 as a member of the New Orleans-based record label, Chopper City Records, of which rapper B.G. is the CEO. Mike was known for his gangsta rhyme structure and street lyrics throughout New Orleans. After the 2007 release of the Chopper City Boyz’ debut album We Got This, VL Mike departed from Chopper City Records and set out to pursue his solo career. VL Mike stated on his Place Yo Betz mixtape that the reason he departed from the label because B.G. had been portraying himself as a gangster for years through his music when he was not. VL Mike stated in an interview that he had a deal with Sony/Epic Records and his debut album, It’s Only One Me, would be released in April.

Read More About VL Mike / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Victor Alexis Rivera Santiago (September 17, 1986 – July 2010), better known by his stage name Lele “El Arma Secreta”, was a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and songwriter signed to the Rottweilas label. He recorded solo or as part of a duo with partner Endo under Endo & Lele las Armas Secretas. He was also known by his nickname “El Arma Secreta”.After discovering his musical talent, Lele worked in Héctor el Father’s Gold Star Music label as a songwriter from 2003 until 2008. He wrote songs for artists such as Yomo, Héctor el Father and Daddy Yankee. After the company dissolved, he recorded “O Me Pagas” (ft Endo), a diss track towards Héctor el Father. He went on to sue him for the royalties of over 40 songs he had written for him and won the case. He later went on to work with Cosculluela in his newly funded label Rottweilas Inc., where he both wrote and recorded songs, most of them along with his partner Endo, and he went on to start recording an album as a rapper, while both writing and performing the tracks.In 2010, a leader of drug trafficking organization La ONU orchestrated the murder of Lele — who also participated in narcotics trafficking.

Read More About Lele (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Renetta Yemika Lowe-Bridgewater (September 30, 1982 – December 20, 2010), known by the stage name Magnolia Shorty, was an American rapper in the New Orleans-based bounce music scene. Magnolia Shorty and Ms. Tee (Trishell Williams) were the first women signed to Cash Money Records. Her 1997 debut album Monkey on the Dick (often stylized Monkey On Tha D$ck) is considered a bounce classic, and she “was already considered a legend of bounce music” at the time of her death. Offbeat said the album exemplifies “the eccentric New Orleans elements of sexuality, comedy and hard edged dance rhythms.”

Read More About Magnolia Shorty / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Melvin Vernell III (July 25, 1992 – June 7, 2012), better known by his stage name Lil Phat, was an American rapper. Vernell was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He began rapping as a teenager and was signed to Trill Entertainment in 2007 when he was just 14 years old. He is best known for his contribution to the single “Independent” by Webbie. He made a number of guest appearances on Trill Entertainment releases before being killed at the age of 19.

Read More About Lil Phat / Source

Cause of Death: Stabbed

Nkululeko Habedi (17 October 1977 – 9 March 2015), professionally known as Flabba, was a South African hip-hop musician. He was a member of the South African hip-hop collective Skwatta Kamp. He was born in Orlando West in Soweto. He later moved to live in Alexandra with his parents. He was part of the seven piece rap group Skwatta Kamp, a name derived from Squatter Camp, due to South Africa’s Shanty Towns (members: Infa, Nish, Shugasmakx, Flabba, Nemza, Slikour, Bozza) which released four albums between the years 2002 and 2009.

Read More About Flabba (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Lionel Du Fon Pickens (December 4, 1983 – May 17, 2015), better known by his stage name Chinx (formerly Chinx Drugz), was an American rapper from Queens, New York. He was a member of the Rockaway Riot Squad alongside fellow slain rapper Stack Bundles. Chinx later joined French Montana’s Coke Boys Records, gaining recognition for his appearances on the Coke Boys mixtapes and the Cocaine Riot mixtape series. He was killed in a drive-by shooting in Jamaica, Queens, on May 17, 2015. Two accused men have since been arrested in the case.

Read More About Chinx / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Christopher Juel Barriere (July 11, 1972 – November 10, 2016), professionally known as 3-2, was an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He was a member of southern hip hop groups Convicts, Blac Monks, Southside Playaz and Screwed Up Click. He achieved success by his time with Rap-A-Lot Records. Barriere was fatally shot in the head at a gas station in Houston.

Read More About 3-2 / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Travon DaShawn Frank Smart (January 13, 1997 – June 18, 2018), better known by his stage name Jimmy Wopo, was an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Wopo was an affiliate of fellow Pittsburgh-based rapper Wiz Khalifa and his Taylor Gang imprint. He made his first high-profile appearance with his 2016 breakout single, “Elm Street”, produced by Stevie B, which Complex included in the “‘Bout to Blow: 10 Dope New Songs You Should Be Hearing Everywhere Soon” list. Following that success, he collaborated with several prominent rappers including Wiz Khalifa, Sonny Digital, 21 Savage and more. After receiving a co-sign from Mike Will Made It rap duo Rae Sremmurd brought Jimmy out to perform during their set at the Pittsburgh stop of the SremmLife 2 Tour. Wopo was murdered in a drive-by shooting on June 18, 2018, in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, the same day that XXXTentacion, a highly successful emo rap artist was murdered in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Read More About Jimmy Wopo / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Faisal Mssyeh (25 January 1986 – 1 January 2019), known professionally as Feis, was a Dutch rapper. He was a member of the Rotterdam rappers’ crew Ecktuh Ecktuh. Feis gained some fame in 2007 when he worked on the song “Klein, Klein Jongetje” from U-Niq. In the same year he was heard on the song “Coke op ‘t Gas” by Kempi. In 2009, he contributed to the album Winne zonder strijd by Winne.In 2014, Feis released his debut album Hard van Buiten, Gebroken van Binnen. In 2015, he was at the festival Eurosonic Noorderslag and in the same year he was seen with Maribelle in an episode of Ali B op volle Toeren.

Read More About Feis (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Airmiess Joseph Asghedom (August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle (often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$le), was an American rapper. Emerging from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid-2000s, Hussle independently released his first mixtape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, to moderate local success, which led to him being signed to Cinematic Music Group and Epic Records.Hussle became known for his numerous mixtapes, including his Bullets Ain’t Got No Name series, The Marathon, The Marathon Continues, and Crenshaw, the last of which American rapper Jay-Z bought 100 copies for $100 each. After much delay, his debut studio album Victory Lap was released in 2018 to critical acclaim and commercial success, and was nominated for the Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019. Two posthumous Grammy Awards for the songs “Racks in the Middle” and “Higher” were awarded to Hussle in the Best Rap Performance and Best Rap/Sung Performance categories, respectively, the next year at the 62nd Grammy Awards.

Read More About Nipsey Hussle / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Jason Johnson (December 9, 1981 – May 19, 2003), also known as Camoflauge, was an American rapper, famous for his songs “Cut Friends” and “Laying My Stunt Down”. He released his final album Keepin It Real in 2002.Camoflauge was murdered in Savannah, Georgia, by gunfire outside of Pure Pain Records recording studio while he was walking his toddler son.

Read More About Camoflauge / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Paul C. McKasty (September 20, 1964 – July 17, 1989), better known as Paul C, was an East Coast hip hop pioneer, producer, engineer, and mixer in the 1980s. Before his death on July 17, 1989, McKasty gained recognition for his work with notable artists such as Devo, Organized Konfusion, Kwamé, Queen Latifah, Biz Markie, Ultramagnetic MCs, Rahzel, and Eric B & Rakim. Complex called him “one of the most important figures in the development of sampling” and Questlove of the Roots called McKasty, “damn near the J Dilla of his day.”

Read More About Paul C / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

James Adarryl Tapp Jr. (September 9, 1977 – November 26, 2003), better known by his stage name Soulja Slim, was an American rapper and songwriter. He was known for writing the U.S. number one hit “Slow Motion”. James A’Darryl Tapp Jr. was born in New Orleans on September 9, 1977, to James and Linda Tapp. He was raised in the Magnolia Projects in New Orleans’ 3rd Ward and attended Cohen Senior High School before dropping out of school in the 11th grade.

Read More About Soulja Slim / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Andre Louis Hicks (July 5, 1970 – November 1, 2004), known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper from Vallejo, California. He was an instrumental figure in the emergence of hyphy, a cultural movement in the Bay Area hip hop scene that emerged in the early 2000s. Hicks is considered one of the movement’s key pioneers that fueled its popularity into mainstream, releasing songs with fast-paced rhymes and basslines that inspired a new style of dance. As the founder of the independent record label Thizz Entertainment, Hicks recorded dozens of albums and gave aspiring rappers an outlet to release albums locally.On November 1, 2004, Hicks was killed by an unknown assailant after a performance in Kansas City, Missouri, a case that remains unsolved.

Read More About Mac Dre / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

John Edward Hawkins (November 15, 1969 – May 1, 2006), better known by his stage names Big Hawk and H.A.W.K., was an American rapper from Houston, Texas and a founding member of the late DJ Screw’s rap group the Screwed Up Click. Born John Edward Hawkins in Houston, Texas on November 15, 1969, he grew up with a younger brother, Patrick “Fat Pat” Hawkins and two sisters. He started rapping in 1992 when Fat Pat took him to DJ Screw’s house, an upcoming mixtape producer and DJ in the southern area of Houston. In April 2006 Hawk married his longtime girlfriend, Meshah Henderson. The couple had two sons.

Read More About Big Hawk / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Roderick Anthony Burton II (November 25, 1987 – May 18, 2009), better known by his stage name Dolla, was an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. Burton embarked on his music career in 2000, with hip hop group Da Razkalz Cru, under the pseudonym Bucklyte. The group quickly disbanded, and Burton went on to work as a model for the Sean John clothing line. In 2007, Burton signed to Akon’s Konvict Muzik label. Burton released three singles from 2007 to 2009. The first, his commercial debut single “Who the Fuck Is That?”, featuring T-Pain and Tay Dizm, charted on the Billboard Hot 100.On May 18, 2009, Burton was shot and killed at the valet stand of the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles, and Aubrey Berry was arrested for his murder. Berry was acquitted on all charges. No other suspect has been identified and the murder remains unsolved.

Read More About Dolla (rapper) / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Adán Zapata Morales, or simply Adán Zapata, was a Mexican singer within the genre of hip-hop/rap. He was born and lived in the colony Mexico Lindo in San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon. From 2006 he belonged to the group called Mente En Blanco (MEB), where he was lead vocalist and the one that raised the group, until his murder in the colony “Los Morales” San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon on June 1, 2012, at the age of 21, by an armed command of organized crime together with 3 other young members of the same group “Blank Mind” — two of them children of a former secretary of public security.

Read More About Adán Zapata / Source

Cause of Death: Stabbed

Pavlos Fyssas (10 April 1979 – 18 September 2013), also known by his stage name Killah P (meaning “Killer of the Past”), was a Greek rapper, notable for his participation and performance in musical projects, as well as for his anti-fascist activism. He toured well-known venues in Athens and throughout Greece. He was murdered on 18 September 2013 by a member of the neo-fascist group Golden Dawn.

Read More About Pavlos Fyssas / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Glenn Thomas (June 13, 1991 – December 28, 2013), better known by his stage name Doe B, was an American rapper from Montgomery, Alabama. He was perhaps best known for being signed to fellow American rapper T.I.’s Atlanta-based record label, Hustle Gang. Thomas was also known for his signature eye patch, the result of a shooting that occurred in 2009. During his career he released several mixtapes, including Trap Life (2012) and Baby Jesus (2013); he was also featured on the 2013 Grand Hustle compilation G.D.O.D. (Get Dough or Die). Thomas was shot and killed on December 28, 2013, at the Centennial Hill Bar & Grill, in his hometown of Montgomery. There have been two posthumous projects, D.O.A.T. 3 (Definition of a Trapper) and the compilation mixtape Doe B Presents C.B.M.: Choppaz, Brickz & Money, released by Doe B’s own label, Cote Block Music.

Read More About Doe B / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Dominick Newton (August 12, 1977 – February 2, 2015), better known by his stage name The Jacka, was an American rapper from Pittsburg, California.The Jacka began his career as part of the rap group Mob Figaz.He was killed in a shooting in Oakland, California, on February 2, 2015. The murder is currently unsolved.

Read More About The Jacka / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Jahvante Jahqwane Sheldon Smart (November 18, 1996 – June 30, 2018), known professionally as Smoke Dawg, was a Canadian rapper, singer and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Smoke Dawg was a part of hip hop collective Halal Gang alongside Mustafa the Poet, Puffy L’z, Safe and Mo-G who come together with the Prime Boys to make the supergroup Full Circle. His debut and only studio album Struggle Before Glory was released posthumously in 2018.

Read More About Smoke Dawg / Source

Cause of Death: Shot and killed

Dimarjio Antonio Jenkins (July 23, 1998 – May 26, 2020), better known by his stage name Houdini, was a Canadian rapper from Toronto, Ontario. He first gained recognition from his certified gold single “Late Nights” which contained vocal features from Burna Bandz and was released in 2017. This was followed by the singles “Myself” and “Backseat”. He was also known for his frequent collaborations with fellow rappers Pressa, Robin Banks and NorthSideBenji, which includes the latter’s certified gold single “Levels” which saw a feature from Houdini. He released his debut mixtape Hou I Am on February 13, 2019. His sophomore mixtape Hou Woulda Thought followed on August 2, 2019. His debut EP underGROUND was released on March 18, 2020. This would be his last release during his lifetime as he was shot and killed on May 26, 2020.

Read More About Houdini (rapper) / Source