PnB Rock’s girlfriend, Stephanie Sibounheuang, revealed that the late rapper did not have life insurance. She added that after his tragic death last year, she was left with nothing.
She made the revelation in a nearly 15-minute video posted to her Instagram. She began by thanking people for supporting her thriving business, Angel Energy, after the death of her boyfriend. She added that Rock was the breadwinner in the relationship and struggled after his death, despite having a few side hustles.
“This is basically a video of gratitude,” she began. “And I just want to thank everybody who been supporting me. It really means so much to me. And God wanted to me tell y’all that, since Rock been gone, I haven’t had no help.”
Stephanie continued: “And let’s be real: you know, he took care of me and my whole family. I always had my own little motion. You know I got my little Airbnb’s and little stuff like that, but let’s be real, it’s not at an abundance. It’s been really tough without no help, without my protector and my provider here. But I’m just letting God use me, I’m just trusting God’s plan.”
Around the 7-and-a-half-minute mark, Stephanie revealed that PnB did not have life insurance or a will, leaving her with nothing after his death.
“No he did not have life insurance, no he did not have a will,” Stephanie said. “We didn’t have anything set up. We’re so young we don’t plan our death. so I don’t get no death benefits, I don’t get nothing.”
You can watch the clip below.
PnB Rock’s girlfriend opens up about the rappers death saying he didn’t have a will or anything pic.twitter.com/7AuFa12fp1
While performing in Connecticut over the weekend, A Boogie wit da Hoodie took time during his set to give a tribute to PNB Rock, who died this past September.
A Boogie offered a live rendition of “Lovin’,” a collaboration he and PNB Rock released in 2017. The crowd erupted with cheers and energy shortly after the track began, showing how much the late rapper is missed by his large fanbase.
PNB Rock died at age 30 after being fatally shot during a robbery. He was with his girlfriend at an LA-based Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles restaurant when the tragic incident occurred. His funeral service was later held in his hometown of Philadelphia.
Earlier this month, A Boogie released his fourth studio album Me Vs. Myself, listing features from a number of notable artists, including Kodak Black, Roddy Rich, and Lil Durk.
“Needed That,” one track from the project, also featured a posthumous verse from PNB Rock.
The pair also worked on many songs in the past. In addition to “Lovin’,” they dropped “IDK” in 2016, with “Beast Mode” and “Stand Back” released the following year. In 2019, the East Coast rappers debuted “Put You On.”
Following his death, the New York rapper posted a heartfelt statement on his Instagram.
Admitting that it’s hard to accept, A Boogie penned, “You was a big part of me coming in to the game, shit the first n***a I met in the industry! It’s not too many mfs that rap I call my brother fr but Rock was one of them.”
“I got nothing to say about the situation because I don’t make assumptions I got nothing but flashbacks going thru my head witchu bro,” he continued. “You just got out of your deal and all smh just know w.e the family needs I’m here! Love you n***a smh sleep in peace.”
The past year may have been marred by devastating tragedies and frustrating personality shifts in hip-hop, but it was also distinguished by some of rap’s most emotive, vulnerable, and honest songwriting ever. So while we may have lost a few heroes – whether to violence or their own infuriating intolerance, the music we got this year was top-notch.
Whether it was underground favorites like Denzel Curry and Saba or top-line hitmakers such as Kendrick Lamar and Megan Thee Stallion, rappers dug deep with releases that resembled therapeutic breakthroughs as much as club bangers or street anthems. We got plenty of those, too, though, especially from trap rap stalwarts like Lil Baby and 21 Savage.
It’s hard to pin down how the trends ebbed and flowed throughout the year, mainly because TikTok continued to be a dominating force in music discovery (such as it is when an algorithm is feeding you artists and songs it thinks you’d be inclined to like already). But the breakout artist of the year, no doubt, is GloRilla.
What makes her rise to stardom so impressive is that it began relatively late in the year. “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” with Hitkidd was released in April but didn’t rise to the Billboard Hot 100 until August. Once it got there, though, everything happened fast for Glo, from signing to her hometown hero’s label to working with the streaming era’s premiere breakout star, Cardi B.
2022, unfortunately, marked yet another year that Cardi punted on releasing a follow-up to her Grammy-winning debut. But, in keeping with the theme of vulnerable honesty, she readily admitted (after plenty of goading from fans on social media, mind you) that she feels understandable anxiety about the potential reception of her sophomore album.
And with similar anxiety seemingly keeping one of the other marquee women in hip-hop, Saweetie, from dropping her debut, there were fewer high-profile releases from women altogether – although, if you scratched the surface, the high tide female rappers reached in prior years hasn’t yet washed back out to sea.
Megan Thee Stallion led the charge with her soul-baring second album, Traumazine, which naturally fit into the span of therapeutic releases this year. But she wasn’t alone; 2022 also saw a number of well-received releases from the likes of Armani Caesar, Latto, Leikeli47, Little Simz, Rico Nasty, and Sampa The Great. So, sure, there was plenty of Cardi/Nicki-related friction, but the rap girlies are doing just fine – kill the narrative that they’re fading away.
Unfortunately, the narrative that might be harder to end is the one in which rap fans have noted what appears to be a marked increase in rap-related homicides. After losing notable names like Nipsey Hussle, Young Dolph, and Drakeo The Ruler in recent years, 2022 saw a slew of deaths rock the hip-hop community, including Lil Keed, who died from kidney failure, PnB Rock, and Takeoff, who were both shot to death, and Coolio, who suffered a heart attack.
Even after losing all those names, though, the more infuriating loss might well be that of Kanye West, who finally went all the way off the deep end. After years of flirting with controversial topics – the red hat, the Donald Trump stanning, the unprompted attacks on everyone from his in-laws to Drake – the man who made The College Dropout decided to go full-on tinfoil hat, sharing his antisemitic conspiracy theories with anyone who’d listen. Unfortunately, it seems that there were a lot of programs more than happy to entertain him, and too many outlets hungry for engagement that indulged the insanity.
To be clear, hip-hop has always had its share of conspiracy theorists and ugly, seemingly ingrained beliefs about certain people. Rap’s far too often violent, misogynistic, and casually dismissive of racial insensitivity. But what Kanye West has done this year is beyond the pale. It sucks that there will be those who’ll think he has a point about being “canceled” or [shudder] even about the content of his disgusting remarks.
But perhaps there was enough good this year to offset his bad. With more and more rappers advocating for the benefits of therapy, perhaps rap listeners will be able to move in more productive directions regarding the above flaws of the genre. After all, with streaming, there’s more opportunity for self-selection – maybe enough fans can finally help tip the scale away from self-destructive themes toward more creative and fulfilling ones.
Even if not, one thing we have learned in 2022 is that there is still so much variety and diversity within this genre, even 50 years out from its inception, that it can still surprise us. It can still excavate new perspectives and epiphanies to both entertain and enlighten its fans. With the highs and lows of 2022 in the rearview, it’s easy to look forward to what 2023 has in store.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The long-awaited album was originally slated to arrive on November 4. However, this turned out to be the date that Drake and 21 Savage released their collaborative effort, Her Loss.
PnB Rock (L) and A Boogie wit da Hoodie attend the A Boogie wit da Hoodie Album Release Party. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
As a result, the “Drowning” rapper decided to delay his release. “Sorry but album dropping in December now, Drake was dropping the same day and I’m not with that,” he wrote in a statement to his Instagram Story.
After much anticipation, Me vs. Myself finally saw a release on Friday (December 9).
Three days later, the 27-year-old is back to drop off a bonus track; the PnB Rock-featuring “Needed That.” Appearing on the deluxe version of the album, the collab is placed at the very top of the original tracklist.
A Boogie wit da Hoodie just added a new song with PNB Rock to his new album, Me Vs. Myself, as part of the album’s deluxe edition. pic.twitter.com/cmg66TgxYI
The reflective track finds the duo dealing with the effects of a failed relationship. In the process, they can be heard turning the negatives into positives. “Stabbed me in my back, you had me bleedin’ bad,” croons PnB Rock. “Did it to myself, I guess it’s all my fault,” A Boogie continues.
Additionally, the song serves as the Highbridge native’s effort to celebrate his late friend’s life. The Philadelphia-born singer and the New York native had a close relationship and were frequent collaborators.
For example, “Beast Mode” alongside YoungBoy NBA and “Put You On” are two of their most successful tracks together.
Furthermore, this feature is the first posthumously-released verse from the “Cross Me” singer. It’s only right that it arrives on a new song from one of his closest friends in the industry.
Unfortunately, Rock was tragically murdered in September. The “Selfish” singer was reportedly eating at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffle restaurant in Los Angeles when he was the victim of an armed robbery. He was only 30 years old.
Regardless of the initial delay, it certainly seems as though the album release worked out. Friday would have been the father of two’s 31st birthday.
Finally, stream A Boogie’s collab with PnB Rock on Spotify or Apple Music below. Afterwards, make sure to share your thoughts on the new track below.
R.I.P. PnB Rock.
Quotable Lyrics:
Tryna drown my pain out with this Styrofoam And on days when you see me I be all alone Birthday in December, she left me in the winter Everything was different, that’s what I remember
Although A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie‘s new album, My Vs. Myself, was only released this past Friday (December 9), he’s already followed up with a deluxe edition. However, whereas many artists’ deluxe albums lately have featured full playlists worth of material, A Boogie only added one new song to the tracklist: “Needed That,” an ode to his late friend PnB Rock.
The fact that “Needed That” is the only new song is a testament to how close it and PnB Rock both are to A Boogie’s heart. PnB Rock appears on the song as well, trading verses about heartbreak with A Boogie over a moody, piano-driven beat. A Boogie and PnB Rock previously collaborated on “Beast Mode” and “IDK” in 2017; the two East Coast rappers were formerly labelmates on Atlantic Records. PnB Rock died earlier this year when he was shot during a robbery at a restaurant in Los Angeles.
Me Vs. Myself is the follow-up to A Boogie’s 2020 album Artist 2.0, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. A Boogie is set to go on tour to promote the album, which was led by the single “B.R.O.” featuring Roddy Ricch, next spring. He’s also planning a “one night only” show at New York’s Apollo Theater later this week.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
New court documents detail rapper PnB Rock’s final moments before he died in a California Roscoe’s Chicken And Waffle restaurant.
Charging paperwork shows the rapper and his girlfriend arrived at the restaurant before his killers got there. The documents contradict an earlier report that the suspects were waiting in a vehicle outside the restaurant when the rapper arrived in his Bentley.
In the criminal complaint filed Thursday, Sept. 29, prosecutors say a “man in a red shirt” was outside the restaurant when he saw PnB Rock walk inside. The unidentified man noticed that PnB Rock was wearing expensive jewelry.
Prosecutors said the man lurked outside Roscoe’s until Freddie Lee Trone arrived driving a black Buick Enclave. Trone parked, walked up to the man in red, and spoke with him near the entrance to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. He then returned to his car and drove off while PnB Rock was still inside the restaurant.
Meanwhile, Trone’s 17-year-old son “armed himself with a handgun” and put on a mask, prosecutors say.
Police documents say that Freddie Lee Trone dropped the teen off near the strip mall where Roscoe’s is located. The teenager approached Roscoe’s, passed the man in red, and went inside. As he entered the restaurant, the man in red left the area.
The teen then approached the table where PnB Rock was eating with his girlfriend, Stephanie, and pointed the gun at him. According to prosecutors, the teen said, “Give me all of your jewelry, now!” He then shot PnB Rock in the chest while the rapper remained seated at the table. As PnB Rock fell to the floor, the teen allegedly shot him twice more in the back, prosecutors said.
He then turned to Stephanie and yelled, “Show me your hands! Give me that shit right now! I swear to God! I shoot you in the head!” He snatched her watch and then grabbed PnB Rock’s jewelry.
Freddie Lee Trone drove into the parking lot outside Roscoe’s as his son rushed outside and hopped into the car. They fled the restaurant, and parked the car several blocks from their residence, prosecutors alleged.
They later burned the car to get rid of evidence.
Police say father and son are members of the 87 Gangster Crips. Source’s say that Rock may have been robbed and killed because he did not “check in” with gang members who control the territory around the restaurant.
On Thursday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Freddie Lee Trone and his 17-year-old son were both charged with one count of murder and conspiracy to commit robbery. In addition, both were tabbed with two counts of second-degree robbery. The charges are connected to the murder of PnB Rock.
TMZnotes Freddie Lee Trone is still at large and is considered armed and dangerous.
In addition to Throne and his son, Shauntel Trone, the 17-year-old’s stepmother was charged in connection to the crime with one count of accessories after the fact.
Trone and his son reportedly spotted PnB Rock headed into a Los Angeles Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles restaurant with his girlfriend. Both men were in the parking lot when PnB arrived.
Trone was the getaway driver and his son was the alleged shooter. After escaping the scene, both men burned the car.
Another arrest has been made In PnB Rock’s murder as police continue the search for Freddie Lee Trone, according to HipHopDX via LAPD Online. Trone’s 32-year-old wife Shauntel Trone was arrested in Gardena on Tuesday (September 27) on suspicion of accessory to murder. Police also arrested a 17-year-old, Freddie’s son and Shauntel’s stepson, and charged him with actually firing the shots that killed the Philadelphia rapper. Police are still searching for Freddie, believed to be the getaway driver, and have warned Angelenos that he is “armed and dangerous.”
According to police, it is believed that Freddie and his son were already parked at the Roscoe’s House Of Chicken ‘N Waffles where they accosted Rock and demanded that he hand over his jewelry as he ate lunch with his girlfriend. This contradicted prior theories that the alleged killers had tracked the rapper through his social media posts. While police entertained the possibility that he’d been targeted by enemies from Philadelphia or even Atlanta, the truth turned out to be more mundane.
PnB Rock previously talked about being confronted by some local tough guys in LA, telling DJ Akademiks that robberies of rappers were becoming more common — a theory that LA OG Ice-T corroborated on Twitter a few days after Rock’s death.
In the last decade, 50 Cent has officially solidified himself as one of hip hop’s most lucrative success stories. From releasing a culture shifting album in 2003, to being one of the most sought after television producers in the game —- there’s not much that that the Queens legend can’t do.
On Wednesday, 50 took to social media to share the trailer for his upcoming series Hip-Hop Homicides, which will explore the epidemic of violence that has attached itself to Hip-Hop. The Power creator will produce the WeTV series through his G-Unit Film and Television company, while Love & Hip Hop creator Mona Scott-Young will also produce, through her company Monami Productions, along with Lionsgate Television, who will physically distribute the series.
According to a press release, Van Lathan is set to host the unsolved mystery series, slated to premiere on November 3. A teaser for the upcoming series features a montage of XXXTENTACION, Pop Smoke, King Von, and other hip hop stars who have tragically passed away. 50 spoke of the show back in January, sharing, “G-Unit Film and Television has thrived by telling real stories. Hip hop loves things that are damaged. This series will shed light on the artists that didn’t make it through the struggle.”
In the series trailer, host Van Lathan stated in the opening scene, “As of 2022, there have been a staggering number of rappers who have been murdered. And more than half of those cases are unsolved. I’m your host, Van Lathan, and together with executive producer 50 Cent, we’re here to bring these cases into the light.”
Hip Hop has experienced its fair share of losses in recent years. Last month, the community grieved the untimely death of Philly rapper PNB Rock who was gunned down at a Roscoes Chicken & Waffes in L.A.
Catch Hip Hop Homicides, premiering November 3 on WE Tv and streaming the following Monday on ALLBLK.
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