Fatman Scoop (real name Isaac Freeman III) has tragically passed away at the age of 53 after collapsing onstage at a Connecticut festival. The news shocked hip-hop fans everywhere, as well as the wider music community that heard his booming voice on many hyped hits over the years. Moreover, hip-hop legends and spectators alike poured their tributes in on social media, commenting on the New York City native’s positive attitude and the fun-loving presence that he brought to his art and personal life. In addition, his family released a statement on his loss that similarly highlighted the power of his legacy.
“A Message from the Freeman Family,” the statement began. “It is with profound sadness and very heavy hearts that we share news of the passing of the legendary and iconic FatMan Scoop. Last night, the world lost a radiant soul, a beacon of light on the stage and in life. FatMan Scoop was not just a world class performer, he was a father, brother, uncle and a friend. He was the laughter in our lives, a constant source of support, unwavering strength, and courage.” Check out more reactions and homages following his passing in the Instagram post below.
“FatMan Scoop was known to the world as the undisputed voice of the club. His music made us dance and embrace life with positivity. His joy was infectious and the generosity he extended to all will be deeply missed but never forgotten. As we mourn the loss of FatMan Scoop, we also celebrate his remarkable life and the countless lives he touched. FatMan Scoop’s legacy is of love and brightness, it will reside in our hearts and memories forever.”
Meanwhile, here’s what Missy Elliott had to say about her “Lose Control” collaborator. “Prayers for Fatman Scoop family for STRENGTH during this difficult time [prayer hands emoji],” she expressed on Twitter. “Fatman Scoop VOICE & energy have contributed to MANY songs that made the people feel HAPPY & want to dance for over 2 decades. Your IMPACT will NEVER be forgotten. [dove emoji] [prayer hands emoji].” Rest In Peace Fatman Scoop. Our deep condolences to his family, loved ones, and fans.
BeatKing tragically passed away on Thursday (August 15) in a Houston hospital, and thanks to one of his representatives, we have more of an idea of what happened. According to TMZ, one of his reps said that he suffered a pulmonary embolism, or the blockage of a lung artery. The Houston rapper and producer was hosting a takeover on Urban One/Radio One, passed out, and then received care at a nearby hospital after folks rushed him there. Per the representative, he passed away later that day with his two daughters by his side. “It is truly sad, we loved him so much,” the rep added.
This individual paid further tribute to the memory and legacy of BeatKing. She said on Thursday night that her client was “”the best part of the club for over a decade. He has produced and worked with so many artists, that his sound will forever live. He loved his daughters @clubgodparenting, his music and his fans. We will [love] him forever.” The “Pop Music” artist received an outpouring of love, remembrance, honors, and well-wishes following his death, connected by the art he was so proud of making.
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 17: BeatKing performs at Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash 25 at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium at Georgia State University on July 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.(photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images)
BeatKing also recently hung out with Drake, who actually faced some recent backlash from Sauce Walka for allegedly not showing Houston artists enough love despite living in Texas now. Walka’s issues are that the 6ix God collaborates with Houston artists that are on a similar level to him (think Travis Scott, Beyoncé, Pimp C, etc.), but not the smaller artists that he could actually support and put on. Of course, his proximity to the likes of BeatKing is one of plenty of examples that could disprove this. But it’s also too complicated and broad of a question for one casual instance or hypothetical collaboration to explain.
Meanwhile, folks like Bun B and Boi-1da completely disagree with Sauce Walka’s claims about Drake. They, along with the rest of hip-hop, have more pressing Houston matters to get to now. The city and beyond will remember BeatKing for his passion, energy, and commitment to the scene. As we continue to honor his memory throughout 2024 and into the rest of hip-hop history, we wish his loved ones the best on their journey. Rest In Peace BeatKing.
2 Live Crew legend Brother Marquis passed away on Monday (June 3) due to a massive heart attack at the age of 58, new reports can confirm. Moreover, this comes specifically from Dantez Robinson, the Chief Deputy Coroner at the Etowah County Coroner’s Office in Alabama who made the ruling. According to TMZ, Robinson confirmed that there was no foul play involved in this tragic loss, and no external influence from drugs or otherwise that exacerbated natural causes. Marquis’ transcendence into another place shocked hip-hop fans when his Miami bass-pioneering group announced it earlier this week. Of course, tributes quickly came to honor his memory, legacy, and life.
“Mark Ross AKA Brother Marquis of the 2 Live crew has passed away,” the simple social media message read. “My Condolence goes out to the Family of Brother Marquis and so many of his Fans from around the World after learning his passing,” fellow 2 Live Crew member Uncle Luke expressed online after this news broke. “We took on so many fights for the culture made Great music together something I would never forget.
“We’d recently got back together to take on another fight to get back our catalog that was stolen from us,” Uncle Luke continued. “We will continue that fight in his name for his Family. The Brother Marquis, that I know would want us to celebrate his life that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. R.I.P My Brother.” “Woke up to the news that My homie Brother Marquis of the 2Live Crew has passed away…” Ice-T shared of his “99 Problems” (1993) collaborator. “He was my partner and on the Original 99problems. Sad news.. Too young.. too soon. RIP Homie.”
“A HIP HOP ICON!” DJ Premier shared online. “We met back in 1990 and remained cool. Rest In Power to Brother Marquis of the 2 Live Crew. Y’all did it your way from the beginning! Condolences to your family! Salute Uncle Luke, Fresh Kid Ice (R.I.P.) and The great DJ Mr. Mixx.” “rest in peace bro. Marquise And china man of 2Live Crew,” Flavor Flav mourned in the caption of a picture of him and the late legend. Rest In Power Brother Marquise.
The Dungeon Family is still celebrating the life of the late Rico Wade, who was the heart and soul of the Atlanta collective that not only helped produce some of their (and other artists’) biggest hits, but played a key role in bringing everyone together. André 3000 and Big Boi reunited as Outkast alongside Killer Mike, Goodie Mob, Sleepy Brown, Wade’s mother, and many more Dungeon dwellers at a cookout over the weekend to honor the producer’s impact and memory. They all posed for pictures in front of Rico’s Atlanta family home, the basement of which became the titular “Dungeon”-like recording studio where the Family connected. “The Dungeon had a picnic today. Everybody came home: OutKast, Dre and Big, Goodie, [Mr.] DJ,” Big Gipp remarked in an Instagram video at the event.
Furthermore, this continues the tributes to Rico Wade following his tragic passing at the age of 52 earlier this year due to heart complications. “This is a different type of hurt ….” Big Boi wrote on IG upon hearing the news, attaching his message to a clip of him talking about Wade’s role in Outkast’s rise. “Slick Ricky Wade .. I know you’re with us STILL … in a bigger role now… Big Angel Energy… the Highest of Vibrations … Praise Yah.”
“I don’t have the words to express my deep and profound sense of loss,” Killer Mike penned to Rico Wade via the social media platform back in April. “I am Praying for your wife and Children, I am praying for the Wade family, I am praying for us all, I deeply appreciate your acceptance into The Dungeon Family, mentorship, Friendship and Brotherhood. Idk where I would be without ya’ll. This is a part of the journey. You told me ‘It ain’t been hard throughout the journey, it’s been a Journey.’ The journey ain’t gonna be the Same Journey without U. Like U say tho Umma ‘Stay Down on it’……we all are.”
Meanwhile, this is what Rico Wade himself had to say about the Dungeon Family weeks before his passing. “They all love and respect me,” he remarked of their supportive role during his health scare. “They all look at me as a person that did it for them, especially after what I just went through. I’ve spoken to every last one of them, and it’s been like, ‘I want to hug you and I want to let you know how important you are to us. I’m glad you’re still here.’ I hate for it to take a life-altering situation, but even Future, that’s my cousin, he’s been so busy. But if I text him now, he texts me right back.”
Metro Boomin is honoring his late mother’s legacy through donations totaling $100,000 to five women-centered nonprofit organizations in his home city of St. Louis, Missouri. “I’ve seen firsthand the work that goes into being a single mother,” he explained in a statement. “Mine was my inspiration and my hero. It’s very important to me to pay it forward, because I see the same resilience and dedication in the women these organizations work with.” Considering the recent drama that the producer experienced with Soulja Boydisrespecting his mother’s memory amid their beef, this is a heartening move that impacts her legacy in a much more positive, actionable, and tangible way.
Furthermore, Metro Boomin teamed up with Rung For Women to cut five $20,000 checks, each for five different organizations. These nonprofits are Almost Home, Diamond Diva Empowerment Foundation, the Haven of Grace, the Little Bit Foundation, and Parents as Teachers. Specifically, these grants will assist women in debt reduction and expenses coverage for necessities like rent, utilities, and childcare. The “BBL Drizzy” beatsmith will likely impact many families and females with these donations, and hopefully he puts in work through advocacy and action that goes beyond money, as well.
Metro Boomin at Variety Hitmakers, Presented By Sony Audio held at Nya West on December 2, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by River Callaway/Billboard via Getty Images)
Speaking briefly about that beat, it seems like Metro Boomin might have roped Lil Wayne into the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef thanks to a curious post-concert interaction. Regardless, back to the important development here: he raised this donation money during the Leslie Joanne Soirée holiday gathering that Rung held back in December. Not only that, but this organization is Metro’s current fiduciary agent as he prepares to launch his own independent nonprofit foundation. Rung For Women’s mission is to help women climb the economic ladder through opportunities, inspiration, resource distribution, and more.
“We are excited to partner with Metro Boomin in his work to lift up single mothers in St. Louis,” Leslie Gill, the president of Rung For Women, shared. “Inspired by the remarkable love he has for his late mother, he is demonstrating a commitment to women and to our community.” Ahead of possible new collaborations, it’s a great thing that he seems to be nurturing this side of his career and life with equal care. Meanwhile, hopefully these initiatives and more in its wake continue to help those in need.
Every supervillain has an origin story, and across the history of comic books, there’s nothing like a good team-up. At a certain point in pop culture history, the inspiration that Dr. Doom gave the late great MF DOOM turned into a symbiotic presence, and there’s perhaps no better example of that than what released on Wednesday (May 15). Moreover, this week, Marvel Comics released the first issue of DOOM, a 2024 comic book series marking the villain’s first titular solo run since 2000 -– and thus, the first since Viktor Vaughn’s sudden and tragic passing in late 2020. On the issue’s first page, writers and illustrators Jonathan Hickman and Sanford Greene paid tribute to Metal Face’s memory with beautiful artwork of the universe beyond our atmosphere and one of his most legendary bars: “Living off borrowed time, the clock ticks faster” off of “Accordion.”
That track is the “opening” cut (after an intro) on one of MF DOOM’s most legendary projects: 2004’s Madvillainy collaborative album with producer Madlib. That LP, in addition to being a staple of underground hip-hop and pretty much all of rap at this point, was recently certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) two decades after its release. Much like Victor Von Doom himself, the enduring spirit of DOOM continues to inspire new generations and energize older ones. In fact, the synopsis for this new comic run kind of lines up, unsurprisingly, with Daniel Dumile’s own missions to save rap.
“IN THE NEAR FUTURE… DOOM ALONE MUST SAVE THE MARVEL UNIVERSE!” it reads. “Legendary creators Jonathan Hickman and Sanford Greene send Doctor Doom on a journey unlike any he has undertaken before! With Valeria Richards at his side, Doom goes on a quest to harness more power than any human has ever wielded before in order to try to stop Galactus from bringing about the death of the universe!” Despite some controversies surrounding former label manager Egon over allegedly stealing MF DOOM’s notebooks, it’s clear that all the souls he touched on this Earth want to keep this will alive.
Meanwhile, hip-hop continues to mourn and celebrate MF DOOM at every turn, such as a recent story of an alleged freestyle session with Nas. Gems like these will likely continue to emerge over the years. Through this new comic run, it’s heartening to see a company as massive as Marvel Comics pay tribute to a true fan and supervillain. Just remember… RIP MF DOOM.
Many members of the Dungeon Family reunited in Atlanta on Friday (April 26) for a private memorial due to the loss of one of its pillars: Rico Wade. Moreover, his mother’s basement was the “dungeon” that Outkast, Killer Mike, Future, and many more called their home, whether literally or figuratively. While the Organized Noize producer was not the most famous person in the world, his final public remarks, particularly ones from an AllHipHop interview about his Dungeon Family partners, have taken on a more meaningful, saddening, but still beautiful luster after his passing. They went through a lot of bumps as folks in the industry, and even through his health struggles and alcoholism, they always came back together to let their love, support, and gratitude be crystal clear.
“I just had heart surgery, where they had to put a stent in my chest,” Rico Wade told the publication in an interview from the day after he went to an André 3000 concert. “This happened January 19 and I just felt like, ‘Man, I would have missed it [the concert].’ God didn’t want my life. He wanted my attention and he got it. It’s been blessings on blessings on blessings since then. Since that moment, I’ve been blessed in every way. It’s hard to not cry every time I think about it.
Big Boi, Killer Mike and Rico Wade attend Grammy Celebration on February 25, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Prince Williams/WireImage/Getty Images)
“They all love and respect me,” Rico Wade remarked about the support he got from the Dungeon Family amid his health scare. “They all look at me as a person that did it for them, especially after what I just went through. I’ve spoken to every last one of them, and it’s been like, ‘I want to hug you and I want to let you know how important you are to us. I’m glad you’re still here.’ I hate for it to take a life-altering situation, but even Future, that’s my cousin, he’s been so busy. But if I text him now, he texts me right back. I seen André last night at the show, and I was in the studio the other day seeing [Big] Boi. Everybody can see that I’m clear and clean. They can see that I ain’t drinking and they can see my energy…
“What’s crazy about that is that Killer Mike is one of the most articulate, intelligent people I know,” he said of Mike’s Grammy wins and his brief arrest at the ceremony. “So sometimes -– not purposely ’cause I wouldn’t say it was a conspiracy. But they were waiting for him or whatever, like, because of something that happened at the Staples Center or whatever. Since then, the city has been so supportive. Other news outlets have been so supportive of giving him that platform to let him speak because not only did he sweep the Grammys, his album is really good. The song with André and Future won Song of the Year. So it’s like, I’m happy that I’m here.” For more news and updates on the Dungeon Family and its fallen legend, check back in with HNHH. Rest In Peace Rico Wade.
“I just think timing is everything,” Rico Wade opens up the first song on Killer Mike’s Grammy Award-winning 2023 album, MICHAEL. “Like, n***a, this it. This, this one right here… That ain’t easy. Stay motivated, stay inspired. I owe it to myself, stay down on it. And it ain’t been hard throughout the journey: it’s been a journey.” On April 12, 2024, Wade passed away at the age of 52, and Mike offered a touching tribute. “I am Praying for your wife and Children, I am praying for the Wade family, I am praying for us all. I deeply appreciate your acceptance into The Dungeon Family, mentorship, Friendship and Brotherhood. Idk where I would be without ya’ll.”
Much like the Run The Jewels MC, countless hip-hop artists, legends, and fans have much to thank Rico Wade for. From Outkast to Future, from Goodie Mob to Janelle Monáe, and even acts outside of their Dungeon Family collective like TLC, Ludacris, and more, it’s clear that the East Point native is among the key reasons why the South (and Atlanta, in particular) has such an omnipresence right now. Not just hip-hop, but music and pop culture at large. He lives on in many ways: as a host, a talent judge, a gifted producer alongside Sleepy Brown and Ray Murray as Organized Noize, a curator, a liaison, an organizer… But perhaps most importantly, Rico is a bridge. He is the crux through which 50 years of hip-hop history can be examined, as one of his greatest achievements was honoring the old and shaping the new.
While Houston already created a blueprint for Southern rap through acts like the Geto Boys, the talent that Rico Wade introduced to the “Dungeon” (the studio in his mom’s house’s basement) proved instrumental in furthering the identity of the Southern MC as opposed to their East Coast and West Coast counterparts. They were not simply backpack rappers, cold-blooded lyrical killers, or hot-headed gangsters. They could be a little of everything with unique self-awareness, diverse melodic sensibilities, and palpable passions for soul and cultivating the mind. “It was street without the crime,” Rap Pages editor Allen S. Gordon said of their content. “How do we live, how do we survive? How do we encourage each other, how do we kick it, how do we have fun? None of it is degrading.”
For examples of this, look no further than André 3000, who as early as Outkast’s first single “Player’s Ball” (on which Rico Wade provides the intro), previewed his eventual space in GOAT conversations alongside legendary lyricists like Nas, Ice Cube, and Scarface. On the flip side, look at one of the Dungeon Family’s late-era bloomers: Meathead, or as he’s better known today, Future. While he may not have the same weight behind his pen, he’s easily one of the most influential artists in music period working today thanks to his auto-tuned crooning and other aesthetic innovations, his earworm flows, and that same woozy, soulful, bass-heavy, and ATL-drenched idiosyncrasy that he attributes to his time with his big cousin Rico in the Dungeon. “Nobody could ever do what Rico Wade did for me,” Pluto said in 2014. “Everything I know about music, I know because of Rico.”
Rico Wade & Organized Noize’s Production: Defining The Dirty South… And Beyond
Ever since the very early 1990s, Rico Wade’s mentorship, instincts, talent curation, and sensibilities put innovative and impressive rappers at the forefront no matter the style. But of course, that’s also because of the production that Organized Noize perfected. In the face of sample-based and therefore expensive production styles dominating the Coasts (and thus, all of mainstream rap), the Dungeon Family cut down and got live: bass, multiple different drum sounds for each new song, horns, guitars… you name it. Just listen to the lushness of “Crumblin’ Erb” by Outkast, “The Day After” by Goodie Mob, or “Sumthin’ Wicked This Way Comes” by TLC and Andre 3000. However, the percussion was still rooted in grimy and familiar rap rhythms, and in terms of songwriting, Organized Noize knew exactly how to capture the culture.
Rico Wade provided plenty of hits and commercial smashes to etch Organized Noize into many popular styles of music of the time in addition to the musty underground. The most notable of these is likely TLC’s “Waterfalls,” whose combinations of vocal harmonies, guitar plucks, and horns are Dungeon all the way. While Wade definitely built off of established g-funk and other scenes, it was this overtly colorful production that most tangibly laid the groundwork for the Pharrells, the Kanye Wests, the Tyler, The Creators, and the JIDs of rap history.
Rico Wade’s place in hip-hop history will never fall victim to old-head biases or new-school ignorance. One of the most interesting ways in which he links the roots and the contemporary fruits of rap is how he welcomed the first and final waves of the Dungeon Family for two completely different reasons. Outkast had to audition and ended up delivering 30-minute-plus verses, which impressed Wade and earned his trust and support. Meanwhile, when he found out that Future was his cousin, they started to speak about Rico’s father’s side of the family that Fewtch was connected to, which he knew very little of because many of them were incarcerated. The trap icon stuck around in the Dungeon and soaked up so much game, all simply because he was family.
At the end of the day, neither approach is more valid or heartening than the other, and they resulted in amazing art for the culture regardless. On MICHAEL, the album that the late legend opened up just last year, “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” reunites representatives from three distinct waves of the Dungeon Family: André 3000, Killer Mike, and Future. 30 years after “Player’s Ball,” and 50 years since hip-hop was born, he continued to evolve the game, to fuse it with other beloved and important music, to represent his city to the fullest, to embrace the next talents, to preserve the culture’s foundations, and to always create something greater and more compelling than the sum of the old and the new. It was extremely hard for Rico Wade to forever be the bridge in hip-hop history. But to him, it wasn’t hard throughout the journey: it was just a journey.
On Wednesday (April 10), 94.7 The Block on WXBK played a recording of Mister Cee’s 2022 mix tributing Biggie Smalls on what would’ve been the late rapper’s 50th birthday. “Sky’s The Limit” rang with a different tone amid news that the legendary radio DJ and historic hip-hop cultural contributor, real name Calvin LeBrun, had passed away at the age of 57 due to unknown causes at press time. Also known as The Finisher or The Wallop King, Cee was an instrumental figure in rap from the late 1980s onward. Upon news of his tragic loss, DJ Premier, 50 Cent, DJ Jazzy Jeff, MC Lyte, Peter Rosenberg, Queen Latifah, and many more shared their heartfelt condolences.
Mister Cee is one of the greatest DJs in the history of New York hip-hop, known for over two decades of being one of many figures who made Hot 97 a juggernaut. From Brooklyn’s public-access station 91.5 WNYE to WBLS and his acclaimed mixtapes, he stands as one of the genre’s great tastemakers. The depth of the Brooklyn native’s knowledge, love, and passion for the culture extended not just to his ’80s and ’90s roots, but also to more contemporary talents. While figures like him might be harder to come by with each passing change of the media guard, his hard work is a testament to the power of hip-hop culture and a beacon for any fan, participant, benefactor, or spectator of it.
Mister Cee and Big Daddy Kane appear at a video release party for a music video project on February 11, 1991 in New York City. (Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Calvin LeBrun’s hip-hop story begins as a young Bed-Stuy lad inspired by the World Famous Supreme Team and his late uncle’s crew, DJ Knight and the Knights of Hollywood, to make it in the radio space. His first big break was becoming the DJ of his high school friend Big Daddy Kane in the late 1980s, one of the most significant lyricists of his (and all) time. Mister Cee and his scratches appeared on Kane’s “Mister Cee’s Master Plan” off his 1988 debut, and he nabbed various other credits on the MC’s subsequent albums.
He was also a part of the legendary Juice Crew in the late 1980s alongside Mr. Magic, Roxanne Shante, Kool G Rap, and many more titans whose reverberations are still felt today. Throughout all this, Mister Cee’s popularity as a radio DJ and personality grew exponentially. His shows on Hot 97 and WBLS beginning around 1993 (Throwback at Noon and Friday Night Live) focused on putting on rising artists and playing hip-hop and R&B classics. Even though The Finisher had already etched his name into the history books, an even greater opportunity arrived through a childhood friend.
DJ 50 Grand introduced Mister Cee to a young Biggie Smalls in the early 1990s, and they all re-recorded The Notorious B.I.G.’s demo to get his name out there. Their dreams manifested, as this led to Big’s Bad Boy Records deal and widespread recognition. Cee even got an associate executive producer credit on Biggie’s massive debut album, 1994’s Ready To Die. However, in a November 2023 interview with Rock The Bells, he remembered his Best Of Biggie Smalls mixtape from 1995 as the project that “changed [his] life.” The Wallop King was revered for his 120-minute mixtapes as opposed to 60 or 90-minute material. These were characterized by a non-stop approach to the music that was largely uninterrupted by DJ drops, sounds effects, or run-it-backs.
Mister Cee also joined Funkmaster Flex’s Flip Squad collective of New York DJs, and both got a lyrical shoutout from none other than Jay-Z on his 2009 single “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune).” According to Hot 97, he also helped folks like 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, and Hov himself find the audiences that would lead them to massive success. But after Biggie passed away in 1997, LeBrun knew that he could do more than uplift stars on the come-up. He began paying tribute to hip-hop’s fallen legends on his shows as well, a heartening tradition that he maintained up until his passing.
In 2014, Mister Cee officially left Hot 97 due to differing from its new musical direction. This followed issues surrounding his arrests for prostitution soliciting and controversy stemming from his publicly revealed attraction to transgender women. While this situation was hotly debated at the time, it opened up a larger conversation around homophobia in hip-hop that, although incomplete, has led to significantly progressive strides to combat it. But that doesn’t mean that his hard work ever dwindled or became overshadowed. For example, LeBrun introduced the world to Fetty Wap with his future hit “Trap Queen” in 2014 on Hot 97.
The media industry also celebrated Mister Cee with much respect and adoration, such as his guest appearance in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV as a radio DJ. After leaving Hot 97, he continued to do radio shows, such as WXBX’s aforementioned The Block on 94.7 for throwback classics from hip-hop and R&B, and he posted his mixes online. Cee’s final slot on air was The Set It Off Show on SiriusXM’s Rock The Bells Radio. Testimonies of his greatness, like those from Capitol Records promoter Chris Green, identify him as “the glue between the old and the new” across his many programs. For the indelible seeds he planted and his staunchly good-natured approach to media and hip-hop culture, there is no more fitting or deserved title. Rest In Peace Mister Cee.
The autopsy report for XXXTENTACION has reportedly surfaced online, detailing his physical state, injuries sustained, and the timeline of the process. Upon this apparent revelation, fans reacted in a pretty indignant and disgusted way for the way in which this information from six years ago spread like wildfire. “I ain’t gone lie… I ain’t reading allat. Someone sum it up,” one fan wrote in the comments section of the IG post below. Another added: “Let’s let him please rest . Ion wanna keep bringing up this day . Let’s talk about his music instead or his stats or how his lil bro is doing or his son . No more negative talk behind him .”
Furthermore, a lot of fans think that the media shouldn’t be focusing on these details, especially when they don’t really add much to what we already know about XXXTENTACION’s tragic loss. This also applies to other situations such as crime scene body cam footage leaking online. However, other fans took this as an opportunity to mourn the rapper and celebrate his memory. Regardless of your reaction to this, it’s clear that they are all unified by a sense of loss and tribute.
What’s more is that there are many other ways in which social media and XXXTENTACION’s fanbase have been able to come together around this. Even in small ways that don’t have much of a tangible impact, seeing positivity around his music, friends, and family is part of the healing process. For example, the Florida rapper and singer’s son recently participated in the viral “one bad word” challenge for children. Not every X fan will care to see this, but those who do will at least be heartened by a sight of normalcy in a tragic set of circumstances.
Meanwhile, other musical figures in hip-hop and beyond, such as Kid Cudi’s recent tribute, continue to honor his legacy and artistry. For fans, it’s important to scrutinize what should see celebration and what should remain private and personal affairs for the “Train Food” creative’s loved ones. Hopefully this distinction becomes easier to uphold. For more news and the latest updates concerning XXXTENTACION, log back into HNHH.
