Too many musicians die young or in tragic circumstances, but fans can still find solace
in the unforgettable legacies left behind by these rappers who passed away in 2019.
We covered some high-profile losses in mid-2019; here are a few from the rest of the year that
you may not have heard about.
Beloved rapper Bushwick Bill, a member of the legendary Houston group Geto Boys, passed
away on June 9, 2019, after battling pancreatic cancer.
Bill, whose real name was Richard Shaw, told TMZ in May 2019 that he had been diagnosed
with the disease three months prior, which came as a shock after doctors initially diagnosed
a mass on his pancreas as benign.
Despite the grave diagnosis, Bill told the tabloid,
"It's not like I'm afraid of dying [...] I died and came back already in June 19, 1991,
so I know what it's like on the other side."
That's a reference to a particularly dark time in Bill's life, when the rapper successfully
coaxed a woman into shooting him in the face.
He spoke about the near-death experience to radio station KUSF months after it happened.
"I gave her the gun and jumped at her, and when I see her hand reach the trigger I put
my eye in front of it.
And as you can see I'm a lot happier now, because God saw fit to spare me."
Bill claimed he wasn't just hospitalized, but declared dead, being prepared for an autopsy
when he awoke in the morgue.
He ended up losing his right eye - a gruesome injury the Geto Boys capitalized on for the
iconic cover of their 1991 album We Can't Be Stopped.
According to TMZ, Bill was set to perform in Texas just a day before his death, but
he missed the show due to his hospitalization.
A publicist for the rapper said that Bill died at the hospital, surrounded by his family.
His son, Javon, told the outlet that Bill's last words were, "I will love you forever."
He was 52.
Las Vegas rapper Succeed Phlyguy was shot and killed during a home invasion on Oct.
12, 2019.
He was 40.
His father, Ronnie Cravens Sr., was told by the rapper's roommate that two armed men in
ski masks entered their house through the open garage and ordered Succeed and a houseguest
to the ground.
According to the roommate's account, he heard what was happening from a separate room, grabbed
his gun, and a shootout ensued.
Succeed managed to escape during the fray, but was shot while exiting the house.
He died in his front yard.
The rapper's aunt, Margaret Bell, shared an optimistic outlook about the tragedy when
she told Arkansas' 5 News Online,
"He did everything he wanted to have done because the Bible said something like 'when
your job is finished, that's when I come for you.
So he finished his job."
Filipino battle rapper Lil John was shot and killed in the Philippines province of Cavite
on Oct. 20, 2019.
He was 35.
The rapper, whose real name was John Ross Delos Santos, was sitting on a motorbike when
a gunman approached and shot him twice in the head.
He reportedly died on the way to the hospital.
Manila Bulletin reported that Lil John and his girlfriend, who was left unharmed, were
seated on the motorbike awaiting a food order when the gunman attacked.
Authorities did not immediately locate a suspect.
Jimmy Spicer, the pioneering MC who released influential early hip-hop songs in the late
'70s and early '80s, succumbed to a long battle with brain and lung cancer on Sept. 27, 2019.
He was 61.
One of the first artists signed by rap mogul Russell Simmons, Spicer is best known for
his nearly 15-minute rap track "Adventures of Super Rhyme."
Spicer and his music influenced and paved the way for legendary artists in the genre,
such as 2Pac, the Wu-Tang Clan, LL Cool J, and more.
Beastie Boys' Ad-Rock told Rolling Stone that when the group was just starting out with
hip-hop, he practiced by performing the first 16 bars of "The Adventures of Super Rhyme,"
which he called out as his first favorite rap song.
Soundcloud rapper Hella Sketchy, real name Jacob Tyler Thureson, died on June 27, 2019,
following an apparent drug overdose.
He was 18 years old.
According to a tweet from Jacob's father, Erik Thureson, Jacob was found unresponsive
on June 13th and then hospitalized.
He remained comatose until his death two weeks later.
Atlantic Records said in a statement,
"Hella Sketchy's tragic passing is a devastating loss.
He was an enormously, creative, sensitive soul who was just beginning to show the world
his talent and originality."
His father tweeted,
"You are not supposed to go before your father or grandfather.
That's not supposed to happen.
That's not how this works.
We have no words."
When discussing his son's death, Erik was open and honest about the cause, writing on
Twitter,
"The opioid epidemic does not discriminate.
The conversation regarding drugs, depression, mental illness, [and] social media needs to
be happening more openly without judgment and stigma.
Jacob's life was not and will not be in vain."
Bad Azz, real name Jamarr Antonio Stamps, died on Nov. 18, 2019, while in custody at
the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta, California.
He was 43.
Stamps was arrested ten days before his death, and jailed on a felony domestic violence charge.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the jail staff discovered that
the rapper required medical attention during a security check, but attempts to save his
life failed.
TMZ reported that no foul play was suspected.
The rapper, who collaborated with several West Coast greats like Snoop Dogg and Tupac,
saw tributes pour in from rap legends after his death.
Ice-T tweeted,
"Man!!!
Just hearing about the loss of another soldier..
Waaaay to soon!
RestInPeace Lil Homie...
BadAzz DoggPoundGangsterCrip"
Snoop Dogg paid tribute on Instagram, captioning a photo of the late rapper,
"Damn.
RIP to my young, DPG, LLG, LBC.
Crew original Bad Azz gone too soon."
Rapper Vince Staples simply tweeted,
"RIP BAD AZZ"
D.C. rapper Slim Tristan, real name Tristan Vernon Sellers, was shot and killed during
an altercation outside a Woodbridge, Virginia recording studio on Nov. 18, 2019.
He was 32.
Police arrived to find Tristan dead at the scene, following an altercation at DMV Studios.
Another local resident, Cinquan Louis Blakney, was later arrested and charged with murder
and use of a firearm in commission of a felony in connection to the case.
Speaking with DCist, Andria Swanson, the mother of Tristan's son, said he started his rap
career in 2012 after serving a six-year prison stint on drug charges.
He released mixtapes and singles about the pains of his life, and even dabbled in inspirational
Christian rap.
Family and friends remembered him as a loving father of three.
Carrie Coleman, Tristan's grandmother, told Fox 5 DC that she doesn't know why anyone
would want to kill him.
"Nowadays, it really doesn't have to be anything."
BankBoy Wayne, real name Thedric Morton, was shot and killed while inside a car in downtown
Memphis on Nov. 29, 2019.
He was 22.
The Memphis Police Department were called to the scene of a double shooting near the
National Civil Rights Museum.
Preston Gray, a music producer who worked with Morton, remembered his friend during
an interview with WREG Memphis.
"We communicated through music.
But he was always a pretty cool guy, you know what I'm saying?
He was down to Earth."
Police did not immediately identify a suspect.
Juice WRLD, real name Jarad Anthony Higgins, died on Dec. 8, 2019, after suffering a seizure
in Chicago's Midway airport.
He was 21.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the rapper went into cardiac arrest as his plan was being
searched by federal agents.
Higgins was reportedly conscious when transported via ambulance, but declared dead at the hospital.
Higgins, a Chicago native, rose to fame on Soundcloud with the songs "Old Me" and "All
Girls Are the Same," which logged an impressive 5 million streams.
His success on the streaming platform gave way to a March 2018 record deal with Interscope
that was worth a reported $3 million.
Later that year, the rapper released his debut album "Goodbye and Good Riddance."
The album included breakout single "Lucid Dreams," which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard
Hot 100.
His followup project, "Death Race for Love," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2019.
During an interview with Forbes less than a month before his death, Higgins claimed
that he had over a thousand songs in the making, and talked excitedly about plans for his future
career, promising, quote, "There's a lot to come."
These aren't the only rappers we sadly lost in 2019.
Earlier in the year, we also said goodbye to
Nipsey Hussle
Cadet
Kevin Fret
Trap House
Nina Ross Da Boss
and Willie Bo.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please call the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Administration's 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
That's 1-800-662-4357.