Over the years, some prominent rappers were killed by homicide, drug overdoses, natural causes, and a range of other reasons before their time. Some rappers were shot, while heart attacks and cancer killed others. This article provides you a penetration into the top twenty rappers who died at a relatively early age.
So, who’s the most famous rapper who departed us too early? Here Tupac Shakur is top on our list. Tupac Shakur, who had been shot in Las Vegas some days previously at 25, died on September 13, 1996. The infamous rapper death case remains unsolved to this day. On 9 March 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. was being shot in an SUV. Many of them are assumed to have been connected to the death of Tupac. Like Pac, the case of Biggie is likewise unresolved.
It is always heartbreaking to see the passing of a young rapper. After losing their fight against cancer, some notable rappers have died. After succession to a malignant parotid gland and lymph node, Adam Yauch, the AKA MCA from the Beastie Boys, died on 4 May 2012 at the age of 47.
So, let’s round up to this list of 20 dead rappers who died at a young age.
20. Joe C.
| Age: | 26 |
| Born: | November 9, 1974 Taylor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Death: | November 16, 2000 Taylor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Cause of Death: | Celiac Disease |
Joseph Calleja was born on 9 November 1974 in Michigan. The musician was born in Michigan. He started his career in 1994 and acquired the stage name Joe C. He became a prominent figure in the music business and Kid Rock’s comics and marketing. Kid Rock had believed Joe C. was a kid when they first met. He appeared in 1995 on the album “Cool Daddy Cool.” Joe C also had numerous modest TV appearances in addition to his career in music.
He was born with celiac disease and has been suffering from health difficulties throughout his life. He barely grew to 3 feet 9 inches, suffering various difficulties with his health. In his sleep, at his family home on November 16, 2000, Joe C. died. It was only a week before he was 26. Before his death, he worked on his solo record, but it was never published. There has never been a precise cause of his death.
19. Stretch
| Age: | 27 |
| Born: | August 21, 1968; Springfield Gardens, Queens, New York, U.S |
| Death: | November 30, 1995 Queens Village, Queens, New York, U.S |
| Cause of Death: | Fatally Shot |
The stage name Stretch was more familiar to Randy Walker. On April 8, 1968, he was born in New York. Stretch is a renowned hip-hop artist who has often worked with Tupac Shakur, and The Notorious B.I.G. He and his brother Majesty were also members of the Live Squad group. The friendship and professional connection of Stretch, the Notorious B.I.G., and Tupac Shakur came to an end in 1994 after Shakur was attacked.
Shakur blamed Stretch not against the assailants for defending him. Stretch was the first of the three guys to be assassinated. He died in Queens of New York on November 30, 1995, at the age of 27. He was assassinated precisely one year after the Quad Recording Studios incident in a drive-by shooting. The two assaults were associated with several rumors. Although there have been numerous speculations circulating after his death, the assassination was never resolved.
18. Dolla
| Age: | 21 |
| Born: | November 25, 1987 Chicago, Illinois, U.S |
| Death: | May 18, 2009 Anaheim California U.S. |
| Cause of Death: | Homicide |
Dolla is Roderick Anthony Burton II stage name, who came to life in Illinois on November 25, 1987. He joined the hip-hop group ‘Da Razkalz Cru’ in 2000. He started his career in the music sector. He was using the name Bucklyte at that time. Following the split of this trio, he worked temporarily as a model and then started his solo career as a rapper in 2007.
He released his debut solo commercial song ‘Who the F*** Is that?’ that same year. Between then and 2009, there were two further solo singles. He was gunned down while standing in a valet stand at Beverly Center, Los Angeles. He died at the age of 21 on May 18, 2009. Although Aubrey Berry was arrested for his assassination, all charges were subsequently cleared.
17. Freaky Tah
| Age: | 27 |
| Born: | May 14, 1971; Queens, New York |
| Death: | March 28, 1999; Queens, New York |
| Cause of Death: | Fatally Shot by Kelvin Jones |
Freaky Tah was an MC, a hype guy, and a promoter who had been recognized most as a “Lost Boyz” member. DJ Spigg Nice and Pretty Lou were other members of this ensemble. Freaky Tah was born in Queens, New York, as Raymond Rogers, on 14 May 1972. In 1994 he started his career and recorded three hip-hop albums with ‘Lost Boyz.’
Sadly, his career was short-lived in the music industry. Kelvin Jones shot him while he left the birthday of a friend’s party on March 28, 1999. Later at the hospital, he was declared dead, and he was dead at the age of 26. Jones pled guilty to his assassination, and Raheem Fletcher, the driver for escaping, was also condemned to seven years of prison.
16. Big Hawk
| Age: | 36 |
| Born: | November 15, 1969; Houston, Texas, U.S |
| Death: | May 1, 2006; Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of Death: | Homicide |
Big Hawk was born in Houston, Texas, on November 15, 1969. John Edwards Hawkins is a rapper. The stage moniker Big Hawk was most popular with him. It was, however, also known as H.A.W.K., Hawk, and the Screwed Up Click Five Star General. The latter is because he and the late DJ Screw were among the original members of the rap group Screwed Up Click.
Between 2000 and 2008, he recorded five solo albums, two of them posthumously. At 36 on Redfern Drive, Houston, Big Hawk was shot dead on 1 May 2006. At the scene, Big Hawk was declared deceased. No witnesses were present, and the authorities could not locate a culprit or a reason for the murder. Eight years previously, his brother, Fat Pat, was assassinated.
15. Soulja Slim
| Age: | 26 |
| Born: | September 9, 1977; Magnolia, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S |
| Death: | November 26, 2003; Gentilly, New Orleans, Louisiana U.S. |
| Cause of Death: | Homicide |
The American racer and composer, best known as Soulja Slim’s stage name, was James Adarryl Tapp Jr., Born on 9 September 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started his musical career in 1993. One of his better-recognized iTunes is ‘Slow Motion,’ which he composed and did. The first hit in the USA was this song. He published six albums during his career.
The success story of the 1998 album ‘Give It 2 ‘Em Raw’ was 14th in American charts and top 4 in R&B charts. Theirs was a hit in 1998. He was shot dead on the front pond of his mother’s and stepfather’s house by an attacker on 26 November 2003. He was killed in the chest by three shots and in the face by one. Due to lack of evidence, Garcelle Smith was detained during the murder but was subsequently freed.
14. Big Pun
| Age: | 28 |
| Born: | November 10, 1971, The Bronx, New York City, New York, US |
| Death: | February 7, 2000 White Plains, New York, US |
| Cause of Death: | Apparent Heart Attack |
Christopher Lee Rios utilized the stage name Big Pun. He was born on 10 November 1971 in New York City. In the early 1990s, he initially became known as a poet and was famous for employing multi-syllabic rhyming. Big Pun is generally considered to be one of the finest rappers ever. During his career, in addition to his solo work, he worked with numerous other hip-hop musicians. His first album ‘Capital Punishment’ was published in 1998.
From 1999 to 2000, he was then a member of the “Terror Squad.” Big Pun was exceedingly fat, and through his adult life, he suffered several health difficulties. On 5 February 2000, because of sickness, he canceled a performance. He had a deadly heart attack only two days later. He died when he was 28 and was 698 pounds at that time. He married Liza, and they had three children together named Amanda, Vanessa, Christopher Jr.
13. Proof
| Age: | 32 |
| Born: | October 2, 1973 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Death: | April 11, 2006 Detroit, Michigan, U.S |
| Cause of Death: | Homicide |
Proof is DeShaun Dupree Holton’s real name, was rapper and actor. He was born on 2 October 1973 in Michigan. He was a close buddy of Eminem and regularly played in his performances as a hype guy. In addition to his solo career, Funky Cowboys, Goon Squad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and D12 have served as members of numerous groups in his career. In addition, he has collaborated with some of the world’s leading rappers and hip-hop musicians.
On 11 April 2006, evidence took part in an argument at the CCC Club in Detroit during a billiard game. Three times Mario Etheridge, twice in the back and once in the head, shot him following the altercation. It had been alleged that Keith Bender, Etheridge’s cousin, was shot in the head during the incident. Bender did not die a week later, as Proof died on the scene.
12. J Dilla
| Age: | 32 |
| Born: | February 7, 1974 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Death: | February 10, 2000 Los Angeles, California, U.S |
| Cause of Death: | Cardiac Arrest |
The rapper and record producer who used the identities J Dilla and Jay Dee is James Dewitt Yancey. He was born on 7 February 1974 in Michigan. In the early 1990s, J Dilla was born from the hip-hop underground culture. The hip-hop duo “Slum Village” was one of the most famous. He was also regarded as a prominent artist and worked together with many of the most important musicians, including Busta Rhymes, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, and Common.
While his career in the music industry was great, his health was difficult. In particular, he had a thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura disease termed a blood condition. On February 10, 2006, he died of this blood disease in Los Angeles. Only days before he had turned 32.
11. Fredo Santana
| Age: | 27 |
| Born: | July 4, 1990; Chicago, Illinois, U.S |
| Death: | January 19, 2018 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of Death: | Seizure |
By his stage name Fredo Santana, Derrick Coleman was well recognized. This rapper came into being on 4 July 1990 in Chicago, Illinois. In 2011, he launched his music career and released on October 31, 2013, his debut album “Trappin Ain’t Dead.” His career has, however, been short-lived.
He was fatally convicted at his home in Los Angeles on 19 January 2018. Before his death, he had suffered from liver and renal issues due to using a recreational medication called Lean, often known as a purple beverage. When he died, he was 27 and left behind a son.
10. Heavy D
| Age: | 44 |
| Born: | May 24, 1967 Mandeville, Jamaica |
| Death: | November 8, 2011 Los Angeles, California |
| Cause of Death: | Heart Attack |
Dwight Errington Myers was used as the stage name for Heavy D, born on 24 May 1967 in Jamaica. He was a rapper, a record director, an actor, and a vocalist. He was most recognized for being the “Heavy D & the Boyz” hip hop ensemble leader. G-Whiz, ‘Trouble’ T, and Eddie F were the other members of the group.
During their tenure in the music industry, the group released five albums. It was not for the death in the light of High D on November 8, 2011, when he fell outside his house at Beverly Hills. Initially, it had been assumed that he died of pneumonia, but the death cause is a pulmonary embolism in the postmortem report.
9. Jason Mizell
| Age: | 37 |
| Born: | 21 January 1965, Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Death: | 30 October 2002, Jamaica, New York, United States |
| Cause of Death: | Drug-related Homicide |
Jason Mizell was born in New York on 21 January 1965. He was also known as Jam Master Jay. This DJ was well recognized for his work as the DJ of the Run-DMC Hip Hop ensemble. The association was one of the most popular and successful music groups in the 1980s. In truth, hip hops in popular music culture typically have to be contributed.
Mizell was mainly noted to redesign and turn classic guitar riffs into a hip-hop style. On 30 October 2002, his premature death occurred when an unknown attacker shot him. The assault was carried out while recording new songs at his studio in New York’s Jamaica region. He had three boys and a daughter before his death.
8. Nate Dogg
| Age: | 41 |
| Born: | August 19, 1969 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Death: | March 15, 2011 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Cause of Death: | Two Strokes |
Nate Dogg is Nathaniel Dwayne Hale’s stage name. Nate Dogg was born on August 19th in Mississippi. He was a rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. Snoop Dogg’s cousin and the duo, together with Warren G, performed throughout his lifetime as the 213″ rap trio. In 1991 he started his music business career with this group. He continued his solo career, releasing three albums. In 1998, the first ‘G-Funk Classics, vol. 1 & 2.’ Followed in 2001 by ‘Music & Me.’
His final record, published as a bootlegged record in 2003. In 2014, the latter was posthumously published on a CD. On 15 March 2011, Nate Dogg was 41 years old. He endured many strokes in the years before his death. Because of the strokes, he had health difficulties which caused him to die. Son of Nate Dogg, Nathaniel Dwayne Hale Jr., went down in his father’s shoes and began recording songs that kept his dad’s reputation alive.
7. Adam Yauch
| Age: | 47 |
| Born: | August 5, 1964 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Death: | May 4, 2012 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of Death: | Salivary Cancer |
The rapper, vocalist, performer, composer, director, and distributor of Adam Yauch were. He was born on 5 August 1964 in Brooklyn, New York. Yauch is most famous as part of the ‘Beastie Boys’ hip-hop trio. While mainly using his name as an artist, MCA and Nathaniel Hornblower both knew him. Yauch sold more than 40 million albums worldwide with the Beastie Boys.
In 2002, he produced a recording studio in New York called ‘Oscilloscope Laboratories’ and his work with this group, and subsequently established a film factory known as ‘Oscilloscope Pictures.’ A malignant parotid glándula and the lymph node were detected for Yauch in 2009. He died on 4 May 2012 at the age of 47, despite receiving therapy for this disease.
6. Eazy-E
| Age: | 30 |
| Born: | 7 September 1964, Compton, California, US |
| Death: | 26 March 1995, Los Angeles, California, US |
| Cause of Death: | Pneumonia |
Eric Lynn Wright was born on 7 September 1963 in Compton, California. When he performed as soloist and Hip Hop group N.W.A, the rapper utilized Eazy-E’s stage name. He had a tumultuous infancy and went out of school to peddle drugs on Compton’s streets. Then he changed his life by creating and becoming a rapper, Ruthless Records.
With Ice Cube, the Arab Prince, and Dr. Dre, he created the N.W.A. Group. MC Ren and DJ Yella joined them before their first album was released. They released ‘Straight Outta Compton’ in 1988, their most contentious record. As he was having respiratory issues, Eazy-E was hospitalized in February 1995. Doctors initially assumed it was asthma but subsequently found severe disease AIDS. Eazy-E died of symptoms of AIDS only one month after being diagnosed on 16 March 1995.
5. Lisa ‘Left-Eye’ Lopes
| Age: | 30 |
| Born: | May 27, 1971 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Death: | April 25, 2002 , La Ceiba, Honduras |
| Cause of Death: | Automobile Accident |
Lisa’ Left-Eye’ Lopes was one of the world’s most famous women rappers. She was born on 27 May 1971 in Philadelphia. This performer is best known as a third of the TLC group of hip-hop girls. Rozonda’ Chilli’ Thomas and Tionne ‘T-Boz’s Watkins were the other two group members. Lopes rapped and performed mostly TLC backup vocals and worked on many of the group’s creations, including its clothing and music videos.
More than any other member of the group, she is also acknowledged for co-writing. Lopes leased a car on April 25, 2002, and three of her pals were passengers. She shrank from dodging a truck and then a car again. The automobile was rolling and hitting two trees again and again. The windows of the automobile were all thrown at Lopes and her three passengers. Lopes was the only fatally injured person in the event and died of accidental head and neck injuries.
4. Ol’ Dirty Bastard
| Age: | 35 |
| Born: | 15 November 1968, Fort Greene, New York, United States |
| Death: | 13 November 2004, Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Cause of Death: | Accidental drug overdose |
Russel Tyrone Jones used the stage name Ol’ Dirty Bastard. The artist was born on November 15, 1968, in Brooklyn, New York. He was a rapper and producer, one of the founding members of the ‘Wu-Tang Clan’ rap group. In 1993, they released their debut album ‘Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chamber)’ and became prominent.
Ol Dirty Bastard died of an overdose of medicine on November 13, 2004. It was only two days before he was 36. The autopsy found a fatal combination of prescription medicine, tramadol, and cocaine in its toxicology report. There were tens of thousands attending his burial in Brooklyn, New York City, at the Christian Cultural Centre.
3. Prodigy
| Age: | 42 |
| Born: | 2 November 1974, Hempstead, New York, United States |
| Death: | 20 June 2017, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Cause of Death: | Accidental choking |
Albert Johnson was born on 2 November 1974 in Long Island, New York. He is more known as a solo artist by his stage name Prodigy and half of Havoc and Mobb Deep. His debut solo album ‘H.N.I.C’ was published in 2000. The second album ‘H.N.I.C. Part 2’ was released in 2008. He has also worked with numerous other musicians over his career.
Although he has achieved success in the music industry, his career has been affected by legal problems and feuds, and thus he faced numerous hurdles. He also experienced sickle cell anemia, which he used to influence his songs. Unfortunately, he passed away on 20 June 2017. Complications connected to his sickle-cell anemia were experienced a few days before he died, and he died by a coincidence of choking.
2. The Notorious B.I.G
| Age: | 24 |
| Born: | 21 May 1972, Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Death: | 9 March 1997, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Cause of Death: | Drive-by homicide (gunshot wounds) |
Biggie Smalls, Biggie, Big Poppa, and Frank White were also known as the notorious B.I.G. He had been born on 21 May 1972 in Brooklyn, New York, and was the true name of Christopher George Latore Wallace. He’s widely recognized as one of the biggest rappers ever. He started his career in 1992, although his debut album, ‘Ready to Die’ was only published in 1994.
It was throughout this time that he became a key role in the East Coast hip hop movement. His second album began to be recorded in 1997. Sadly, when he was slain in the drive-by shootings in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997, his career in the music enterprise was short. Only seven days later was published his second album, ‘Life After Death posthumously.’
1.Tupac Shakur
| Age: | 25 |
| Born: | Lesane Parish Crooks June 16, 1971, New York City, U.S. |
| Death: | September 13, 1996 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Cause of Death: | Drive-by homicide (gunshot wounds) |
Born in East Harlem, New York, Tupac Shakur was born on 16 June 1971. Often he went with the 2Pac or Makaveli stage aliases. In 1987, this rapper, lyricist, and actor started his career. He’s been a successful solo artist and is frequently called the best rapper of all time. Shakur also had a somewhat good acting career and was involved in six films.
Despite his success, the engagement in hip-hop rivalries and gang disputes marked his career. His career was cut short by a drive-by shot on 7 September 1996 in Las Vegas. Four times he was shot and sent to the hospital for treatment for his injuries. Sadly, on 13 September 1996, he died six days later.
Conclusion!
It creates a lot of public and media interest whenever anyone in the public spotlight dies. This is particularly the case when young individuals die since people are always startled when someone died before their time. While superstars from many walks of life in the entertainment business perished early, there are significant personalities from the hip hop industry or rappers who unexpectedly died soon under terrible circumstances.
