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The Art And Profiteering Of Death: 100 Rappers Who Were Murdered

The Art And Profiteering Of Death: 100 Rappers Who Were Murdered

rappers murdered

Photo: (L-R) Drakeo the Ruler (Walik Goshorn/MediaPunch /IPX), FBG Cash in his video for "YB Flow" (Official FBGCash via YouTube), Young Dolph (mpi04/MediaPunch /IPX) Dayvon "King Von" Bennett (provided to NPR courtesy of the artist).

60. Mac Dre: Murder mystery

Mac Dre image: https://thesource.com/2021/11/01/today-in-hip-hop-history-bay-area-icon-mac-dre-shot-and-killed-17-years-ago/

Mac Dre was one of the biggest artists in San Francisco Bay area’s underground scene. Police said he was also a member of a gang of robbers. He was killed in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 1, 2004, when a gunman shot into a van in which he was riding.

Born Andre Hicks, Mac Dre was in a car when another vehicle pulled up beside the driver’s side of the van he was in and began shooting, Billboard reported. 

Hicks, 34, has been in town to perform in a show.

There is some belief by police that the shooting was a case of road rage. There is also a rumor that fellow artist Anthony “Fat Tone” Watkins was alleged to have been responsible for the murder, but no evidence ever surfaced, Time reported.

Mac Dre was a prolific artist and founder of the independent record label Thizz Entertainment. He released more than a dozen albums since 1989.  He was an instrumental figure in the exposure of hyphy, a cultural movement originating in the Bay Area hip-hop scene in the early 2000s.

In the early 1990s, Mac Dre and several associates thought to be members of the Vallejo, Calif. Romper Room Gang were investigated by police. The gang was suspected in a string of bank and business robberies.

Mac Dre was arrested, allegedly while preparing to rob a bank, and charged in federal court with conspiracy to commit bank robbery. 

Mac Dre called out the police involved in his arrest in his songs, often naming specific officers.

61. Fat Tone: Stuck down in revenge killing

Fat Tone, whose birth name is Anthony Watkins, was murdered at the age of 24 on May 24, 2005. He repped Kansas City, Mo., releasing his one and only album in 2022 — “Only in Killa City.”

Fat Tone was killed in Las Vegas in revenge for the November 2004 drive-by shooting in Kansas City of Bay Area MC Mac Dre. Tone, however, allegedly had an alibi the night of Mac Dre’s murder, XXL reported. Andre “Mac Minister” Dow, 37, was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Fat Tone.

62. Soulja Slim: Murdered in front of mother’s home

Souljah Slim image: Instrgram, https://www.instagram.com/p/CIJSiHKlSem/?hl=en

James Tapp, who performed under the name Soulja Slim, was shot and killed on Nov. 26, 2003, on the front lawn of the two-story duplex he’d bought for his mother in the New Orleans neighborhood of Gentilly. 

The No Limit Records artist was shot at least three times in the face and once in the chest, Billboard reported.

No Limit Records founder Master P appeared on several tracks on Soulja Slim’s first album, “Give It 2 ‘Em Raw.” 

After 2002, Slim released songs through his own Cut Throat Committy label. Gerelle Smith, 22, was arrested on New Year’s Eve 2003 for the shooting but was released after no witnesses would come forward, even though the murder weapon was found in Smith’s possession, The Source reported.

63. Half-A-Mil: Assailant unknown

Brooklyn-based artist Half-A-Mil (given name: Jasun Wardlaw) was found shot to death in his apartment by police on Oct. 24, 2003. Half-A-Mil, 30, dropped two albums — his debut, “Million,” and the follow up, “Da Hustle Don’t Stop.” Both were released on Warlock Records. His killer remains unknown.

64. Camoflauge: On the verge of greater fame

Camoflauge (birth name: Jason Johnson) was putting Savannah, Ga., on the hip-hop map. Just as he was on the verge of greater fame, the 21-year-old artist was fatally shot while walking with his toddler son outside Pure Pain recording studio. He died on May 19, 2003, at a local hospital.

His son was not hurt. 

Camoflauge’s songs included “Cut Friends” and “Laying My Stunt Down.” He released his third album, “Keeping It Real,” in August 2002 on independent label Pure Pain. It debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart.

Camoflauge’s life too was tainted with violence and criminal activity. He had a record of arrests on drug possession charges and suffered minor injuries in a shooting in 2002. And in 2000, he spent three months in jail charged with murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Kenneth Capers. A grand jury failed to indict him, Billboard reported.

65. Jam Master Jay: Part of pioneering group Run-DMC

Rap legend Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell), a member of hip-hop pioneers Run-DMC, in Los Angeles, Feb. 25, 2002. (AP Photo/Krista Niles, File)

On Oct. 30, 2002, Jason Mizell, 37, (aka Jam Master Jay) was shot in the head in his New York City recording studio. 

He was co-founder of the platinum-selling group Run-DMC, along with his childhood friends Run (Joseph Simmons) and D.M.C. (Darryl McDaniels). He acted as the group’s DJ man behind the turntables.

Run DMC is considered one of the most influential performers in hip-hop history. In 1985, their album “King of Rock” was hip-hop’s first platinum album, and the group’s 1986 cover of rock group Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

For nearly two decades, the case remained unsolved, but in August 2020, federal prosecutors charged Karl Jordan and Ronald Washington with the killing, Billboard reported.

Police claim the killing had been payback after a failed cocaine deal.

Prosecutors say Washington and Jordan broke into Jay’s studio and Washington allegedly initially pointed a gun at another individual in the studio; as he did, Jordan allegedly fired two shots, one of which struck Jay in the head at close range.

According to prosecutors, Jay had arranged to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine, which would be distributed in Maryland by Washington, Jordan and others. Jay backed out of the deal and prosecutors allege the two decided to kill him.

A trial is set for February 2023.

66. Bulletproof: Early Cash Money Records artist

Bulletproof, who also went by Lil Derrick, repped New Orleans and was affiliated with Lil Wayne, Birdman, and the Hot Boys. Born Derrick Williams, he was an early Cash Money Records artist. After he was murdered on Oct. 31, 2002, his mixtape, “Undisputed” with Kayotic, was released in 2003, XXL reported.

67: Q-Don: Was a bystander

Raeneal Quann, 22, rhymed under he name Q-Don out of Philadelphia. In his short career he dropped two mixtapes, NAAM Brigade The Mixtape Vol. 1 and 2.”

On May 2, 2000, the Elektra Records artist was  gunned down outside a Philadelphia nightclub. Q-Don was a bystander during an attempted robbery in the parking lot of The Evolution nightclub. He was shot in the head. Three men were arrested leaving the scene, XXL reported.

Q-Don was the grandson of famed soul singer Solomon Burke.

68. Mausberg: Killed in Compton

Jonny Burns, who rhymed under the name Mausberg, had a bright future. He was being mentored by the famed DJ Quik.

But on July 4, 2000, the 21 year old was gunned down. A known affiliate of the Campanella Park Bloods gang, Mausberg and a friend drove to another friend’s house. Mausberg decided to stay outside and while sitting in the car, another vehicle pulled up with two unidentified individuals who robbed, shot and killed him as he sat in the car. The young rapper’s murder remains unsolved and there are no suspects, XXL reported.

He was best known for his appearance on the single “Down, Down, Down” off Quik’s 1998 “Rhythm-Al-Ism” album and his work on the 1999 West Coast compilation album, “The Konnectid Project”. Signed to Sheppard Lane Records, Mausberg had collaborated on records with R. Kelly, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Nate Dogg and Suga Free, amongst others. His solo debut album, “Non Fiction,” dropped a year after his murder.

69. Bugz: D12 member killed trying to break up fight

Detroit hip-hop artist and D12 member Karnail “Bugz” Pitts was shot and killed at a local picnic on May 21, 1999.

Bugz had been slated to perform that evening on Eminem’s tour in Grand Rapids, Mich.

According to reports, he was involved in a heated dispute after his friend’s cousin was sprayed with a high-powered water gun. Bugz was said to have intervened during the exchange and it led to him being fatally shot three times by a friend of the man who used the water gun, XXL reported. Police arrested the shooter, Andre Hamilton, and he was later convicted of first-degree murder in 2001. He is serving a life sentence for the killing.