The Rappers Our Kids Love Keep Getting Killed

The famous East Coast-West Coast hip hop wars claimed many famous lives during the late 1990s, including Tupac and Biggie. Unfortunately, waves of violence in the rap and hip hop community have continued to surge. In fact, more than one study has shown that murder is the cause of over 51% of hip hop and rap musician deaths. One of the largest surges ever began in 2020, and goes on to this day.

Here are just a few of the most prominent rappers who were sadly killed in the last 3 years:

1. Takeoff (aged 28, killed November 1, 2022)

a. Takeoff , real name Kirsnik Khari Ball, came to fame as part of Migos and was shot to death at a party in Houston. He worried that fans might misinterpret his messages and made an effort not to write lyrics about violence, but this alone couldn’t save him.

2. Drakeo the Ruler (aged 28, killed December 19, 2021)

a. Drakeo, real name Darrell Wayne Caldwell, was stabbed to death offstage during a music festival in LA. He had often been arrested before his death, and was in jail for three years on suspicion of committing murder.

3. Young Dolph (aged 36, killed November 17, 2021)

a. Young Dolph, real name Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot to death while buying cookies for his mother in Memphis. His beef with other rappers led to a previous shooting in 2017. Young Dolph survived and lived a more philanthropic lifestyle, but it wasn’t enough to keep him alive.

4. MO3 (aged 28, killed November 11, 2020)

a. MO3, real name Melvin Noble Jr., was shot to death during a confrontation on a Dallas highway. While some details are unclear, it said that MO3 was murdered by his girlfriend’s kid’s father who had an issue with him hanging out with his son and posting the images on social media. M03 used a lot of violent imagery in his lyrics and movie videos.

5. King Von (aged 26, killed November 6, 2020)

a. King Von, real name Dayvon Daquan Bennett, was shot to death during an altercation at a hookah lounge in Atlanta. Famously, King Von's ex-girlfriend Asian Doll said she wouldn't date anybody who didn't have at least two bodies- meaning someone who’s killed at least two people.

6. Nipsey Hussle (aged 33, killed March 31, 2019)

a. Nipsey Hussle, real name Airmiess Asghedom, was shot to death outside his clothing store in LA. Nipsey poured a great time of time and money into community activism but as done in by a personal dispute with his murderer, who he called a snitch.

These rappers, who are tragically considered some of the 'older' men in the industry, represent a disturbing pattern of violence and death. Many artists, even younger than these, often lose their lives before they ever have a chance to develop a wider following.

Even RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan seriously doubts whether hip-hop artists are responsible enough about their impact on young folks today, saying “Sometimes hip-hop music glamorizes certain things. It glamorizes prison life, it glamorizes gangsters and thugs. I understand that, because I grew out of that. But it doesn’t give you the total tragedy of what that can end up being, nor are we being represented with a lot of alternatives.”

We agree with RZA. The extremely high death rate of young rappers needs to change, thereby changing our community culture. We need to present real, reasonable alternatives to our kids and teach them how to resolve disagreements in nonviolent ways. They can de-escalate, stay cool, and turn the other cheek while still being strong young men. Check out our programs and literature for information on teaching these lessons.