obits
Drakeo the Ruler, Influential L.A. Rapper, Dies at 28
Drakeo the Ruler, the influential and prolific Los Angeles rapper who is known for his deadpan flow and dark humor, has died at the age of 28. A rep for Drakeo the Ruler confirmed to SPIN the news of his death, but declined to share any further details. As the Los Angeles Times reports, there was an incident backstage at the Snoop Dogg-curated Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival at the city’s Exposition Park. At around 8:40 pm PST, the Times reported that a person was stabbed in the neck backstage, who we now know was Drakeo, and was rushed to the hospital. The festival promptly ended after the incident. The Times reported that Drakeo died at a local hospital. Born in Los Angeles’ Westmont neighborhood as Darrell Caldwell on December 1, 1993, Drakeo the Ruler rose to prominenc...
Leonard ‘Hub’ Hubbard, Longtime Bassist for The Roots, Dies at 62
Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, the longtime bassist of The Roots, has died at the age of 62 after a long battle with cancer. Hubbard’s wife, Stephanie, confirmed the news of his death to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The bassist had been with The Roots from 1992 until 2007, when he departed to fight myeloma. In a statement posted on their social media accounts, The Roots paid tribute to Hubbard. “It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to our brother Leonard Nelson Hubbard,” the statement said. “May your transition bring peace to your family to your friends to your fans and all of those who loved you. Rest in Melody Hub.” It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to our brother Leonard Nelson Hubbard. May your transition bring peace to your family to your friends to your fans ...
Author, Activist & Scholar bell hooks Dead At 69 #bellhooks
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: The Washington Post / Getty Author, scholar, and noted feminist bell hooks became a towering figure in her decades-long career, penning dozens of books that inspired a generation of great thinkers in her wake. The prolific public intellectual has died, with reactions surfacing online reflecting on her lasting legacy.
Robbie Shakespeare Of Pioneering Reggae Duo Sly and Robbie Has Died
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Frans Schellekens / Getty Robbie Shakespeare, one-half of the pioneering reggae duo, Sly and Robbie, has died. Shakespeare was a noted bassist who worked alongside fellow reggae legends such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh while lending his talents to other musicians such as The Rolling Stones and more. Born Robert Warren Dale Shakespeare in East Kingston, Jamaica, on September 27, 1953, Shakespeare got his start early on as his family’s home was a hub for many Jamaican artists and musicians according to a 2012 interview with United Reggae. In the piece, Shakespeare revealed that he learned the art of bass playing from Aston “Family Man” Barrett, sticking close to his mentor before he went on to become a bassist for The Wailers. It was around the mid-1...
Gared O’Donnell, Planes Mistaken for Stars Singer, Dies at 44
Gared O’Donnell, the singer of post-hardcore band Planes Mistaken for Stars, has died. He was 44. The band shared the news in a social media post. In August 2020, O’Donnell revealed he had Stage 3 esophageal cancer. “It is impossible to express the depth of sorrow in which we must announce that Gared O’Donnell, our brother, our leader, our captain, who has done more to cultivate love and light in this world than any of us can understand, has moved on from his physical form here with us and crossed the rainbow bridge into the eternal ether. In his final days/hours, he was surrounded by the love of his family, his friends, his bandmates, and many others from afar,” the statement said. O’Donnell joined forces with guitarist Mat Bellinger, drummer Mike Ricketts, and bassist Aaron Wise to form ...
Mick Rock, Legendary Music Photographer, Dies at 72
Mick Rock, the legendary rock photographer who captured iconic images of David Bowie, Queen, Sex Pistols, and more, has died. He was 72. Rock’s family confirmed the news in a statement on his social media platforms. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share our beloved psychedelic renegade Mick Rock has made the Jungian journey to the other side. Those who had the pleasure of existing in his orbit, know that Mick was always so much more than ’The Man Who Shot The 70s.’ He was a photographic poet — a true force of nature who spent his days doing exactly what he loved, always in his own delightfully outrageous way,” the statement read. “Let us not mourn the loss, but instead celebrate the fabulous life and extraordinary career of Michael David Rock. While you do so in your own way, we...
Nine-Year-Old Boy Trampled at Astroworld Dies
Ezra Blount, the nine-year-old Astroworld attendee who was put in a medically-induced coma last week, has died. Blount’s family confirmed the news of death with Houston’s ABC affiliate KTRK first to report. Blount is the youngest person to die following the concert disaster that left eight dead and hundreds injured. Ezra was on his father Treston Blount’s shoulders when the deadly crowd surge started at the beginning of Travis Scott’s set at 9 pm., and the two became trapped. Blount was trampled and suffered injuries to his kidney, lung and liver. “The Blount family tonight is grieving the incomprehensible loss of their precious young son,” the family’s attorney, Ben Crump, said in a statement. “This should not have been the outcome of taking their son to a concert, what should have been a...
Astro, Founding Member Of Reggae & Pop Band UB40, Has Passed Away
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Gie Knaeps / Getty For over four decades, the British reggae and pop band UB40 has delighted music fans all over the world and even notched a pair of number one hits in the process. One of the band’s founding members, Astro, has passed away due to a short illness. Via fellow founding band member Ali Campbell’s Twitter page, the passing of Astro, born Terence Wilson, was shared with some brief details. From Twitter: We are absolutely devastated and completely heartbroken to have to tell you that our beloved Astro has today passed away after a very short illness. The world will never be the same without him. We ask you to please respect his family’s privacy at this incredibly difficult time. Campbell and Astro split from the original group, forming UB40 fea...
Nenobia Washington AKA The Queen of Brooklyn Cause Of Death Under Investigation
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Dupree Frederick / facebook Nenobia Washington, better known to many across social media as “The Queen of Brooklyn,” was found dead in New York over the weekend under circumstances that remained unknown until now. The speculative cause of Washington’s death has been discussed, although an official statement has not been made. TMZ shared in a report that they spoke exclusively with the father of Washington’s son, David Jackson, who informed the outlet that their son had a conversation with the mother prior to her death. It is being speculated that Washington jumped six stories to her death from a New York building but it hasn’t been reported if this was her home or a business. Related Stories Washington first came to fame in 2015 after an interview on the ...
Grand Puba & Brand Nubian Affiliate DJ Stud Dugee Has Reportedly Passed Away
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Elektra / @HevNamedMeGrap Fans of Grand Puba and his solo efforts are well aware that he ventured off on his own with DJ Alamo of his group Brand Nubian and Stud Dugee in tow. According to a tweet from Grap Luva and others, Stud Doogie has reportedly passed away and some have chimed in with thoughts. Not much is known about the passing of Stud Dugee, and we must note that Grap Luva spelled the name Doogie and an older tweet from Brand Nubian’s Sadat X spells it as Doughie. We happened across the Facebook page of Ron Cherry, which we can confirm is the given name of DJ Stud Dugee. Via the page, Dugee’s connection to Hip-Hop elite circles spread far and wide as he shared photos with late legends Biz Markie, Black Rob, and also appears in photos with Ra...
WSB-TV News Anchor Jovita Moore Has Passed, Colleagues & More Remember Her Via Twitter
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Paras Griffin / Getty Hearts are heavy across the Atlanta metropolitan region and the rest of the nation after news that Emmy Award-winning journalist Jovita Moore has died. Moore was an anchor for the city’s WSB-TV outlet and was upheld as a beloved fixture by not only viewers and colleagues, but those outside her industry as well. WSB-TV anchor Justin Farmer delivered the news with alarming professionalism and poise, despite speaking of not only a workplace partner but a dear friend of his. Gamely, Farmer delivered the news out of sheer obligation and perhaps a will of steel as the production team put together a collage of videos featuring Moore at work. Moore, a native of New York City, obtained her undergraduate degree from Bennington College in...
Rest Powerfully In Peace To Shawn “Jeranimo” Oliver Of Rumpletilskinz
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Twitter / @JazzUNGang Hip-Hop fans of a certain age are no doubt well aware of the iconic dance, the East Coast Stomp, popularized by Long Island collective, Leaders Of The New School. The inventor of the dance, Shawn “Jeranimo” Oliver of Rumpletilskinz fame has reportedly passed away. Few details are known about Oliver’s passing, but Jazz from the group, The U.N., shared a tweet on Monday (October 25) mourning the loss of his Long Island brethren in Jeranimo. “Rest In Perfection Shawn “Geronimo” Oliver,” read one tweet from Jazz, featuring an image of the late Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, a woman who appears to be rapper Lin Que, and Dinco D of Leaders Of The New School. In the flick, Phife is pretending...
