Report: XXXTentacion shot dead at 20
Florida rapper XXXTentacion – real name Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy – has been shot dead at the age of 20.
He had visited a motorcycle dealership yesterday afternoon local time when a gunman ran up and fired into his car before fleeing in a black SUV.
Police were called to the scene at 3:57 pm and pronounced him dead before taking him to hospital.
Early on, authorities refused to name the rapper as the victim, but TMZ received confirmation from an eyewitness and broke the story.
XXXTentacion had been involved in a number of feuds. Early police reports suggested either a drive-by or mugging.
The rapper was awaiting trial on a dozen felony charges and allegations he heinously punched his former girlfriend in the belly when she was pregnant and tried to strangle her.
She has since changed her story and says they were just “fooling around”.
But the charges still remained. He was freed by a judge from house arrest for witness tampering so he could tour.
The domestic abuse charges famously got him banned from Spotify’s playlists under its now-rescinded Hate Content and Hateful Content Policy.
He responded on Twitter, “My songs have been removed from playlists because I’m being accused of something that I haven’t been convicted for.
“I don’t make hate music. I rap about what goes on in every hood in America.”
His second album ? debuted at #1 on the US charts in March.
XXXTentacion generated a strong fan loyalty with raps about his inner turmoil and battle with depression, his unstable home life and battles with the law since his teen days.
According to Nielsen Music, his music has sold the equivalent of two million albums in the United States and 3.96 billion on-demand audio and video streams.
The track ‘Sad’ was a Top 10 hit, issued through his own Bad Vibes Forever label.
Born Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, he began recording at 16, releasing his first music on SoundCloud in 2014.
He had a breakthrough a year later with ‘Look at Me!’
The song increased in popularity after he was jailed for armed home invasion robbery and aggravated battery with a firearm.