Tributes pour in for slain rapper PnB Rock as gun violence grips hip-hop community | Popgen Tech

Family, friends, fans and hip-hop stars are mourning the tragic death of rapper PnB Rock, who was killed Monday afternoon during a robbery in South Los Angeles. He was 30 years old.

His brother, rapper PnB Meen, expressed heartbreak and grief in an Instagram tribute, along with a photo of the siblings as children.

“I can’t stop crying bro,” wrote PnB Meen. “… I can’t even write, I’m shaking my stomach tight, I don’t see that I can’t eat myself die’n slowly bro.”

“Rock I love you big brother with all my heart and soul … I’m sorry that it wasn’t me. Why take away what provides for the whole family,” he added and promised to take care of his brother’s two young daughters the late. .

The rapper, whose legal name is Rakim Allen, was shot and killed during a robbery at Roscoe’s Chicken. & Waffles while eating with his girlfriend. According to police, a suspect demanded jewelry and other valuables before getting into a struggle with Allen and opening fire.

Allen’s death is the latest in a string of shootings and murders of prominent rappers in recent years, as well as up-and-coming local artists – from Chicago to New York City – who have been shot and killed in ‘young age during robbery attempts or violence arising from reported disagreements.

The Philadelphia-born rapper has been a force on the East Coast and has collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the hip-hop industry as an artist and producer.

Hip-hop stars from Drake and Young Thug, to Meek Mill and Nicki Minaj have posted tributes to Allen on social media, with some reflecting on the violence that has continued to plague the hip-hop community.

“Rip dawg you don’t deserve this… Every time I see one of my friends bleed on camera or get killed on camera, I get a sick feeling that I can’t even really explain… it just puts me back in the survival mentality!” Meek Mill he tweeted.

According to a May 2022 report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gun violence is a growing public health issue in the United States and disproportionately affects -black people.

According to the report, black people are at least four times more likely to be shot and killed than the general US population.

“My heart hurts for the MOTHERS OF THESE CHILDREN who tried to make something better out of their lives!!!” Nicki Minaj he tweeted after the death of PnB Rock.

Chicago rapper Smokepurpp, who collaborated with Allen, shared a heartfelt tribute to PnB Rock on Instagram, calling him “pure heart and soul,” and reflected on the perils of being in the hip-hop industry. hop.

“I know you’ve heard it many times but being a rapper really is one of the most dangerous jobs you can have,” he wrote.

Most recently, 21-year-old New York rapper Lil TJay survived a June 22 shooting during an attempted robbery in Edgewater, New Jersey.

Memphis rapper Young Dolph was killed in his hometown on November 17, 2021, while visiting Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies, a bakery in South Memphis. He was 36 years old.

Dolph’s longtime partner and mother of his children, Mia Jaye, who opened up about his tragic death in an interview with ABC News Live in January, expressed her condolences to Allen’s family following his death .

“Why does it seem like rappers and black men in general are under attack and caught off guard by predators?” she wrote on Instagram.

In 2019, Jaye launched the “Black Men Deserve to Grow Old” campaign after the shooting death of her brother to support families who have lost husbands and fathers to violent crime.

“This whole s— is disturbing, out of control and heartbreaking,” Jaye wrote after the PnB rock murder. “How will the narrative change?”

Days after Dolph was killed, Compton rapper Slim 400 was shot in Inglewood, California, on December 9, hours after sharing a tribute to Dolph on Instagram. He was 33 years old.

And on December 18, Los Angeles rapper Drakeo the Ruler, 28, was stabbed backstage at the Once Upon a Time festival in LA.

On November 11, 2020, rapper Mo3 was killed in Dallas just days after King Von, another rising star in the industry, was killed in Atlanta.

Earlier that year, Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was fatally shot on February 19 during an attempted robbery at his rental home in Hollywood Hills, California, after reportedly breaking into the -his location on social media. He was 20 years old and was killed months before he was going to release his debut album, “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon”. It was certified double platinum.

Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed on March 31, 2019, at the age of 33 at his Marathon Clothing store in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles.

And in June 2018, rapper XXXTentacion was shot and killed during an armed robbery in Deerfield, Florida. He was 20 years old.

“After Pop Smoke there is no way we as rappers or our loved ones are still posting our whereabouts,” Nicki Minaj tweeted. “[PnB Rock] she was a pleasure to work with. Condolences to his mother & family. This makes me feel very bad.”

According to social media posts, Allen’s location at Roscoe’s was reported on social media in a message that has since been deleted. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that the LAPD is investigating whether the geotagged post led to the attack.

LAPD detectives are aware of a social media post where his location was tagged, sources told ABC News and police said they are examining surveillance video to identify potential suspects.

Allen reflected on previous robbery attempts he experienced in Los Angeles during a Sept. 2 interview on the “Off the Record with DJ Akademiks” podcast, saying he was targeted while out with his girlfriend and their daughter.

“Someone shot me on Fairfax, like, in the middle of the pandemic,” he said, while DJ Akademiks noted that the robberies in Los Angeles are “brave” and can happen “broad day.”

“It’s just a new generation. Everybody’s on some demon s–,” Allen said.

The rapper was an independent artist who gained popularity on the SoundCloud platform and released a number of hits that appeared on the Billboard Hot 100. He appeared in XXL Magazine’s Freshman Class of rappers to follow in 2017.

He is known for songs like “Selfish” and “Cross Me,” featuring Chance the Rapper, which have hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify. He released his latest single, “Luv Me Again,” on September 2.