Rappers We Lost In 2018

Twenty-six-year-old rapper Mac Miller was found dead in his home from an apparent overdose on Sept. 7, 2018. Known for his artistic reinvention and witty wordplay, Miller struggled with substance abuse and depression throughout his career. He rapped about his use of various drugs and was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in May 2018 after crashing his G-Wagon into a utility pole. 

That crash occurred just days after his breakup with pop star Ariana Grande, who claimed his substance abuse problems played a role in their split. "I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be," she tweeted after the break. "I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety & prayed for his balance for years."

Miller opened up about his arrest with Apple Music's Beats 1 radio in July 2018, calling it "the best thing that could have happened." He said he "lived a certain life for 10 years and faced almost no real consequence at all. Yeah I made a stupid mistake. I'm a human being ... I needed to run into that light pole and literally like have the whole thing stop."

In an August 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, Miller claimed he did not have a drug problem. "Have I done drugs? Yeah. But am I a drug addict? No," he said. In February 2016, Miller said in a mini-documentary for Fader, "I'd rather be the corny white rapper than the drugged-out mess who can't even get out of his house. Overdosing is just not cool ... You don't go down in history because you overdosed. You just die."

Miller's family released a statement following his death that said, in part: "He was a bright light in this world for his family, friends and fans. Thank you for your prayers."

If you or someone you know is seeking help and support to deal with substance abuse or mental health issues, please call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Twenty-nine-year-old Louis BadAzz (real name Louis Robinson Jr.), received his first taste of fame with his 2015 song "Let Me Thru Dis B," which amassed more than 100,000 views on YouTube. The song drew comparisons to the sounds of fellow Louisiana rappers Lil Boosie and Webbie, and was even reportedly performed by Southern University's Human Jukebox marching band in 2016. But tragedy struck just two years later, changing his life's path forever.

Robinson was shot in a brazen daylight attack in Baton Rouge, La. on May 2, 2018. He managed to get to a nearby hospital to receive medical attention but died about an hour later, reported ABC News affiliate WBRZ.

His mother, Elizabeth Robinson, spoke about her son's murder with The Advocate, pleading for an end to gun violence. "It's just got to stop," she said. "I don't want anybody to go retaliate or somebody else get killed ... It's just not worth it." She noted that her son had served six years in the Army, and she felt like he was safer in that realm — even though combat zones were a possibility — than he was in his hometown. "I felt he was going to be OK there, compared to these streets," she said.

At the time of this writing, police have not made any arrests in Robinson's murder.

Chicago drill rapper Derrick "Fredo Santana" Coleman, the older cousin of rapper Chief Keef, battled drugs for years. That was no secret. "He spoke about his drug use and trying to escape the PTSD he had from growing up in the hood, surrounded by violence," fellow rapper Vic Mensa said (via the Mirror). "I call it post traumatic streets disorder."

By October 2017, Santana's lifestyle reportedly landed him in a hospital for liver and kidney failure. According to XXL magazine, some speculated his health problems were tied to his alleged habit of drinking "lean" — a mixture of prescription cough syrup and soda that gives off a legal high but can result in liver failure or seizures after prolonged consumption. During his hospital stay, Santana tweeted that he was considering going to rehab.

Sadly, Santana never made a full recovery. According to TMZ, the 27-year-old was found dead in his home following a "fatal seizure" on Jan. 19, 2018.

Craig Mack's legacy will always be connected to the 1994 hit "Flava In Ya Ear." That song — through its funky yet sultry beat, coupled with Mack's playful rap style —  put Sean "Diddy" Combs' iconic Bad Boy label on the map. The track peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned platinum certification. The record also positioned Mack for widespread mainstream success, but by 1995, Mack and his debut album, Project: Funk da World, were eclipsed by his labelmate, The Notorious B.I.G., whose critically-acclaimed Ready to Die was released just a week before Mack's project.

Mack was subsequently dropped from Bad Boy, releasing his second album, Operation: Get Down, in 1997 to little fanfare. He eventually left the industry, and things were rough for the rapper for a while. At one point, Mack said he even considered killing someone in the music industry he'd been beefing with over money. That moment prompted Mack to leave his home in New York and join a "hyper-conservative religious" community known as the Overcomer Ministry in South Carolina, where he spent the remaining years of his life. According to Newsweek, Mack passed away from congestive heart failure on March 12, 2018. He was 47 years old.

The hip hop community was rocked by the sudden death of the legendary rapper and DJ known as Lovebug Starski (real name Kevin Smith) on Feb. 8, 2018. He was just 57 years old when he passed away at his home in Las Vegas from a heart attack, reported HipHopDX.

Starski was widely credited with coining the phrase "hip hop" when the genre was still in its infancy, using it in his rhymes throughout the '70s and '80s. He went on to release multiple records in the '80s, including "Amityville (The House on the Hill)," "Do the Right Thing," and "You've Gotta Believe," but Starski was ultimately overshadowed by other artists who exploded onto the rap scene, and he arguably never got the recognition he deserved. 

Thankfully, he was immortalized on The Notorious B.I.G.'s classic 1994 hit, "Juicy," in which he raps: "Who ever thought that hip-hop would take it this far? / Peace to Ron G, Brucie B, Kid Capri, Funkmaster Flex, Lovebug Starski." 

Indeed. Rest in peace, Lovebug Starski.

Big T's time in the spotlight was brief but unforgettable. Born Terence Prejean, he was featured on Lil' Troy's "Wanna Be a Baller" in 1999, which peaked at No. 70 on the Billboard 200 chart and propelled their distinctive Texas sound into the spotlight.

According to Billboard, "Big T was nicknamed the 'Million Dollar Hook Man' and was frequently featured in releases by other musicians." He was "probably better known by ear than by name for providing catchy hooks, choruses and other contributions," but Big T did release projects of his own, including 2001's Million Dollar Hooks, a stunning collection of his signature soulful sound. According to the Houston Chronicle, he sold 15,000 copies of that album solely through word of mouth, but he never replicated the mainstream triumph of "Wanna Be a Baller." 

Sadly, this Hip Hop talent passed away on May 7, 2018, at the age of 52. Big T's longtime friend, Tony Williams (aka Tiger T), told Billboard that the iconic hook man may have died from a heart attack.

Though fresh on the music scene, Canadian artist Jon James was also an accredited professional skier whose Instagram featured clips of his many extreme stunts. Unfortunately, the 34-year-old's aspirations were cut short in a tragic accident. James was shooting a video in Vernon, British Columbia on Oct. 20, 2018 when he was killed after a stunt involving an airplane went awry.

According to James' management team, the stunt involved him rapping while walking on the wing of the plane — something he'd apparently been training "intensely" for months to complete. However, James reportedly walked too far out on the wing, sending the aircraft into a downward spiral. "Jon held onto the wing until it was too late, and by the time he let go, he didn't have time to pull his [parachute]. He impacted and died instantly," a spokesperson told CNN. The pilot was able to regain control and land the plane safely.

Florida rappers Christopher "YNW Juvy" Thomas, 19, and Anthony "YNW Sakchaser" Williams, 21, were destined for big things. Through their affiliation to YNW Melly, a prominent Florida rapper with a blossoming fan base and tens of millions of views on YouTube, the pair were in a fantastic position for success. The proof lies in the trio's 2017 song "Youngins," which became a regional hit and sits at nearly 2 million views on YouTube, as of this writing. But before Juvy and Sakchaser could live out their rap dreams, they were killed by a flurry of bullets on Oct. 26, 2018.

According to TCPalm, the pair was last seen alive just after 3 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Some time over the next hour, both men were hit by gunfire and subsequently taken to a local hospital with grave injuries. "They arrived with multiple gunshot wounds," Miramar police spokeswoman Tania Rues explained, per TCPalm. "They were dead already." At the time of this writing, the location of the shooting and the gunman have yet to be revealed.

Celebrated South African rapper Jabulani Tsambo — also known as HHP (Hip Hop Pantsula) — shocked the world with his death from an apparent suicide on Oct. 24, 2018. However, it was an event that those closest to him saw coming. His childhood friend, Motlapele "Molemi" Morule, told the Sunday Times that he had been worried about HHP dying since 2001. "It's hard to put into words. Jabulani struggled with questions that couldn't be answered," Morule explained (via TimesLive). "There were countless times, hundreds of times, that made me go home and worry."

HHP himself opened up about some of those events in a 2016 radio interview, admitting that he'd battled with depression and had attempted suicide three times the year before. While the official cause of his death is still pending at the time of this writing, he appeared to succumb to his troubles two years later at the age of 38, leaving behind a note (per TimesLive) that reportedly read, "I'm depressed. I am going out of control. I'm losing it."

He is survived by his wife, son, parents, two sisters, and nephew, according to a statement from his family.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).