Rich Homie Quan dead at 34
Rapper Rich Homie Quan, 34, died on Thursday in his hometown of Atlanta.
The death was originally reported on social media. Family members of the rapper, born Dequantes Lamar, and the Fulton County morgue later verified his death to TMZ.
According to the publication, Quan's relatives were left "shattered and heartbroken by his sudden death."
Rapper Boosie Badazz, who was acquainted with Quan, wrote a series of tributes on X (previously Twitter) Thursday, claiming he died of a heroin overdose, however the actual cause of death has yet to be determined.
Rich Homie Quan rose to notoriety in 2013 with his single "Type of Way," which debuted on the Billboard Hot 100.
The platinum-selling singer, known for his half-sung, half-rap style of music, has also recorded fan favorites "Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)" and "Ride Out."
On Thursday, New York rapper Biz Markie referred to him as a musical "genius" via social media.
"The melodic genius who never stopped going in, who sang and wrote hooks as memorable as anything on the charts, pop masterpieces right from the mud. "An era-defining Atlanta all-timer," he wrote on X.
In a 2017 interview on Vice's "The Therapist" show, Quan talked about dealing with difficulties, breaking into houses, stealing, and serving time in jail.
"I did 15 months in county and I would definitely say those 15 months recentered me," he told me. "I was quite vulnerable for 15 months. "I couldn't trust anybody."
In terms of music, he participated alongside Birdman in Rich Gang, a Cash Money Records subsidiary project. Quan appeared on the group's 2014 hit track "Lifestyle."
On the "Lifestyle" music video's YouTube channel, fans paid respect to Rich Homie Quan.