LOS ANGELES, June 19: Up-and-coming rapper XXXTentacion was shot at and killed during an apparent robbery in Broward County, Florida, the police said. He was 20.
Tentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, was leaving a motorsports store shortly before 4 p.M. When two men in a dark coloured SUV gunned him down, Keyla Concepcion, Broward County sheriff department public information officer, said.
According to CNN, the Broward County deputies are on the lookout for the two suspects and have asked probable witnesses of the shooting to come forward, Concepcion said.
Tentacion had his fair share of controversies. He was awaiting trial for a domestic violence incident involving his pregnant girlfriend, according to court documents.
The artiste had been under house arrest for a time while he awaited trial on battery and harassment charges. The house arrest was lifted in March so that he could go touring.
His September 2017 music video for the viral hit “Look at Me” sparked backlash for staging a scene depicting Tentacion lynching a young white boy.
The rapper shot to fame after his song “Look at Me” went viral on social media and audio distribution platform SoundCloud in 2016.
He went on to be featured in XXL magazine’s 2017 Freshman Class alongside other aspiring artistes.
His latest album ‘?’ topped the charts when it was released in March, according to Billboard. Tracks such as “Sad!” and “Changes” went on to become huge hits.
Artistes such as Kanye West, Tyga and Big Sean mourned Tentacion’s death and took to social media to share condolences.
West shared the rapper’s picture and tweeted, “Rest in peace I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here thank you for existing.”
Tyga wrote, “Really sad RIP… So sad to lose good artist”
Big Sean tweeted, “My heart dropped when I heard about @xxxtentacion, I feel like we only got to see a glimpse of his artistry. I didn’t know him personally but I respect how passionate he was about his music and message. Nobody deserves this kind of ending. Gone too soon, damn! RIP.” (PTI)