Just a few days ago, tragedy struck hip hop fans around the world as news rapidly spread via social media that rapper Jahseh Onfroy aka XXXTENTACION was murdered in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
The killing was an apparent robbery taking place just a few minutes after Onfroy left from a motorsports dealership. Around the time of 4p.m, two men in a dark colored SUV approached Onfroy and shot him. They immediately fled the scene leaving witnesses to find Onfroy with no pulse in his BMW i8. Onfroy was pronounced dead a short time after being found in his car.
XXXTentacion was born and raised in Plantation, Florida spending most of his life in Lauderhill. After spending most of his youth in and out of jail, Onfroy rose to prominence after his song "Look at Me" went viral. This claim to fame would eventually turn his life around completely. However, Onfroy's violent past came back to bite him as he was currently facing domestic violence chargers against his ex girlfriend. He has been stuck in controversy since his rise to stardom. Immediately following his release from jail, Onfroy began to beef with rapper Drake over the hit song "Look at Me,' claiming Drake stole most elements of the song. Onfroy has also beefed with rappers like the Migos, Rob Stone, Trippie Redd and his close friend, Ski Mask the Slump God.
Controversy found Onfroy yet again amidst his creative attempt in the "Look at Me" music video. He received heavy backlash from viewers for staging a scene in which he lynched a young white boy. Nonetheless the video referenced several political and social issues such as the lynching of Emmett Till, the Philando Castile shooting and the Rodney King beating. Many people has labeled Tentacion to be "rap's most controversial man." XXL Magazine labeled him their most "controversial freshman ever."
XXXTENTACION was very talented musically. He released 2 studio albums entitled "17" and "?", along with several mixtapes. His music dominated the charts at the time of their release. He also received high recognition for his musical style and diversity. He rapped about the struggles of mental health over a sonical emo style instrumental. Many fans claim his music saved their lives and helped them out of dark places.
The death of X came as such a surprise because fans around the world felt he was changing his life for the better. Onfroy has taken to social media numerous times encouraging positivity, uplifting his fellow rappers in the music industry and donating to charity. He has kept a quiet lane for much of 2018 while still working hard performing for his fans. One of his last big performances took place in Miami, Florid at the Rolling Loud Festival in which he publicly apologized to this friend Ski Mask the Slump God ending their feud with each other. His last social media post was uploaded to his instagram story 2 hours before his death stating that he would be doing a "charity event on the weekend." Unfortunately, he passed a few hours later.
Fans around the world celebrate the life of XXXTENTACION through his music. They are also keeping his name alive by flooding social media with tributes and spammed comments. A riot took place just this morning at his memorial gathering in which police had to break it up. There is no doubt X had a huge effect on not just his fans but people who did not really like him at all. His legacy will be one to look out for in the near future.