In this blog post, we list a few rappers who’ve died from a drug overdose. Society treats this kind of death in a much different manner than death from any other natural cause, often creating a stigma that makes it difficult for people with drug addiction to openly talk about what they’re going through. Nonetheless, death is an inevitable part of life—something that virtually all of us go through at some point, and losing a musical artist through a drug overdose can be one of the most sad experiences especially if you were deeply connected to them through their music.
1. DMX
DMX will forever be known as one of hip-hop’s most influential rappers. DMX, whose legal name is Earl Simmons, died on April 9, 2021 at the age of 50 in Westchester County, New York. He was hospitalized on April 2 where it was previously reported by TMZ he suffered a drug overdose and heart attack. Reports claimed that the heart attack may have resulted from a drug overdose. The following day, his attorney said he did not know what may have caused the heart attack, and confirmed DMX was on life support. That night, the rapper reportedly suffered cerebral hypoxia – oxygen deprivation to the brain – and paramedics attempted to resuscitate him. DMX’s former manager, Nakia Walker, said he was in a “vegetative state” with “lung and brain failure and no current brain activity”. In July 2021, the Westchester County medical examiner’s office confirmed that DMX officially died from a cocaine-induced heart attack that caused a lack of blood circulation to his brain.
Stream DMX songs
2. Juice WRLD
Juice WRLD, real name Jarad Anthony Higgins died in December 2019 at the age of 21 after having a seizure. The Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause and manner of death of 21-year-old Jarad A. Higgins died as a result of oxycodone and codeine toxicity. The Chicago rapper’s emotionally vulnerable style took him from SoundCloud to massive stardom almost overnight. A video recording obtained on that fateful day appears to show Juice WRLD and his crew landing at Chicago’s Midway airport after a flight, which would mark Juice’s actual last moments on Earth. In the clip, you see him hanging out with one of his buds in the back — apparently fully conscious and alert as they looked at something together — possibly a phone. Soon afterward, he suffered a seizure and later died at the hospital. In previous interviews, he shared about his battles with prescription drugs like Xanax and Percocet, and his struggles with mental health in general. It was a habit, he said in a radio interview, that started as early as his freshman year of high school and continued as he discovered the drug-saturated music of rappers like Future.
Stream Juice WRLD songs
3. Mac Miller
Mac Miller, the 26-year-old rapper known for his canny wordplay and artistic reinvention, died at his Los Angeles home. The apparent cause of death was a drug overdose. His real name Malcolm James McCormick, had been open about his struggles with substance abuse. He had discussed his dependence on lean — a combination of codeine and promethazine — extensively. After a years-long period of sobriety, he began to drink again. According to tweets from his ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande, his substance abuse was a reason the pair broke up after two years. In 2018, Los Angeles police charged the rapper with driving under the influence after he crashed his car into a power pole in May. Later on, the rapper died in September 2018 of an overdose after consuming a mix of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol at his Los Angeles home. One of the three men charged in connection with the fatal overdose agreed to plea guilty and accept a 17-year prison sentence.
Stream Mac Miller songs
4. Lil Peep
https://youtu.be/_DRsIa-jwd0
Lil Peep died of an overdose of fentanyl and generic Xanax, according to the Pima Country Office of the Medical Examiner. The rapper’s death was ruled as accidental by the medical examiner. Gustav Åhr, who grew up in Long Beach, New York, was found unresponsive by his manager. The up-and-coming musician’s manager found him unresponsive on his tour bus ahead of a scheduled concert in Tucson, Arizona. First responders attempted to revive the star but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Stream Lil Peep songs
5. Lexii Alijai
Lexii Alijai, a 21-year-old rising star in the Twin Cities music scene, died in 2020 from a mix of alcohol together with the powerful painkiller fentanyl, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner said Tuesday. Alijai’s first full-length album, “Growing Pains,” was released in 2017, two years after she was featured on and co-wrote Kehlani’s 2015 single, “Jealous.” Music ran in her family, as her father Roger Troutman Jr. recorded with Capitol Records during the 1980s, and her grandfather, Roger Troutman, founded funk band Zapp.
Stream Lexii Alijai songs
6. Hella Sketchy
According to Hella Sketchy’s father Erik, his son was found unresponsive in June 2019 “from an apparent drug overdose” before being revived and transported to an emergency room where he remained in a coma for two weeks. Thureson’s family provided updates to fans throughout this period. Unfortunately, after a two-week-long battle, Hella Sketchy, whose real name was Jacob Tyler Thureson, surrounded by his family and friends, passed away.
Stream Hella Sketchy songs
7. Shock G
Gregory Jacobs, the charismatic, affable Digital Underground rapper-producer who performed as Shock G and Humpty Hump, was found dead Tin April 2021 at a hotel room in Tampa, Florida. Jacobs’ father confirmed the musician’s death to TMZ. He was 57. Per TMZ, Shock G died from an overdose of fentanyl, alcohol, and methamphetamine, as determined by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner. He was found unresponsive by a hotel manager at a Tampa hotel on April 22, and was last seen the day before. The manager went to check on Shock G’s room after he reportedly missed his check-out time at the hotel. The manager called 911 upon finding him, and Shock was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.
Stream Shock G songs
You may also like: