American rapper XXXTentacion has been shot and killed in Florida, police confirmed last night.
The 20-year-old, real name Jahseh Onfroy, had been a controversial public figure because of his criminal past, which included convictions for robbery and assault; he was awaiting trial for a domestic abuse case in 2016, which saw him charged with aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment, and witness tampering. Earlier this year, a video emerged online of him hitting a fan on the head with a microphone.
His debut album went in at No. 2 in the Billboard Top 200 charts last August, and his music was recently removed - and then reinstated - by Spotify under their 'hate content' policy.
He was shot dead while leaving a motorcycle dealership in South Florida yesterday afternoon local time.
His label Caroline Records released a statement saying: "“Everyone at Caroline is shocked to learn of the tragic death of Jahseh Onfroy, professionally known as XXXTentacion. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.“
His fellow rappers, including Kanye West, have been paying tribute to him:
rest in peace ðŸ™ÂÂÂ?ðŸ™ÂÂÂ?ðŸ™ÂÂÂ? I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here thank you for existing pic.twitter.com/QU7DR3Ghbw
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) June 18, 2018
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
— Sean Don (@BigSean) June 19, 2018