The Notorious B.I.G. tragically popularized the slogan “you’re nobody until somebody kills you” weeks after he was murdered in 1997. Nearly two decades later, deja vu cast a black shadow across the NYC Hip-Hop scene.
On May 17, 2015, Lionel “Chinx” Pickens’ saw his career surge and simultaneously halt when he was gunned down by an unknown assailant in his hometown Queens neighborhood. Under the guidance of his close friend French Montana, he had steadily been building a buzz and his efforts can’t be disputed in the wake of the notoriety death brings to an artist’s stature.
Although the 31-year-old father of four isn’t around to see the fruits of his labor, eOne has mastered and polished his studio debut album, Welcome to JFK, for his fans and rap heads to enjoy with admiration for his skill on the mic. The 12-track offering is littered with gritty street narratives and features guest spots from the likes of Ty Dolla $ign, Nipsey Hussle, Jeremih, Lil Durk and of course, French Montana, among others. The records “Pray” and “Die Young” are equally vivid and eerie, given the circumstances.
To elaborate on the release of Welcome to JFK, REVOLT TV is rolling out the documentary Long Live Chinx for a more beneath the surface look at the man outside of the music.
“Chinx was always the guy in the room that wasn’t playing around,” Diddy explain in the doc’s preview. “He was very upfront with me, he wanted to learn, and he wanted to know about the game.”
Long Live Chinx premieres on REVOLT on August 13, 2015 at 10:30 ET and Welcome to JFK will be released a day later. Listen to the album below and pre-order it on iTunes right now.
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Photo: Instagram/Chinx
