Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty
The Hip-Hop world is collectively gathered in mourning after the death of Geto Boys rapper,
Bushwick Bill. The longtime member of the Houston group announced he was battling advanced cancer, which was so severe that the group called off their
farewell tour that just booked weeks ago.
Born Richard Stephen Shaw in Kingston, Jamaica on December 8, 1966, Bushwick Bill came to America and the family settled in Brooklyn, New York before the rapper made his way to Houston and joined the Geto Boys in the late 1980s before embarking on a solo career in the early 1990s. Known for his dwarfism, Bushwick Bill possessed a commanding, sometimes chilling vocal presence in the Geto Boys’ releases and his own work.
Back in May, Bushwick Bill revealed he was combating Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and the crew assembled a number of short dates to do a farewell tour. However, via an Instagram post, Brad “Scarface” Jordan shared that his rap partner succumbed to his disease.
The reactions on Twitter have been bubbling since the news went public and we’ve collected what we’ve seen thus far.
Rest Powerfully in Peace, Bushwick Bill.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByfnAQGJR-5/
UPDATE: Per
TMZ, Bushwick Bill’s family and his publicist both said that the rapper is not dead but in a hospital, fighting to stay alive. Bill’s family claimed that some figures are hoping his father is dead in order to “capitalize off it.”
UPDATE #2: According to new reports, Bushwick Bill died Sunday evening (June 9) surrounded by his family.
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Photo: Getty
