Biz Markie

• Rappers and rap fans can’t help but take notice that their peers and favorite rappers are dying young.
• Trugoy the Dove of De La Soul, 53, passed away in February 2023 after a battle with congestive heart failure.
• Rapper Jim Jones has claimed that rap is the most dangerous profession due to rappers being violently killed so frequently.

The (un)exceptional spectacle of American gun violence

• News media are quick to report on violence in hip-hop to support their view that the music and the people who make it are exceptionally violent.
• Violence, death and conflict attract attention.
• Though they were all taken by the very American plague of gun violence, news and historical accounts often amplify the spectacle of violent Black death, even when they claim to honor those who are killed.
• It is also the topic addressed in the song “ANKH” from my forthcoming mixtap/e/ssay, “V: ILLICIT”: “He died by the gun but they blamed the music.
• Another heartbreaking consequence is that some rappers only gain wide popularity and realize financial success after they’ve died.

Deadly diseases

While violence brings about headlines, guns are not the only cause for concern. Diseases – many of them preventable – are also a factor. Heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, strokes and renal disease are among the top 10 causes of death among Black men and Hispanic men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It makes sense that these causes also prominently figure in the deaths of hip-hop artists.

Gone before retirement

• Heavy D (44) experienced a pulmonary embolism that led to his death.
• Prince Markie Dee (52) of the Fat Boys passed away from congestive heart failure.
• Phife Dawg (45) of A Tribe Called Quest, Tim Dog (46) and Biz Markie (57) all passed away from complications related to diabetes.
• Guru (48) of Gangstarr, Bushwick Bill (52) of the Geto Boys, Hurricane G (52) and Kangol Kid (55) died from cancer.

A renewed focus on health

• The occasion of celebrating 50 years of hip-hop provides a moment to reflect and honor some of the artists who contributed to the culture and are not here to celebrate this golden anniversary.
• It’s also, perhaps, an opportunity to consider some of the outcomes of systemic barriers to health and wellness, such as access to affordable health care, varied dietary options and mental wellness resources.