10 Rappers From Chicago That Died Young

Rappers from Chicago that died include King Von whose real name was Dayon Daquan Bennett. Von was also known for being a close friend of Lil Durk.

Von became popular in the late 2010s alongside Durk for breathing new life into the Chicago Drill scene which had been seeing a decline since its burst of popularity in the early 2010s.

The rapper was one of the most prominent members of the new resurgence due in part to his engaging storytelling, infectious bars, and ability to make the heinous tales he rapper about engaging. Though known as Durk's right-hand man many saw him as a prominent rapper on his own.

Sadly, the rapper's career was cut short in 2020 when he became a victim of homicide due to a gang dispute that went horribly wrong.

Juice WRLD is the stage name of the late Jarad Anthony Higgins. During his short career, Juice was one of the biggest rappers in the world.

Known as one of the leading artists in the emo rap subgenre that was growing in popularity in the late 2010s, Juice's sung rapping style produced both critical and commercial acclaim.

Through songs like Lucid Dreams and All Girls Are the Same,  the former of which is certified diamond, the rapper showcased a deft command of emotion in his songs. Among his peers, Juice also gained respect for being able to freestyle off the top of his head for hours on end.

Sadly, the rapper would pass away in late 2019 due to a substance overdose. Juice had often rapped and talked about his trouble with substances.

Young Dolph is the stage name of the slain rapper Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. Though born in Chicago, he is known for being a Southern rapper.

Dolph started his career in 2008 and came of age during the bling era of Hip-Hop that valued opulence over everything else. The rapper showcased that quality in his own music, which largely revolved around rapping about material goods and the pursuit of said goods.

However, what separated Dolph from many of his peers was that he often focused on helping those around him rather than simply looking out for himself. 

Sadly, this quality made his passing that much sadder. The rapper was gunned down in late 2021, two years after his cousin, Juice WRLD, passed away.

KTS Dre is another tragic Chicago rapper who passed away too soon. Dre's passing was especially horrifying due to its brutality.

The rapper was gunned down like many others on this list, but unlike the previously mentioned rappers, Dre was shot 64 times with bullet wounds found on his face, chest, head, and other parts of his body. 

What makes his passing all the sadder is that just the day before, his fiancee had posted his bail of $5,000, and the rapper had just come home. 

The rapper was simply walking towards a friend's car during the evening when two cars pulled up out of nowhere and opened fire on him. Two innocent bystanders were also injured due to the shooting.

Fredo Santana was the rap moniker of the late Derrick Coleman. Santana is the older cousin of Chicago Drill legend Chief Keef.

Alongside Keef, Santana was one of the defining artists that helped developed the nascent sounds of early 2010s Chicago Drill music. Though he never made it into the mainstream like Keef, his influence on the genre is still felt to this day.

One of the reasons why Santana could not sustain his career was due to his heavy drug abuse which stemmed from his post-traumatic stress disorder due to the abuse he faced in childhood.

Sadly, the substance abuse would lead to his passing when it caused him to have a fatal seizure from cardiovascular disease, which in turn was due to all the substances he had consumed throughout his life.

FBG Cash is the stage name of the doomed Chicago rapper Tristian Hamilton. Cash is one in a long line of rappers who passed due to gang violence.

Like many on this list, Cash is from the violent and dangerous South Side of Chicago. The rapper was an active gang member and was prone to rapping about the many illicit deeds he would take part in.

Sadly, these deeds would come to bite him back as the rapper was gunned down in mid-June 2020 by two gunmen who were driving after him in a black Cadillac. 

The gunmen fired a dozen rounds at him and a woman who was riding with him. Though the woman was only seriously wounded, Cash ended up losing his life and became the second member of the Fly Boy Gang to lose their life in two years.

Tray Savage is the rap moniker of the deceased Chicago rapper Kentray Young. Tray was a member of the famous Black Disciples gang.

As a member of the Black Disciples gang, Tray was from the violent South Side of Chicago, where he was known to engage in many gang activities that resulted in violence, substance abuse, and the sale of those substances.

Like many other Drill rappers, Tray was prone to rap about his activities in his track, which led to him being a target. In mid-2020, it would seem that his enemies would meet their target as the rapper was gunned down.

While driving around his girlfriend's neighborhood, a passing vehicle shot him down. The rapper kept driving at first and even managed to hit three cars before dying.

Johnny May Cash is the rap pseudonym of the Chicagoan rapper Tyrone Pittman. The rapper lost his life due to a fatal gunshot.

Pittman is best known for being the brother of the popular producer, Young Chop, who is credited for singlehandedly creating the sound of Chicago Drill, and for working with the genre's most prominent rapper, Chief Keef.

Cash, on the other hand, gained prominence only after his passing, and that too due to its nature. The rapper was shot and killed by none other that his girlfriend Brianna Gibbs.

The fact that his death was a crime of passion rather than due to gang violence made the case stand out. The rapper had faced multiple domestic violence allegations, and his girlfriend has maintained that the death was due to self-defense.

YNMM Benjee was an up-and-coming Chicago rapper who was tragically gunned down.  The rapper passed away back in May 2022.

What makes Benjee's death so sad is that the rapper was bringing home a cake for Mother's Day. Unfortunately, instead of being able to celebrate the blessed day with his mother and the rest of his family, the rapper would get shot down and die in the streets.

Benjee's death is also made all the sadder by the fact that the rapper had bought the cake not just for mother's day but to celebrate his own successes. Though not many rappers make it out of Chicago's slums, Benjee had gotten a bunch of viral hit records under his belt.

Now, the rapper has instead joined the list of Chicagoan rappers who have reached an early grave rather than any success.

Lil Mister was a Chicago rapper who recently lost his life due to a shooting. Lil Mister was also known as Lil Woppa or Antwon Fields.

Mister is best known for being the cousin of the famous Chicago rapper Lil Durk, who is best known for being the current face of Chicago Drill music.

As such, Mister was also involved with the famous OTF gang which Durk runs. The gang, which is based in O Block in Chicago, is known for having many rivalries and it seems that one of those rivals has ended up taking Lil Mister's life.

The rapper had already lost his good friend Lil Jojo a couple of years ago in 2017, and it seems like he has since followed Jojo to the other world. Mister's death marks two people Durk has lost to gang violence.