J-Dilla was 32.
Big Moe was 33.
Black the Ripper (from the U.K.) was 32.
Lord Infamous was 40.
KMG the Illustrator (Above the Law) was 43.
DMX was 50.
Big T was 52.
Tweedy Bird Loc was 52.
Black Rob was 52.
Big Pun was 28.
They all died from heart attacks.
Trugoy the Dove aka Dave passed away at 53 after a battle with congestive heart failure.
Heavy D was 44 when he experienced a pulmonary embolism that led to his death.
Prince Markie Dee (of the Fat Boys) was 52 when he passed away from congestive heart failure.
Rico Wade was 52 when he died from heart failure.
Craig Mack was 47 when he died from heart failure.
Brax was 21 when she died from cardiac arrhythmia.
Phife Dawg was 45.
Tim Dog was 46.
Biz Markie was 57.
Each of them passed away from complications related to diabetes.
Guru was 48.
Bushwick Bill was 52.
Hurricane G was 52.
Kangol Kid was 55.
Each died from cancer.
DJ K Slay passed away at 55 from what was described as COVID-19 complications.
Eazy-E died of AIDS at 30.
Nate Dogg’s death at 41 was attributed to a stroke.
MF Doom was 49 when he died from an allergic reaction to a prescribed drug.
Lexii Alijai was 21.
Chynna was 25.
Gangsta Boo was 43.
Shock G was 57.
They each reportedly died of an accidental drug overdose.
Pimp C’s death at 33 was attributed to sleep apnea and an overdose of cough syrup.
Coolio was 59 when he died “from the effects of fentanyl and other drugs.”
When Ms. Melodie passed away in her sleep, she was 43.
Big Pokey was 48 when he collapsed onstage and passed away.
Ecstasy of Whodini died at 56.
Unfortunately, this tragically long list of people who we’ve lost far too early doesn’t include all of the artists who have passed away before the age of retirement.
On October 14, 2025, the world lost yet another brilliant musician when D’Angelo passed away at the age of 51, reportedly after privately battling cancer.
The musical pioneer, a native of Richmond, Va., changed the course of popular music with radically Black soulful funk music.
I’m a rapper and a fan of Hip-Hop art and artists. Because I work as a professor of Hip-Hop, I’m frequently asked about the deaths of Black musical icons.
In my book Being Dope: Hip-Hop & Theory through Mixtape Memoir, I write about the ways Black people and Black art are consumed and exploited in the present day and throughout history. Part of the book’s argument is about permission and sanctioning Blackness in the United States. It seems like the country would have us pretend that it is both a pharmacy and a trap house, and the main product it deals in is Black people.
In this metaphor, Black death is as valuable, if not more so, than Black life.
Among the top 10 causes of death among Black men and Hispanic men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, strokes, and renal disease. These numbers affect musicians as much as they do anyone else.
To celebrate 50-plus years of Hip-Hop is to hopefully also reflect and honor those who have come and gone before us. We should also be looking out for ourselves and one another. The persistent, systemic barriers to health and wellness — like access to affordable health care, varied dietary options, and mental health resources — are well documented.
Perhaps now is as good a time as any to take dead prez’s advice from “Be Healthy”: “We got to start taking better care of ourselves.”
—
Photo: Getty
