This has been a summer full of tragedy, with rap artists who had a lifetime of potential having their lives cruelly taken away from them. Toronto rapper Smoke Dawg was shot and killed last night in his home town, making him the latest in a string of tragic deaths of young rappers from gun violence.
According to CP24 News, the incident took place in Downtown Toronto, outside Cube nightclub in the area of Queen Street West and Peter Street. The neighborhood was packed, considering the Canada Day celebrations that were going on at the time. Shortly before 8PM, shots rang out, and two men with serious injuries and one woman with serious, but not life threatening injuries were taken to the hospital. One of the men shot later passed away from his wounds, and affiliates of Smoke Dawg confirmed to Hip-Hop N More that that man was, in fact, Smoke Dawg.
Smoke Dawg was a big up-and-coming name in Toronto, a city who's rap scene gets bigger every day. He and his group, Halal Gang, supported Drake on his "Boy Meets World" European tour last year, and he was working on his debut album. Drake took to his Instagram story to pay his respects to Smoke.
"All these gifts and blessed souls and inner lights being extinguished lately is devastating," Drake wrote. "I wish peace would wash over our city. So much talent and so many stories we never get to see play out. Rest up Smoke."
Rest in peace, Smoke Dawg.
