Florida rapper Fat Nick was fortunate enough to spend time and develop friendships with two of the new generation of rappers' most influential artists: XXXTentacion and Lil Peep. The tragic deaths of both those artists, from a violent robbery and an accidental drug overdose respectively, has left a gaping hole in the music industry as two of its brightest shining stars had their lives taken.
In an interview with XXL, Nick can't understate how important these two artists were to the newest generation of rap fans. "He's gonna be remembered as one of the most influential, important people of this generation," Nick says of X. "Especially to the kids and the youth—the people who matter. They lost two of the most influential [people]: [Lil Peep] and X."
It's not surprising that Nick would make that claim about X. The reaction around his death was massive whether you liked him or hated him, and some of the greats of hip-hop have shown their support for the young artist. It's clear that X's music meant a lot to people who felt like they were also going through dark times, a quality he shared with Peep.
"That's why I felt really bad for the kids, because those two people said it how it should be said," said Nick. "They didn't give a fuck what anyone thought, and these kids can relate to them more than anyone. That's what the fucked-up thing is. That's who these kids relate to. That's who these kids cry to. That's who these kids survive off. They meant a lot to the youth. Fuck what anyone has to say."