Unfortunately, a fair amount of talented hip-hop artists have passed away over the years. There's no easy way around it, but fame and fortune sometimes take the ultimate toll on an individual. We've seen it happen all too often over the years, and just today, we found out about the passing of an underground MC Pumpkinhead.
From drug overdoses to murders to cancer, rap has seen its fair share of misfortune. Tupac and Biggie's deaths may be the most publicized, but there are a load of other artists who have fallen during their journey.
Death is never a good thing, and this is in no way of 'ranking' of deaths, but occasionally the passing of someone great, or someone whose full potential was not yet realized, can really shake up the hip-hop community.
Here are 15 instances of when a artist's death did just that.
Eazy-E: died of AIDS in 1995
N.W.A.'s Eazy-E might be the first high profile rap star to pass under the publics eye. One of his last messages to his fans was, "A few times I used Jimmy-Hats, but most of the times, I did it raw, and I ain't gay." It's a tragedy, because the lack of protection clearly had an influence on his death. He was survived by two daughters and a son, who pursued a rap career of his own.
2Pac: shot and killed in 1996
Tupac Shakur's death is the subject of much controversy, even to this day. The murder of Tupac is usually linked with the East Coast/West Coast beef, and conspiracies range from Suge Knight being involved, to Pac still being alive and well in Cuba.
One of the most remarkable parts of Shakur's legacy is the amount of work he left behind; it was enough to release seven posthumous albums. Most rappers won't hit that mark while their alive, so it's an admirable stat to add to the legacy.
The Notorious B.I.G.: shot and killed in 1997
Christopher Wallace was murdered in Los Angeles, most likely as a retaliation of Tupac's death. He was out in California to shoot a music video for "Hypnotize" when he was shot numerous times, leading to his death.
With Tupac and Biggie murdered within a year of each other, the game was fiercely shaken. This "beef" stuff was obviously for real, as it took the lives of the two leading rappers of that day. Nas has been quoted to say it was, "nearly the end of rap."
Big L: shot and killed in 1999
Lamont Coleman, better known as Big L, was shot in a drive-by shooting in early 1999. Although the murder remains unsolved, one of Coleman's childhood friends was initially arrested for the crime. It was apparently as a result of something L's brother had done, and it certainly left the rap game hurting for another lost star.
Big Pun: died of a heart attack in 2000
The Terror Squad lost one of their best in 2000, when Big Pun passed away due to a heart attack. Pun, whose real name was Christopher Lee Rios, was the first solo Latino to reach platinum status within the rap game. He broke down barriers and paved the way for equality in the rap scene during his 11 year career.
DJ Screw: had a heart attack that was linked to codeine overdose in 2000
In November of 2000, a Houston legend passed when he overdosed on codeine. It's honestly a shame that the game didn't learn more from this passing, as we've heard of numerous rappers having close calls due to the ever-popular purple drink. Most notably was fellow Texan and UGK member Pimp C, who died of an overdose in 2007.
Aaliyah: died in a plane crash in 2001
The rap game really, really felt it when Aaliyah died. It's probably because it was such a random occurance. She wasn't involved in beef, and wasn't using hard drugs. She's truly an example of an artist with all the potential in the world whose time came way too soon.
Left Eye: died in a car accident in 2002
TLC's Left Eye is another example of a beautiful, young girl who went far too soon. TLC sold 14 million copies of FanMail just three years before she passed. There's a documentary called "The Last Days of Left Eye," which documents just that, if you're interested in learning more about this polarizing figure.
Jam Master Jay: shot and killed in 2002
The DJ of Run DMC, best known as Jam Master Jay, was shot and killed while recording in a Queens studio. The murder remains unsolved, but Ronald "Tenad" Washington was convicted as an accomplice.
Ol' Dirty Bastard: died of a drug overdose in 2004
It was a sad day when the Wu-Tang's own Ol' Dirty Bastard died of a drug overdose. Although his erratic behavior made the death somewhat lesser of a shock, the rap world still felt it, and misses ODB to this day.
J Dilla: died of cardiac arrest in 2006
Undoubtably one of the greatest beat makers of all time left behind an incredible body of work when he passed away in 2006. J Dilla was an absolute legend, and most highly regarded by the people who worked the closest to him. Thankfully he had enough beats to continue at an incredible rate, and we are able to hear new work all the time.
Guru (of Gang Starr): died of cancer in 2010
Guru always kept it pretty positive on the mic, and so his death hurt in a different way. The hip-hop community lost someone who was intelligent, peaceful, and a righteous influence on his listeners. Not to take away from other artists on this list, but Guru is just missed in a slightly different way.
DJ Premier issued a statement on Guru along with this incredible, 2-hour mix.
Nate Dogg: died from a stroke in 2011
The king of the hip-hop hook was unlike any other artist that has ever existed. With a voice completely his own, Nate Dogg helped to perfect tracks from Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Warren G, Master P, Fabolous, Ludacris, and many more. His melodies would get stuck in your head as that deep voice always sounded so good on the hook.
MCA (of Beastie Boys): died of cancer in 2012
Adam Yauch was a founding member of one of the greatest hip hop groups to ever exist: the Beastie Boys. His passing not only left the hip hop community in grief, but the rock world felt it too. Yauch and his band helped to blend those worlds in the late 80s and 90s, and they did wonders for hip hop's credibility and mainstream success.
A$AP Yams: died of drug overdose in 2015
It wasn't long ago that we got news of A$AP Yams passing, and it's safe to say that the community is still mourning his loss. We can only hope that his overdose can teach the youth (and other artists) about the dangers of experimenting with drugs. Be careful out there.