US rapper Rich Homie Quan dies aged 33
6 September 2024, 19:18 | Updated: 6 September 2024, 19:19
Rich Homie Quan, the US rapper who gained mainstream notoriety through the trap singles Type Of Way and Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh), has died aged 33.
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Homie Quan, real name Dequantes Devontay Lamar, died in an Atlanta hospital, the Fulton County medical examiner said.
Quan was one of the biggest names in hip-hop in the mid-2010s. He released a slew of mixtapes before he broke through in 2013 with the infectious Type Of Way.
The song became such a success that several other rappers jumped on the remix, including Jeezy and Meek Mill.
He maintained his momentum, appearing on a YG track with Jeezy and releasing the London on da Track-produced song Lifestyle through his Rich Gang rap collective that included Young Thug and Birdman.
Quan followed up with Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh), a song produced by DJ Spinz and Nitti Beatz. It became his highest charting solo single at No 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He also featured on Lil Dicky's viral Save Dat Money.
In 2018, Quan debuted his first and only studio album Rich As In Spirit, which mostly went without any features, except for Think About It, a single with Rick Ross.
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Quan spoke in 2022 about returning to music after an abrupt hiatus. At the time, the rapper said he was going through litigation with independent label T.I.G. (Think It's a Game Record), but was prepared to make a comeback.
During that time, Quan ended up in a feud with his old collaborator Young Thug who, with rapper Gunna, were among a group indicted on charges of conspiracy to violate Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act and were also accused of participation in a criminal street gang.
Quan said there was no beef between him Young Thug and was open to having a conversation with him if the opportunity presented itself.
He said he hated to see Young Thug locked up, adding that rappers were being targeted by law enforcement.
"I wouldn't say unfairly targeted because at the same time, some of these rappers are putting guns in videos and, you know, it's like social media, it goes back to the social media thing," he said.
"I think we showing too much, I think they're showing too much, you know what I mean. Like that's the difference in my music, I'ma tell a story but I ain't going to tell you how I did it," he added.
"It's still black art, but we're definitely being targeted. So that's why I'm mindful of what I say in my music."
