Lil Loaded, a Dallas rapper who rose to fame in 2019 after his song “6locc 6a6y” went viral and who was charged earlier this year in the 2020 fatal shooting of his best friend, was found dead on Memorial Day, according to reports.
Loaded, whose real name is Dashawn Maurice Robertson, was 20 years old.
Authorities in Dallas County have not revealed how he died, although Ashkan Mehryari, an attorney for the fledgling artist, said it was “as a result of a reported suicide,” according to the entertainment news website TMZ.
There was no indication or reports of foul play.
The rapper was indicted in March and scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for a first hearing in the alleged manslaughter of 18-year-old Khalia Walker, a close friend of Robertson’s who was shot to death with a rifle at his Dallas home on Oct. 25, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Robertson turned himself in to authorities 15 days later and was initially charged with murder, but he was indicted in March on the lesser charge of manslaughter, reports said.
While out on bond, Robertson maintained his innocence, proclaiming on Instagram, “They try to make u look guilty wen u innocent regardless .. we going to get pass this. Rip my brother love u.”
Robertson had recently signed a deal with Epic Records after “6locc 6a6y” racked up 28 million views on YouTube and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America just a week ago.
Mehryari released a statement to The Dallas Morning News calling his client’s death “very tragic” and unexpected. “He had a very bright and promising music career ahead of him.”
Before his death, Robertson reportedly posted a cryptic message to social media, which read in part, “Dear most high, please forgive me for my shortcomings and all of the times I’ve fell short of making you proud.”
He added, “I ask for entrance into your kingdom thru all of my mistakes. I know you love all your children, and I’m ready for my heart and soul to join you.”
The Cedar Hill Police Department is investigating Robertson’s death.
Dead rappers
Robertson joins a growing list of young rap artists who have been killed, mostly due to gun violence, over the past two years.
Supa Gates, another up-and-coming rapper from Brooklyn, whose real name was Aaron Williams, died May 27, seven weeks after being shot multiple times, according to reports. He was 25.
Milwaukee rapper Lamonn Young, who went by the name Fatboi Gwalla Gwalla, was found dead in a burning vehicle May 21. The death of the 42-year-old known as “the Biggie Smalls of Milwaukee” has been ruled a homicide, reports say.
Rapper Obe Noir, a close friend of George Floyd, was shot and killed in March after witnesses reported seeing the man running for his life as a car chased him through downtown Houston. He was 31.
In November, Chicago rapper King Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett, was one of three men killed when a fight outside a downtown Atlanta nightclub escalated to gunfire.
In August, 26-year-old Chicago rapper FBG Duck was shot dead after four gunmen emerged from a pair of cars and opened fire while he was standing on a sidewalk — a brazen daytime ambush in one of the city’s high-end shopping districts.
Last July, Atlanta rapper Lil Marlo, whose real name is Rudolph Johnson, was pronounced dead after police found him sitting in a car on Interstate 285 with a gunshot wound.
Rapper Baby Huey, best known for his 2006 hit “Pop, Lock & Drop It,” was shot and killed in June 2020 outside St. Louis, the city where he made his name. The 31-year-old’s real name is Lawrence Franks Jr.
In February 2020, 20-year-old rapper Pop Smoke, a rap newcomer whose real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson, was shot dead in a home invasion robbery in Hollywood Hills.
Police later revealed Smoke had publicly shared his address in an Instagram video only hours before the shooting. Five suspects were arrested in the case in July. When Smoke was killed, The Academy Music Business, an advocacy group for independent artists, warned other rappers on Twitter against publicizing their whereabouts on social media.
In July 2019, Philadelphia rapper Bankroll Gambino, 21, was shot and killed during a music video shoot.
And in March 2019, rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed in Los Angeles.
Back in 2017, another Chicago rapper named “Shootashellz,” whose real name was Cedron Doles, was shot to death after inserting the names of rivals into his rap lyrics.
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