Rapper PnB Rock Shot Dead in Los Angeles, Tributes Pour in From Across Music Industry
UPDATED: Rapper PnB Rock was shot today in Los Angeles as a result of a robbery attempt. He was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital, the L.A. Times reported.
An explicit and graphic video is currently circulating online purportedly depicting Rock, whose real name is Rakim Allen, on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood.
The episode occurred inside the Roscoe’s Place of Chicken and Waffles eatery situated in Inglewood, as Allen was feasting with his better half. As indicated by reports, policing called around 1:23 p.m. to answer a shooting bringing about dangerous wounds.
Influential hip-hop podcaster Akademiks twitter, “Wow.. this PNB Rock situation is crazy. I just did an interview with him a week ago where he detailed how someone tried to rob him in LA recently while he was out with his girlfriend and daughter. Now.. this.. smh. Pray for PNB Rock.”
PnB Rock is a Philadelphia local who is most popular for his 2016 breakout single “Egotistical,” which topped at No. 51 on the Announcement Hot 100. Recently endorsed to Atlantic Records, Rock has been very vocal in praising his newly discovered autonomy and detachment from the Warner Music Gathering mark. His most memorable autonomous delivery showed up with “Luv Me Once more,” which was simply delivered on Sept. 2.
The LAPD issued a public statement at 4 p.m. local time referencing a “shooting investigation” involving a male Black victim on W. Manchester Ave. They later confirmed a homicide at the location.
Following news of PnB Rock’s death, condolences poured into social media from all over the music industry. Read some of those tributes below.
Rapper PnB Rock, an exceptional hip-jump craftsman from Philadelphia, was lethally shot Monday early evening time during a theft at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in South Los Angeles, police sources told ABC News. He was 30 years of age.
Although the Los Angeles Police Department did not officially name the victim, sources at the LAPD told ABC News on Monday evening that the rapper, whose legal name is Rakim Hasheem Allen, was the victim seen in social media videos of the incident captured by witnesses.
The rapper was at the South LA eatery with his girlfriend, according to his social media account, where he shared that he was eating at Roscoe’s in a since-deleted message.
Police said they got a call about a shooting at 1:23 p.m. ET and found a male casualty with discharge wounds. He was shipped to an area clinic. As per the LAPD, the person in question and a lady were eating in the eatery when they were moved toward by something like one suspect who pulled a gun requesting property. The suspect shot the casualty on various occasions, eliminated property and left in a fast vehicle, as per police.
“What occurred was the victim, along with a female witness, were in this area eating at a restaurant when they were approached by at least one suspect, who brandished a firearm and demanded property from the victim,” LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz said during a Monday afternoon press conference. “The suspect then shot the victim multiple times, and removed property and then left the location in a getaway car.”
Muniz said that multiple shots were fired, and that others on the scene were not injured.
When asked about reports that Allen shared his location on social media ahead of the robbery, Muniz said, “We always are gonna look into the social media,” but added that police couldn’t “verify” that yet.
Police said they are examining surveillance video to identify potential suspects.
Allen delivered various hits that outlined on the Bulletin Hot 100 and was highlighted in XXL Magazine’s First year recruit Class of rappers to watch in 2017.