- Rapper only turned 50
Rapper and musician Chino XL (1974-2024) has passed away. He passed away on Sunday (28th July) at his own home, as announced by his family on Instagram. No cause of death was mentioned in the post.
Chino XL: Four Decades in the Music Industry
Derek Keith Barbosa, the musician's civic name, hailed from the New York borough of the Bronx. Throughout his career, he released four solo albums. His debut "Here to Save You All" was released in 1996. He gained notoriety through a diss by the late rap legend Tupac Shakur (1971-1996), to which Shakur responded with his legendary track "Hit 'Em Up".
Besides his music career, Chino XL also found success as an actor. He appeared in the romantic comedy "Alex & Emma" alongside Kate Hudson (45), starred in the hip-hop film "The Beat" alongside Coolio (1963-2022), and made appearances in TV series such as "Reno 911!" and "CSI: Miami" among others.
Chino XL's Family "Devastated"
"Our father had many titles - King of Punchlines, Puerto Rican Superhero - but the most important one was Girl Dad. And what he gave us most in that role was his strength, honesty, and the ability to be super realistic," his four daughters wrote in a joint statement on Instagram.
Rapper Ice-T (66) expressed his condolences on Instagram. "This really hurts [...]. I've lost so many homies, but this one hit different. Everybody knows he was an incredible MC. But Chino was a really great man," the post read.
♪ I'm not going to lie ♪, Chino XL's daughters shared their heartfelt tribute to their father on Instagram, honoring his title as a loving "Girl Dad."
inspecting the musician's Instagram post history, it was not uncommon to find him casually dropping music gems ♪ I'm not going to lie ♪, showcasing his honest and authentic approach to rap.
