“[Insert rapper name] shot and killed.” It’s a headline that has too often crossed TV and phone screens in hip-hop’s 51 years of existence. Unfortunately, for decades, many rappers’ murders have gone unsolved. However, these days, suspects are caught more quickly, arrested and later convicted. Hip-hop is getting its rightful justice.
That hasn’t always been the case. From the late 1980s to the 2010s, countless hip-hop stars’ slayings went unsolved and are still cold cases to this day. The Notorious B.I.G sticks out as the most high-profile murder in which someone has yet to be charged. Yet, there are countless others that have yet to be solved as well. Fat Pat, Soulja Slim, Mac Dre and Stack Bundles, to name a few.
In recent years, things have changed as the rate of murdered rappers’ cases seem to be solved more often than not. There are several examples that have occurred in the last few years. XXXTentacion‘s killers were tried and found guilty of his 2018 murder in March of 2023. PnB Rock‘s murder has been solved, as so has Nipsey Hussle‘s death and Pop Smoke‘s killing.
While Young Dolph and Takeoff‘s murders have yet to be fully resolved, suspects have been apprehended and are awaiting trial as of press time. Even Tupac Shakur‘s 26-year-old murder looks like it’s close to being solved in a court of law.
Read More: The Current Status of Every Murdered Rapper’s Case
Check out XXL‘s examination of why rappers’ murders are being solved more often than they used to be below.
