Rapper Pumpkinhead Dead: Cause Linked To Surgery? [Video]

The rap world is mourning the loss of artist Pumpkinhead, aka Robert Diaz who died Tuesday morning in a Somerville, New Jersey, hospital.

The news the rapper was dead was confirmed to Rolling Stone magazine by Graeme “GMS” Sibirsky, the co-founder of Pumpkinhead’s label, MCMI Records, on June 9th.

Although the cause of Pumpkinhead’s death remains unknown, sources close to the rapper admit he’d been in the hospital earlier in the week for minor surgery. Sources haven’t confirmed if the surgery is why Pumpkinhead is dead, but that hasn’t stopped fans from wondering about the cause.

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“To lose such a great human being so early in his life, man. No words,” Talib Kweli wrote on his Instagram page about Pumpkinead after learning his friend was dead, reports Rolling Stone.

“Just finding out I lost a great friend today. RIP Robert Diaz AKA Pumpkinhead. Robert and I went to PS 282 together in Brooklyn, 4th grade. We then reconnected when he became an MC during the indie era of the late 90s. He signed to Makin Records, I signed to Rawkus. Then PH went on the reinvest himself again in the new battle rap era. He LOVED MCing and was great at it. To lose such a great human being so early in his life, man. No words. There is a fraternity of artists who were areound for all of this. PH inspired us all. He will live on thru on even though his physical presence will be missed. RIP Robert Diaz.”

Pumpkinhead wasn’t just a popular rapper, he was a friendly guy that was well-liked among other artists. “He was one of those guys who would just freestyle in the street for hours, 20 round battles, of merciless bars, and he always had a box of CDs hustling,” artist Immortal Technique told the Daily Mail after learning his friend was dead. “To say he was a legend was an understatement. [Pumpkinhead] always had jokes, man. He was never unprepared to tell you about yourself.”

Shawntay Ocasio, Pumpkinhead’s wife, said that even though the artist had a profound career that spanned over two decades, he was still a humble and friendly man.

Pumpkinhead “was so humble, he never let it go to his head,” Ocasio told the New York Daily News. Rap “was just something [Pumpkinhead] did, something that came natural to him.”

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A fund was set up to support Pumpkinhead’s family after reports that the rapper is dead were confirmed. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Pumpkinhead is survived by his wife, who is expecting the couple’s daughter, and two sons.

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[Image from Instagram]