Bryan Silva Dead: Hoax Claims Vine Rapper Shot For Using Racial Slurs

Bryan Silva was not shot and killed over the weekend, but that hasn’t stopped news of the rapper and Vine star’s demise from spreading rapidly across the internet.

In the past few days a report has spread claiming that Silva was shot to death for reportedly using racial slurs.

The report noted:

“Around 11:00 a.m., Brian, 23, was gunned down just outside a doorway at 1840 W Broad St. He had been shot five times in the head, becoming the first Caucasian killed in the area for overusing the “N” word.”

Bryan Silva is one of the biggest stars on the video-sharing site Vine, with close to a quarter million followers. In most of his videos he is shirtless in front of a mirror, delivering often undecipherable lyrics and holding his finger like a gun while saying “gratata.” The videos have helped the term #Gratata trend.

Those who did a little bit of digging found that the Bryan Silva death report originated from Huzlers, a fake news website behind a number of other viral stories including a recent one claiming that the Undertaker’s loss at Wrestlemania was a mistake.

In fact the still-living Bryan Silva just opened up about his Vine fame in an interview with Complex, revealing that he’s had a pretty troubled past. Silva talked about a three-year prison stint for assaulting his high school principal, adding that he never finished school — at least formally.

“I went to the university of the streets,” he said. “I ended up having to get my GED when I was locked up. I actually got that when I was 16. I mainly found my fun with the freaks and the ni**as.”

Bryan Silva also delved into his wide-ranging background, which includes work in porn.

When asked what first drew him into working in porn, Silva responded: “Just how everyone looked at me. Just me knowing that I’m going to be great and I’m going to succeed in life because when you stand out in a crowd, you know you’re going places. Always alpha male, always got to stand out.”

While Bryan Silva may not be dead, the part about racial slurs definitely has struck a chord with many. In the story from Complex, writer Lauren Nostro noted that his copious use of the n-word was one of the many “obvious problems” with the Vine star.