Rapper Killed In Drive-By Shooting: Gang-Related Violence Claims 53rd Rapper’s Life In Atlanta
Bankroll Fresh, the Atlanta rapper killed in a drive-by shooting at a recording studio just before 11 P.M. on Friday, has become the fifty-third rapper to be killed by gang-related gun violence in the U.S. since 1987.
The drive-by shooting took place at the recording studio of fellow Georgia rapper 2Chainz’s Street Execs record label, where Bankroll Fresh was recording music for an upcoming album. Police have obtained video evidence to attempt to catch the person who killed the rapper, reports Telesur, but so far, no arrests have been made.
For some, the gangland wars of the 90s that saw popular rappers such as 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G. and Eazy E killed in shooting incidents motivated by east vs. west gang feuds are a distant memory. The shooting on Friday serves as a startling reminder that the longstanding culture of violence, revenge and murder still plagues the American hip-hop industry today, with the ‘Hot Boyz’ rapper being the fifty-third victim of gang wars.
Bankroll Fresh, born Trentavious White, was fatally wounded during the shooting and died shortly after being taken to the nearest hospital by one of his friends. The 28-year-old rapper is the only one to have been killed or injured in the shooting, and fans, followers and high-profile industry friends have taken to social media to condemn the shooting and gang violence that has killed so many talented young artists.
.@MetroBoomin pens heartfelt message about his friendship with Bankroll Fresh https://t.co/xONZ70kSry pic.twitter.com/ZtwqZqxY3v
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) March 6, 2016
With a popular and talented rapper killed in a drive-by shooting, decades after the notorious and bloody ‘Bloodz vs. Crips’ feuds, Bankroll has been saluted with heavy hearts by hip-hop industry names, with Raury, Young Money, 2Chainz and Maejor who posted tributes to Bankroll Fresh and condemned violent crime. 2Chainz, who had signed Bankroll to his record label some years ago, implored the community to stop the ‘senseless violence’ and mourns the ‘irreplaceable’ rapper, killed before reaching his ‘infinite potential’.
RIP @1YUNGFRESH. Way too soon. pic.twitter.com/frvJcomVBX
— Mula (@youngmoney) March 5, 2016
Man I'm a fan of Bru and always will be , I'm in shock at the moment !! Senseless deaths we just got to stop it , I'm speaking up now ??
— Tity Boi (2 Chainz) (@2chainz) March 5, 2016
Fellow Georgia rapper Rich The Kid also wrote a touching tribute and posted on Twitter saying “I just talk to bankroll earlier today, smh s**t is sad,” shortly after finding out that Fresh had been killed on Friday evening.
Furthermore, XXL reports that two rappers are killed each year in the United States. And, in a district already plagued by incidences of gang-related violence, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution, locals – including fellow Atlanta and Georgia rappers – are concerned that many more may be killed in drive-by shootings and the like.
“Friday’s shooting was at least the fifth involving recording studios in the general area in less than two years,” reports AJC.“In April 2014, a drive-by shooting was reported at a studio on Forrest Street, less than a mile south of Street Execs.”
In the wake of the tragedy in which the talented rapper was killed in a drive-by shooting – a scene from which police have gathered over 50 bullet shells – XXL went on to describe Fresh’s successes during his short-lived career, citing the rapper’s 2014 mixtape Life of a Hot Boy which ‘set fire to the streets.’ Police and public alike await further details, and hope to have the person who killed the rapper apprehended soon.
[Images by Mark Lennihan/AP, Bryan Bedder/Getty Images and Rachel Murray/Getty Images, respectively]
