Rich Homie Quan, young Atlanta rapper, dead at 33

Rich Homie Quan, an Atlanta-based rapper known for his 2015 hit “Flex” and ties to Young Thug and Michigan State, has died. He was 33.

The rapper, whose full name is Dequantes Devontay Lamar, was confirmed dead by the Fulton County, Ga., medical examiner’s office in a statement sent to The Washington Post on Thursday. A cause of death was not revealed, though an autopsy has been scheduled for Friday, the statement said. Both TMZ and Rolling Stone reported that Lamar’s family confirmed the rapper’s passing.

Lamar is the latest in a string of rappers who have died at young ages in recent years, including Young Dolph (36), Nipsey Hussle (33) and Pop Smoke (20). All three of those rappers died in shooting-related incidents.

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Lamar first burst on the rap scene in 2013 with his hit song “Type of Way.” The song made him somewhat of a star at Michigan State in the same year as the school’s football team made a run to the Rose Bowl. “Type of Way” was the team’s theme song that year, and he spent time on the sidelines cheering on the school.

Other popular tracks from his musical library include 2015’s “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)” and a feature on YG’s 2014 song “My Hitta,” which both charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The rapper also linked up with Young Thug for the 2014 hit “Lifestyle” as a part of the rap supergroup Rich Gang. His latest single, titled “Ah’chi,” featured 2 Chainz and was released in July.

Rumors of the rapper’s death first appeared on social media Wednesday afternoon, with multiple fans and fellow rappers posting about him. His collaborator T.O. Green posted an image of Rich Homie Quan with the words “RIP.” Another associate of his, Richard Stark, posted “I’m devastated” on his Instagram Story as news of his passing came to light.

Other rappers paid homage to the rapper, including Playboi Carti, who shared a video and photo of him on Instagram, and Migos rapper Quavo, who posted a picture of himself, Takeoff, Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan and Offset together on Instagram, writing, “May God be with US never saw this being apart of our journey.” (Takeoff, who was in the Migos rap group with Quavo, passed away in 2022.)

This month, Rich Homie Quan’s name was brought up during the racketeering trial of rapper Young Thug. On Tuesday, Lil Woody, real name Kenneth Copeland, was asked a question about Young Thug’s relationship with Rich Homie Quan and then tried to ask Thug about their relationship from the stand, in a moment that had the courtroom laughing. Copeland previously testified that he fired a gun at Rich Homie Quan’s father’s barbershop, according to Billboard.