inger Bushwick Bill of The Geto Boys performs on stage at the Growlers 6 festival on October 29, 2017 in San Pedro, California.Photo: Matt Cowan (Getty Images)
Bushwick Bill (born Richard Stephen Shaw), the hip-hop legend and co-founder of the iconic Houston group Geto Boys, has died.
KiKi Layne on Her Role in ‘Dandelion’ and ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’
KiKi Layne on Her Role in ‘Dandelion’ and ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’
According to his publicist Dawn’s confirmation via TMZ, Bill died surrounded by family Sunday evening at 9:35 p.m. in Houston. He was 52 years aged and suffered from Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Dawn also posted a confirmation of the rapper’s death on Instagram.
Bill’s son Javon confirmed to TMZ that his father’s last words were, “I will love you forever.”
As the Associated Press reports:
His Dallas-based business manager, Pete Marrero, said the 52-year-old was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in February. He had been planning to go on tour around the time he was hospitalized.
The Jamaica-born reporter was widely reported to have died earlier Sunday after a bandmate wrote a post on Instagram suggesting so, but his publicist had said Sunday afternoon that those reports were premature.
A native of Jamaica, Bill was born with dwarfism, Entertainment Weekly reports. He joined the Geto Boys in 1986 as a dancer, then known as Little Billy. Along with fellow members Willie D and Scarface, the trio went on to be significant pioneers in southern hip hop with hits such as “Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangster” and “Mind Playing Tricks on Me.”
Bill’s publicist has also confirmed plans for a public memorial service are in progress.
“We are looking into doing a public memorial at a later date. His family appreciates all of the prayers and support and are asking for privacy at this time,” Dawn’s Instagram caption read.
Rest in power, Bushwick Bill.
