Report: Chicago Rapper Fredo Santana Dead at 27

By Winston Cook-Wilson

Fredo Santana, rapper and one of the pioneers of Chicago’s drill movement, has reportedly died at the age of 27. TMZ reports that Santana died Friday night as the result of a seizure. No official statement from the rapper’s family or cause of death has yet been released. Santana, born Derrick Coleman, suffered serious health problems throughout last year, and was hospitalized for liver and kidney failure in October. Houston rapper Maxo Kream was the first to break the news with an Instagram post, followed by close associates like Young Chop and Lil Durk.

Santana’s name was cemented into the minds of rap fans through his younger cousin Chief Keef’s 2012 breakout hit “I Don’t Like,” in which Keef made an inimitable mention of Santana in his verse: “Fredo in the cut/That’s a scary sight.” The song, later remixed by Kanye West, catapulted Keef and Santana’s Glory Boyz Entertainment squad, drill music, and new trends in Chicago rap more broadly into the national spotlight.

After releasing his debut 2012 mixtape It’s A Scary Sight, Santana released his anticipated debut album Trappin Ain’t Dead in 2013, which included a high-profile feature from Kendrick Lamar on the single “Jealous.” It also included appearances from Santana’s other close associates including Chief Keef, SD, and Gino Marley, with whom he released a collaborative mixtape the same year. The album debuted Santana’s own imprint, Savage Squad Records.

Santana released music regularly up until his final release from last year, Fredo Kruger 2. At the time of his death, fans were expecting the release of a collaborative mixtape with Chief Keef called Turbo Bandanna, the release of which Santana claimed was postponed by his hospital stay, and Walking Legend 2, another solo project. Santana’s son, Legend, was born in June of last year.

Friends and associates took to Twitter to share their memories and condolences, including Drake, in whose 2013 video for “Hold On, We’re Going Home” Santana appeared prominently.

This post Report: Chicago Rapper Fredo Santana Dead at 27 first appeared on SPIN.