XXXTentacion death: Controversial life of young rapper shot in Miami

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The death of XXXTentacion has shocked the music industry after it was announced the up-and-coming rapper died in South Florida after he was shot during an apparent robbery.

The 20-year-old rapper, whose real name was Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, was originally from Plantation, Florida.

However, the successful rapper’s career was not without controversy, he had a criminal record and a history of domestic abuse allegations overshadowing his success.

Even before the rapper, who pronounced his rap name Ex-Ex-Ex ten-ta-see-ohn, had his start on social media with his viral song “Look at Me,” he’d spent time in juvenile detention for gun possession charges.

Just a year later, XXXTentacion was again serving time - for armed robbery and aggravated battery.

In 2016, XXXTentacion was accused by his then-girlfriend Geneva Ayala of abuse and charged with aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment, and witness-tampering.

According to a transcript of the victim testimony, the woman suffered a pattern of abuse at the hands of the rapper, with whom she’d had a romantic relationship.

Despite the widespread outrage and contention over the rapper, XXXTentacion’s debut album “17” was still considered a success when it was released.

In August of 2016, XXXTentacion was arrested in a separate case where he was charged with armed home invasion, robbery, and aggravated battery with a firearm.

After pleading no contest to the charges, the rapper was ordered to serve six years of probation and was released from jail in September 2016.

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Despite the history of abusive behaviour, after being featured in XXL magazine’s 2017 Freshman Class alongside other artists to watch, XXXTentacion’s second album “?” was met with public acclaim - premiering at No. 1 on Billboard when it released in March 2018.

It is thought that the rapper’s persona as a criminal may have gained him fans - in 2017, Pitchfork revealed that Google searches for the rapper spiked after his domestic abuse arrest.

Seeming to play into this unlikely popularity, XXXTentacion used his mugshot as the cover art of his single “Look at Me” and continued to engage in abusive behaviour, including punching a concert-goer at a show in Salt Lake City.

The same song’s music video was also the subject of debate after a scene depicted the rapper lynching a young white boy.

However, not everyone was supportive of the image that XXXTentacion was promoting - he was one of the first musicians to be removed under Spotify’s hateful conduct policy, which was ultimately reversed and reinstated.

At the time of his death, the rapper, who’d plead not-guilty to the charges, was awaiting trial for the domestic violence incident involving his pregnant girlfriend and faced significant jail time.

As news of his death spread, musicians, fans, and industry professionals began sharing tributes to the young rapper who’d been killed in a drive-by shooting while motorcycle shopping in Deerfield Beach, Florida.