Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock, whose real name is Rakim Hasheem Allen, has passed away, reports the Los Angeles Times. He was 30.
Captain Kelly Muniz of the Los Angeles Police Department said during a press conference that the authorities responded to a possible robbery at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles on West Manchester Avenue at 1:15 p.m on Monday. The suspect reportedly demanded jewelry from Rock.
A witness told reporters that this led to "some sort of verbal exchange" before Rock was shot several times and fell to the floor. The suspect then "removed items from the victim," she said, before escaping in a getaway car and fleeing the scene.
When the authorities arrived at the restaurant, they transported Rock to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead 45 mins later.
Per the report, the identity of the suspect has not been released.
Rock and his partner Stephanie Sibounheuang were in Los Angles to attend a wedding, according to posts on their Instagram stories.
In his brief career, Rock was a highly regarded artist who frequently collaborated with the biggest names in hip hop.
His debut mixtape Real N*gga Bangaz was released in 2014, followed by RnB2, which led to him signing a record deal with Atlantic Records. He released RnB3, his first project with Atlantic, in 2015.
Rock's hit single, "Selfish" was released in 2016 and peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. The same year, he was included in Rolling Stone’s "10 New Artists You Need to Know."
He was named to XXL magazine’s Freshman Class in 2017 and he also provided uncredited vocals on XXXTentacion's hit single "Changes," which peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Top 100 in 2018.
His two studio albums, Catch These Vibes in 2017 and TrapStar Turnt PopStar in 2019, both debuted in the top 20 of the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Rock’s latest song, “Luv Me Again,” was released on September 2, 2022.
Rock is survived by his two daughters, Milan, his chid from a previous relationship, and Zuri, his child with Sibounheuang.
We at EBONY extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the family and friends of PnB Rock.
