YSL rapper Lil Keed dies, brother says in Instagram post
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 17: Lil Keed performs at 107.9 Birthday Bash 25 at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium at Georgia State University on July 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.(photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage) (Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Atlanta rapper Lil Keed has died, his brother confirmed.
The verified Instagram account of Lil Gotit posted Saturday morning: "Can't believe I seened u die today bro I did all my cries I know what u want me to do and that's go hard for Mama Daddy Our Brothers Naychur and Whiteboy."
The cause of the rapper's death is unknown. He was affiliated with Atlanta-based Young Stoner Life Records.
The 24-year-old, whose legal name is Rahqid Render according to a bio on YSL's website, was born in Atlanta. He signed with YSL in 2018 after a mixtape got the attention of Young Thug, who founded Young Stoner Life Records.
The official music video for his song, "Nameless" has more than 33 million views on YouTube and the music video for his song, "Snake," has more than 12 million views.
ARTISTS, FANS STUNNED BY NEWS OF LIL KEED'S DEATH
Lil Keed was set to perform at Daze in Blue, a music festival in Charlotte, on Saturday.
The rapper's final Instagram post was promoting an upcoming show in Cairo, Georgia.
He's collaborated with several artists including YSL Records' Gunna, also from Atlanta, for a song called "Fox 5".
Lil Keed's death is days after artists associated with the YSL record label have been accused of federal crimes. Rapper Young Thug was arrested on racketeering charges, and Gunna is one of several people indicted and arrested in Fulton County following an investigation into gang activity.
Young Slime Life, (YSL) gang investigation
Lawyer for Young Thug files emergency motion for bond
In a new emergency motion filed Friday in Fulton County Superior Court and obtained by FOX 5, attorney Brian Steel says the Atlanta rapper has been placed in "solitary confinement," relegated to a "windowless cement compartment with only a bed and a toilet and an overhead light which remains on 24 hours per day."
Young Thug, a 30-year-old rapper whose legal name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, was arrested on Monday in Buckhead as part of a sweeping gang indictment that also named 27 other people, including fellow Atlanta rapper Gunna.
YOUNG THUG'S LAWYER FILES MOTION FOR BOND, CALLING HOUSING CONDITIONS 'INHUMANE'
Fulton County prosecutors allege those named in the indictment are members of the Young Slime Life (YSL) gang, which has engaged in criminal activity in the city since 2012.
Jeffery Williams, whose stage name is "Young Thug," Sergio Kitchens, whose stage name is "Gunna." (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
If convicted of a RICO charge, Williams could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
READ THE FULL LIST OF THOSE INDICTED AND THE CHARGES
What is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act?
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, was developed to fight organized crime. It was enacted in 1970 after being signed into law by President Richard Nixon.
Federally, RICO was originally was intended to be used to combat the Mafia. It draws from a list of 27 federal crimes and eight state crimes committed repeated over the course of a 10-year period. Those crimes can include fraud, theft, computer crimes, embezzlement, credit scams, investment schemes, human trafficking, illegal gambling, bribery, kidnapping, murder, money laundering, counterfeiting, and various drug charges.
The Justice Department has used RICO to dismantle multiple crime families and weed out corruption in several city police departments. Prosecutors have also used RICO to try to dismantle several street gangs and helped in prosecuting businesses that break federal law.
Georgia’s RICO statutes are similar to the federal version, but are much broader in that the criminal "enterprise" does not have to be around as long. Georgia is one of only 33 states that has its own RICO statutes. However, in both state and federal laws, a pattern of criminal enterprise has to be established.
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