LOS ANGELES — Rapper PnB Rock was fatally shot in a robbery Monday, authorities said.
The 30-year-old musician, whose real name is Rakim Hasheem Allen, was shot multiple times at Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles in South Los Angeles.
He was approached by and argued with the shooter Monday afternoon at the restaurant, which is about 4.5 miles from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, according to law enforcement officials.
The suspect robbed PnB Rock during the attack, making off with multiple items, the officials said. The shooter fled in a vehicle; it’s not clear if was behind the wheel, they said.
PnB Rock’s label, Atlantic Records, confirmed his death Tuesday, saying in a statement posted to Instagram: “This news is heavy on our hearts and we are all hurting over this senseless loss.”
“PnB Rock was more than an artist. To many, Rakim Allen was a great friend. He was also a wonderful father to two beautiful little girls,” the label said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time,” it said.
Earlier, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nick Prange said rescuers had responded to a shooting at the restaurant about 1:20 p.m.
The victim, identified by Prange only as a man of about 30 years old, was hospitalized in unknown condition, he said. Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Jeff Lee later confirmed the victim had died at a hospital.
“It’s a homicide,” he said.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement he was “saddened by the passing” of the rapper, who he said died “due to a senseless act of gun violence.”
“PnB Rock was a star in the industry,” he said. “Sending our condolences to his friends and family during this time.”
The rapper’s most recent Twitter post included a video of him smoking inside a vehicle and a woman driving. He flashed a white, jewel-encrusted watch in the social media post that was published Monday afternoon.
Police couldn’t confirm what items were taken in the robbery.
The attack follows a string of high-profile jewelry robberies in the Los Angeles area, including the brazen theft of a $500,000 watch in Beverly Hills, since 2021.
PnB Rock has been recording since at least 2015. In recent years he has expressed some unhappiness with his record deal.
According to Billboard, he has performed on eight songs that have reached its Hot 100 singles chart, including “Dangerous” in 2018 with Meek Mill and Jeremih.
The next year he released his sophomore album, “TrapStar Turnt PopStar,” on Atlantic.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the artist grew up in the Germantown neighborhood and got his name PnB from the intersection of Pastorius and Baynton streets.
The newspaper reported said the rapper’s father and uncle were killed when he was a child. At 19, he was sent to prison for drug-related convictions, according to the Inquirer.
The time behind bars exposed him to a number of inmates making beats and creating melodies, PnB Rock told the newspaper.
Erick Mendoza contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
