Chino XL, the New York rapper known for warring with Tupac Shakur and for his dense, evocative wordplay, has died. He was 50.
In a statement posted to Instagram, the family of the rapper, born Derek Keith Barbosa, said, “Our father had many titles — King of Punchlines, Puerto Rican Superhero — but the most important one was Girl Dad. And what he gave us most in that role was his strength, straightforwardness, and ability to be super realistic. The main thing we are feeling now is that our Dad is at peace, and so we are at peace.” The statement did not list a cause of death, but noted his death occurred Sunday.
The rapper was born in the Bronx to a family of Puerto Rican descent. He quickly excelled at rapping, signing to Rick Rubin’s American Recordings at 16. His debut album, “Here to Save You All,” was released in 1996 to critical acclaim. That album’s best-known single was “Riiiot!,” which featured the instantly infamous line “I’m trying not to get f— like Tupac in jail. ”
That lyric infuriated Shakur, who soon released the track “Hit ’Em Up” and included Chino XL among those he wished would “die slow. … My .44 make sho’ all y’all kids don’t grow.”
Barbosa released three more albums: 2001’s “I Told You So,” 2006’s “Poison Pen” and his final LP, 2012’s “Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary.” That last album, hailed as his best work, featuring the harrowing song “Father’s Day,” about taking his cancer-stricken child to the hospital. “If only my feeble hands could remove / This neuroblastoma tumor from your adrenal glands,” he raps. “This is a father’s shame / That I can’t save you from everything.”
He also recently guested on rap legend Rakim’s new album, “G.O.D.’S Network (Reb7rth).”
Along the way, Barbosa volunteered at a youth architecture program for disadvantaged kids. “I have been on this planet for several decades, and I have moved in some pretty radical circles, but personally, I cannot recall meeting a melanated architect in my whole life,” he told Rolling Stone in 2018. “Just for these children to know it’s a thing, that’s important.”
He also was an actor, booking roles on “Reno 911!” and “CSI: Miami,” and appeared in the 2003 film “Alex & Emma” with Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson. Several notable figures in the rap world, including podcaster Joe Budden, lamented his death online.
His family’s statement said that Barbosa is survived by his children, Chynna, Bella, Lyric and Kiyana; his stepson Shawn; grandchildren Emmy, Emery, Chris, Luis and Dyani; his mother, Carole; and his former longtime partner Stephanie.
