Died On This Date (June 28, 2010) Rammellzee / Influential Hip Hop Musician & Artist
themusicsover Rammellzee
1960 – June 28, 2010
Rammellzee was a popular and influential New York City based performance artist, sculptor, graffiti artist, and hip hop singer. His vocal style, which dates back to the early ’80s, is said to have influenced the likes of the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill. He released several records, though under different monikers, throughout his career, and had collaborated with Buckethead of Guns ‘N Roses fame. Rammellzee was 49 when he died on June 28, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.
What You Should Own
Dolla was an up-and-coming Atlanta based rapper who was signed to Akon’s Kovict Muzik label in 2007. He has released a handful of popular hip hop singles since his signing. Songs to his credit include “Who The Fuck Is That?” (with T-Pain and Tay Dizm), “Make A Toast,” and “Feelin’ Myself” from the Step Up soundtrack. Dolla was also a member of rap group, Da Razkalz Cru. He was allegedly shot and killed on May 18th, 2009 after an altercation outside the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. He was just 21. Police later arrested Aubrey Berry at Los Angeles International Airport, charging him with the murder of Dolla.
Lisa Lopes was part of the Grammy winning R&B singing trio TLC, and was on her way to super-stardom when her life was tragically cut short at the age of 30. TLC hit huge in 1992 with the release of Ooooooohhh…On The TLC Tip which sold in the neighborhood of six million copies. They followed that up with the 15 million-selling CrazySexyCool. By 1999, TLC albums had sold upwards of 30 million units, easily making them one of the most successful female groups of all time. In the early 2000s, Lopes was off on a solo career, guest rapping on several hit records while working on her own solo debut which came out in 2001. But in the spring of 2002, Lopes was taking a break from working on her second solo album as well as TLC’s fourth album by visiting Honduras. On April 25, Lopes was killed when the SUV she was driving rolled several times after swerving to miss another car. Lopes was thrown from the vehicle and died from injuries she sustained.
Eazy-E was a groundbreaking rapper who, along with his group, N.W.A. was a pioneer of the gangsta rap genre. During the mid ’80s, Eazy-E co-formed N.W.A. while also starting his own label, Ruthless Records, through which he released the group’s records. In 1988, N.W.A. released their landmark album, Straight Outta Compton, which made a massive impact on both music and pop culture in general. With its hard hitting lyrics strewn with violence and profanity, it offered a glimpse of the inner city life, appealing to both urban kids and those from the suburbs alike. The album sold over three million copies and is often cited as one of the most important albums of all time. Shortly after the release of it, Eazy-E released his own Eazy-Duz-It which also sold in the multi-million copy range. N.W.A. group broke up in 1991, reportedly over money issues. Eazy-E continued to release solo albums through the early ’90s. On March 16, 1995, Eazy-E went to the hospital complaining of what he assumed were asthma-related issues. But to the shock of friends, family and fans, he was diagnosed with AIDS and died as a result of it just ten days later. He was 31 years old.