Louie Rankin — a.k.a 'The Real Jamaican Don Dada' — has died.
The legendary dancehall artist and actor, who was best known for his roles in Shotta and Belly, passed away following a car crash in Ontario, Canada on Monday (September 30). While there are few details about the accident, the crash reportedly involved a transport truck and another vehicle, according to TMZ.
Louie's executive assistant Jewlz Sykes, with whom he shares children, confirmed his death on Instagram Monday. "There are no words!!! 😭😭😭💔💔💔 Sleep with the angels my King!" she captioned a series of photos of them together.
Just one day before his passing, Louie announced on Instagram that he was in Toronto filming a movie. “The Original Don DaDa On Set 🎥 Shooting A Major Movie In Toronto with @bizmoihouserecords #jamaica #ReturnOfTheDonDaDa #AlbumDone,” he captioned a video of him showing off a bag of cash.
As fans know, Louie first won audiences with his portrayal of Jamaican drug lord Lennox a.k.a. Ox in Belly, which also starred DMX and Nas, back 1998. The Jamaican actor went on to appear in the 2002 film Shotta as Teddy Bruckshut — starring alongside DJ Khaled, Wyclef Jean, and Ky-Mani Marley — and We Run the Streets in 2014.
In addition to acting, Louie was also a Grammy Award-winning dancehall artist. He won a Grammy in 1992 for his track, "Typewriter," which was featured on his album Showdown. Days before his death, he told fans that he was working on a new album. "That album bout to drop!!! Can you smell what the Ox is cooking?!” Rankin wrote on Instagram over the weekend.
Our thoughts are with Louie's family during this difficult time.
Photo: Getty Images