June 18 In Hip-Hop History: XXXTentacion Shot & Killed At 20

It's been six years since the rap world lost XXXTentacion.

On June 18, 2018, the Florida native, born Jahseh Onfroy, attempted to leave the Riva Motorsports Motorcycle & Marine Superstore in Deerfield Beach, Fla., when a group of men ambushed him. Two men blocked him with a black Dodge Journey SUV while the other two proceeded to steal $50,000 in a Louis Vuitton bag. The gunmen, Michael Boatwright, shot him several times and fled the scene with the other suspects. X was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was only 20 years old.

Onfroy had just started to pop after he built an iconic cult following. He began recording music under his moniker in 2013 and released his debut mixtape XXX (Unmastered) the following year. He followed up with his joint project with his close friend Ski Mask The Slump God, Members Only Vol. 1, which helped establish their Florida-based collective Members Only. The group later released Members Only, Vol. 2 featuring more members. X quickly became one of the Soundcloud era's most prominent artists after he dropped his notable song "Look At Me!" in 2015.

As his career began to gain traction, Onfroy was arrested in 2016 on charges of false imprisonment, witness tampering, and aggravated battery of his then-pregnant girlfriend. While he was locked up, Onfroy signed a management deal with Soloman Sobande, who still manages his music along with X's mother Cleopatra Bernard. Sobande helped sort through the multiple offers X received from record labels until the Florida rapper signed with Empire Distribution.

After he was released from prison in 2017, XXXTentacion hit the ground running. He dropped his first commercial mixtape Revenge, his collaborative mixtape Members Only Vol. 3, and his debut album 17, featuring songs like "Jocelyn Flores" and "F**k Love." His popularity continued to soar after collaborating with Kodak Black for "Rollin' In Peace." In 2018, X dropped his second album ? featuring collaborations with Joey Bada$$, Travis Barker and PnB Rock. It was the last album he released before his untimely death.

Dedrick Williams, Michael Boatwright, Robert Allen, and Trayvon Newsome were all arrested and charged with XXXTentacion's murder within weeks after the rapper was fatally shot. Allen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and testified against the other three defendants during their murder trial in 2023. Williams, Boatwright, and Newsome were found guilty of all charges and were sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Since his death, XXXTentacion's estate has released several posthumous projects including his third album Skins, which dropped six months after his death, and Bad Vibes Forever in 2019. He also appeared posthumously on collaborations with Ye, Lil Wayne, Skrillex, Sauce Walka and more. His estate also released new music via Look At Me: The Album, which dropped alongside Hulu's 2022 documentary Look At Me.

Rest in peace, Jahseh Onfroy.