Rich Homie Quan, the Atlanta rapper who rose to mainstream fame with the trap singles “Type of Way” and “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” has died. He was 33.
Quan, whose legal name is Dequantes Devontay Lamar, died at an Atlanta hospital, the Fulton County Medical Examiner confirmed to The Associated Press. The coroner was notified of his death Thursday, said Jimmy Sadler, senior coroner investigator. The cause of death was not immediately known, with an autopsy scheduled for Friday.
Quan was one of the biggest names in hip-hop in the mid-2010s, releasing a series of mixtapes before breaking out in 2013 with the infectious “Type of Way.” The track was such a success that several other rappers jumped on the remix, including Jeezy and Meek Mill. He kept his momentum going, appearing on a YG track with Jeezy and releasing the London on da Track-produced “Lifestyle” via his Rich Gang rap collective that included Young Thug and Birdman.
Quan followed with “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)”, a track produced by DJ Spinz and Nitti Beatz. It became his highest-charting solo single, peaking at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He was also featured on Lil Dicky’s viral “$ave Dat Money.”
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In 2018, Quan released his debut and only studio album, Rich as in Spirit, which was mostly released without extras, except for “Think About It”, a single featuring Rick Ross.
Quavo, Lil Boosie and Playboi Carti are some of the artists who paid tribute to Quan on social media.
“Rest in peace my brother Rich Homie Quan,” said singer Jacquees, who also called him a “legend” on X. “I love you forever.”
Quan spoke to The Associated Press in 2022 about returning to music after an abrupt hiatus. The rapper said at the time that he was in litigation with independent label TIG (Think It’s a Game Record), but that he was willing to make a comeback.
At the time, Quan was in conflict with his longtime associate Young Thug, who, along with rapper Gunna, was part of a group that was indicted on charges of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO law and being part of a criminal street gang.
Quan said there was no beef between him and Young Thug and that he was open to talking to him if the opportunity arose. He said he hated to see Young Thug locked up, adding that rappers were being targeted by law enforcement.
“I wouldn’t say they were unfairly targeted because at the same time, some rappers use guns in their videos. And you know, it’s like social media, it goes back to social media,” he said.
“I think we show too much, I think they show too much, you know what I mean. That’s the difference in my music, I tell a story, but I’m not going to tell you how I did it,” he added. “It’s still black magic, but we’re definitely under attack. That’s why I’m conscious of what I say in my music.”
