For the second time in the first week of November, hip hop is mourning the death of another rapper. “Friday Night” drill music rapper, Edot Baby, has passed away. He was only 17 years old.
Edot Baby’s manager verified the development, along with several social media posts from his peers. How he died has not been officially confirmed by toxicology reports, although many online reports of him allegedly self-deleting are circulating.
His death comes on the heels of the unfortunate passing of 27-year-old UK drill rapper, Perm, real name Lamar Scott, who was killed in Brixton, South London on Oct. 30. A day later, Takeoff, one-third of the Migos rap group, was shot and killed during the early hours of Nov. 1 outside of a bowling alley in Houston, Texas.
Born Edward Johnson and representing Sugar Hill in Harlem, New York City, Edot, who used to go by Edot Babyy, made a name for himself with the hard-hitting single “Ready 4 War,” released in 2020. A quarter of a year later, he dropped “Ride the O,” an epitomizing drill song about opps that became one of his most popular songs.
After releasing a number of singles, his debut studio album, E With the Dot, demonstrated his underground appeal and mainstream potential. The project featured Trelly Savage on “Citizen,” Bronx’s very own Sha EK on “Chacha,” and Dee Play4Keeps on “We Back Pt. 2,” which became a top song for Edot.
“Friday Night,” another single off of E With the Dot, also garnered a lot of praise from fans. Drill to the core, the song sampled “Violent Crimes” by Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, off of his eighth solo studio album, ye. The combination of Edot Baby’s aggressive lyrical purge and the sentimental chorus with adjustment to the pitch and tune made for one impactful melodic drill song that is already being mimicked in rap circles.
E With the Dot was followed up with the album You Started, I Finish. The 7-track project, released on Sept. 30, led with a music video for “Eyes Open (Remix),” featuring PGF Nuk. Edot Baby’s last single, “Reminiscing,” a telling song where he rapped about losing his friend and being in his feelings was self-released on Oct. 28.
Drill music has long been under fire by parents and government officials who have expressed concern over the glamorization of violence and gang ties by the genre. With staples in New York, the UK, and Chicago — the birthplace for drill music in the U.S. — the drill movement has been bubbling for years, but the rise hasn’t been smooth sailing.
Characterized by “kill culture” and perceived authenticity, drill music is known for unveiling violent crimes in storytelling style. Several drill rappers have fallen to gun violence, knifings, and overdoses since the start of the genre over a decade ago. In response, Mayor Eric Adams made a call to action in February 2022 after he blamed the genre for the increase in violent crimes in New York. Adams met with many drill rappers, including Maino and Fivio Foreign, to gain a better understanding of drill music.
On the other side of the argument, creators believe that the onslaught of criticism from politicians is just another way to censor freedom of expression and discriminate against a group of people. As they see it, the genre is a pathway to economic advancement and upward mobility. While two things can be true at once, you can always tell a tree by its fruit.
Long Live King Dot
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