If you knew, you knew. From records like “Nameless” to “Pop Sh–,” Lil Keed was known for his hit-making, multi-dubbed, melodic sound. Emerging on the music scene with Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life (YSL) Records, the Atlanta artist was a force of his own with quite a story to tell. Those stories came out in his music and successfully navigated themselves into the parched souls of hood babies who could relate.
The triumphant story of Lil Keed’s rise from poverty to “Pushing P” and being able to do so with his equally successful brother, Lil Gotit, by his side, was the bittersweet symphony that won so many hearts. But now, his young, inspiring life has been swiped away at the tender age of 24.
Lil Keed reportedly passed away on Friday, May 13, 2022. A cause of death has not been determined as of this writing. His brother, Lil Gotit, government name Semaja Render, shared an emotional tribute to Lil Keed on social media.
“Can’t believe I seened u die today bro I did all my cries I know what u want me to do and that’s go hard for Mama Daddy Our Brothers Naychur and Whiteboy,” Lil Gotit wrote on Instagram.
“Whyy bra whyyy u leave me bra,” Lil Gotit also posted on Twitter.
In a post made by the mother of Lil Keed’s daughter, Naychur, she indicated that he flew to Los Angeles before his passing and that she could have saved him.
She posted, “I’m sooooo sorry I didn’t fly to LA I know I could’ve saved you baby you really showed me all you needed was MY LOVE you gave me that I gave you that. IM SORRY please just tell me this a dream come home. YOU PROTECTED US. Whyyyy DADDY. You a fighter bru I was on my way I was RAQHID…..”
She continued, “You was just on the phone with me in the bed HOW you leave like that without saying that was gone be your last goodbye your last I love you our last FaceTime.”
In the midst of YSL Records being under fire with a 50-plus count indictment from the Fulton County District Attorney alleging that the music label is a street gang, Lil Keed defended YSL on social media saying that the label represented a family, lifestyle, and way of life, not a criminal organization, gang, or mob.
Born in 1998, Lil Keed, government name Raqhid Jevon Render, was born and raised in Atlanta. In 2018, Lil Keed spurned out the 16-track mixtape Trapped on Cleveland 2, with hardly any features but plenty of ambition. His next album, Keed Talk To Em’, delivered mainstream success under YSL Records with the standout Billboard hit “Nameless,” and genius features including Trippie Redd, 21 Savage, Lil Durk, and Lil Yachty.
By the time Long Live Mexico came around in 2019, Lil Keed had reached “soccer mom status” as his music began to receive widespread recognition beyond the south. The album produced several notable songs, including the Lil Uzi Vert and YNW Melly assisted “Pull Up,” “Snake,” “HBS,” and “Oh My God.”
As YSL Records got tied up with Lyor Cohen’s 300 Entertainment, the label dropped Trapped On Cleveland 3, a 19-track album consisting of the melodic heavy-hitters “She Know,” “Wavy,” and “Fox 5,” and features from the likes of Travis Scott, Future, Ty Dolla $ign, and 42 Dugg. The deluxe version containing 37 tracks dropped in August 2020. One of his last singles, “Leveled Up” with Lil PJ, was released February 2022.
Rest in peace to a real one.
