The legacy of Rich Homie Quan: music and beyond
The hip-hop world still remains in shock following the death of Rich Homie Quan on September 5th, aged just 34. The cause of death has been revealed this month after his brother found him “sleeping” on the floor, with food still in his mouth. Authorities were alerted in the morning when Quan was seen to be cold and unable to breathe.
Tributes poured in from the hip-hop community following the news last month. Fellow Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz posted on Instagram, “Dam lil brother, we just spoke about shooting a video, special prayer for you and your family, and pray for any and everybody that’s dealing with something. My condolences, bru.” Quavo also took to Instagram to post his condolences “May god be with US never saw this being part of our journey.” Glorilla heaped praise on the late rapper, “Damn, RIP legend.”
Quan’s breakout hit ‘Type of Way’, released in 2013, quickly climbed to number 50 on the Billboard hottest 100. His next hit would come in 2015, ‘Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)’ which blended a trap beat with a melodic tune. The most memorable period of his career came through his collaboration with fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug. Admirers of their work would marvel at the chemistry the two had on and off the stage. Their track ‘Lifestyle’, peaked at 16 on the Billboard Hottest 100.
The man formerly known as Dequantes Devontay Lamar, clearly had a large impact on those who worked with him. In an interview with Revolt magazine, Trinidad James, a close personal friend of the Atlanta native, spoke about his influence away from music.
“In reality, you have to grow up so fast when you’re a Black man in America, especially when you don’t grow up in a good neighbourhood or something like that. There’s another aspect of it when you become a famous rapper where you have to be everything to everyone – not only your family or immediate friends but your fans and the media, getting awards, and things like that.”
“When you’re not consistent, it begins to eat up at you and you begin to question if you’re good enough anymore. The most beautiful thing about Quan is his writing is amazing, his energy was amazing, and he was always such a beautiful kid. He had to grow up so fast, but the beauty that a lot of people didn’t get to experience from Quan is we weren’t able to see him as much in the media.”
“A lot of things that happened in his career allowed his energy to get shadowed, which affected how people think about him because you only know him for his hits. He’s so much more than that – he’s a father, he’s a great son, and he’s an amazing person. I’m happy to have gotten to see that side of him and anyone who asks me about him, I’m happy to share how he has the best smile ever, will always make you happy, and an incredible writer. I wish he wrote for more people because he’s such a great writer and he’s super missed.”
Unlike most hip hop artists, Rich Homie Quan appears to have been devoid of controversy. Based on the tributes that have been bestowed upon him, he was a man that was not only particularly gifted at his craft, but also a particularly gifted at being a stand up human being. RIP to a legend.