XXXTentacion was emerging as one of hip-hop’s most popular and polarizing figures when, on June 18, 2018, he was gunned down in his car after leaving a motorcycle shop in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy on Jan. 23, 1998 in Miami, X burst onto the mainstream music scene in 2017. The track “Look At Me!” was his breakthrough after he spent several years working on his craft and building an online following. In fact, the SoundCloud rapper actually dropped the track 14 months before it hit the Billboard charts, and he had been producing music since early in 2013.
X’s dramatic rise and tragic death followed a troubled childhood. When he was 6, he attempted to stab a man who was “messing with” his mother. His mom struggled financially, so he was mainly raised by his grandmother. He was a self-described “misfit” in high school, and he dropped out in 10th grade.
That didn’t stop him from making a cultural mark, though, as his music won over much of the rap community. Following his death, numerous prominent hip-hop figures—including J. Cole, Joey Badass, and Gucci Mane—made public statements.
“I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here,” Kanye West wrote. “Thank you for existing.”
In interviews before his death, X repeatedly emphasized that he felt his purpose in life was to inspire the nation’s youth, stating that it was his goal to make at least 5 million kids happy. “I try to live as long as I can for these kids and die a good death, because if I don’t live long, they not gonna want to live long,” X said just months before he was shot.
He viewed himself as an inspirational leader, but his life was rife with controversy. X was consistently in trouble with the law: He faced charges of gun possession, aggravated battery, domestic violence, and tampering with a witness, and served jail time on multiple occasions.
Below is a timeline of XXXTentacion’s emergence, his time in the spotlight, and the events surrounding his passing.
June 2013: X Appears on SoundCloud
Late 2013: X Sent to Juvenile Detention
March 2014: First Official Track Drops
May 2014: Hints of First EP
Nov. 2014: First Real EP
April 2015: The Birth of Members Only
Oct. 2015: 'Members Only Vol. 2'
Dec. 2015: “Look at Me!” Drops on SoundCloud
April 2016: X Quits His Job
July 2016: X Arrested Again
Oct. 2016: Domestic Violence Allegations
Feb. 2017: “Look at Me!” Hits Billboard Charts
March 2017: X Released From Jail
May 2017: X Drops 'Revenge'
June 2017: X’s Concerts Get Out of Hand
June 2017: ‘XXL’ Puts X in the Freshman Class
Aug. 2017: X Releases '17'
Following his appearance in the XXL Freshman list, the Florida rapper dropped his highly anticipated debut studio album, 17. The album included a feature from Trippie Redd and boasted production from Nick Mira, Taz Taylor, Natra Average, and Potsu. 17 sold 88,000 units in its first week and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts.
The album was polarizing—some critics gave it harsh reviews—but fans and fellow artists, including Kendrick Lamar, loved it.
Aug. 2017: “Look at Me!” Goes Platinum
Sept. 2017: Ex-Girlfriend’s Testimony on Alleged Domestic Violence Emerges
Sept. 2017: Controversial “Look at Me!” Video Arrives
While contending with legal issues, X continued to rise, and signed a deal worth a reported $6 million with Capitol Music Group’s Caroline, an indie distributor.
Oct. 2017: X Apologizes on Instagram
Dec. 2017: Another Arrest
March 2018: X Releases '?'
March 2018: Video of X Hitting a Girl Surfaces
May 2018: Spotify Takes X Off Curated Playlists
June 2018: Alleged Victim Speaks to the ‘Miami New Times’
June 2018: X Is Killed
On June 30, crew member Craig Xen announced that the next installment of the Members Only series was on its way. It is not clear whether X will be featured, but he does appear to have multiple unreleased collaborations.