Baby CEO, a rapper who first made headlines at 14, is reportedly dead at 20. No official cause of death has been announced and despite rampant social media tributes, his passing remains unconfirmed at this time, the Sun reported.
However, news of the young rapper’s alleged death was first reported by hip-hop news site My Mixtapez to its 406,000 followers overnight.
Twitter was lit up Wednesday morning with memorial posts to the young artist who was born Jonathon Brown, according to sources at juvenile court in Memphis, Tennessee.
Baby CEO’s passing comes just three years after the death of Chicago-born hip-hop star Fredo Santana of Savage Squad Records fame. Baby CEO was often described by local media outlets as Santana’s “protégé” before the 27-year-old suffered a fatal seizure in 2018.
“RIP Baby CEO, Fredo would be proud,” one Twitter user posted in tribute early Wednesday.
Baby CEO first made headlines at 14, when what was described as a “disturbing video” started making rounds on social media. The young boy was featured pointing guns and rapping about drugs, gang signs and dreams of fame in his explicit lyrics.
Memphis rapper and Fredo Santana protege Baby CEO has reportedly passed away at the age of 20. RIP Baby CEO🙏🏽🕊 pic.twitter.com/TJAPWC7TyX
— Hip Hop Ties (@HipHopTies) January 20, 2021
J.R. Futrell, a youth mentor at Young Men University in Memphis, told NBC at the time that he was not surprised by the video.
“It’s a product of reap and sow, and we’ve sown things into our children’s lives,” Futrell said. “They live in a world that they did not choose and here we are with the results.”
Rumors spread online that Baby CEO’s death was the result of gun violence, but that fan theory was shot down in a quickly deleted tweet that read, “He Wasn’t Shot Or Killed By Anyone Please Stop Spreading False Rumors And Pray For Our Family,” Yahoo reported.
Baby CEO was arrested in 2015 for a probation violation, local NBC outlets reported. He has remained out of the headlines since that time but had recently started a family, according to social media posts.
You Just Had A Baby Lil Brother😢💔I Promise We Got Yo Son For Life https://t.co/92PpMBZ16F
— Big Ceo (@ceobudgang) January 20, 2021
