Chino XL dead at 50

Chino XL, the New Jersey rapper known for his aggressive and complicated writing style, has died. Rolling Stone reports that Chino died at his home on Sunday morning. The cause of death was not disclosed. Chino XL was 50.

Chino XL was born Derek Barbosa in the Bronx and grew up mostly in East Orange, New Jersey. He was the nephew of the late Parliament-Funkadelic keyboard star Bernie Worrell. He began rapping as a teenager, formed the duo Art Of Origin with producer Kaoz and released the single “No Slow Rollin'” in 1992. At 16, Chino signed with Rick Rubin’s Def American label. He released his debut album in 1996 Here to save you allwhich included collaborations with rappers such as Kool Keith and Ras Kass, as well as a very early interpolation of Radiohead in the song “Kreep”. Because of a line in the album track “Riiiot!”, 2Pac insulted Chino in the outro of “Hit ‘Em Up”.

Here to save you all was not a great commercial success and it took five years for Chino XL to release his second album independently I told youBut Chino kept his name alive with punchy freestyles on Sway & King Tech’s radio show, cementing his reputation as a master of dense lyricism. Chino shined on Sway and Tech’s 1999 posse song “The Anthem,” alongside peers like Eminem, Pharoahe Monch, and Tech N9ne.

In the years that followed, Chino released a number of indie albums, alternating between his abrasive and reference-laden battle rap attacks and soulful stories like “Fathers Day,” about his daughter’s cancer diagnosis. He also took on acting roles in shows such as Reno emergency call! And CSI: Miamiand the film Alex and EmmaLast year, Chino and producer Stu Bangas released the joint album God’s CarpenterJust last week, Chino was featured on Rakim’s song “Pendulum Swing.”

Check out some examples of Chino XL’s work below.