Rapper Rich Homie Quan's death
came as a shock to many. However, his final Instagram post has left fans even
more broken up about his tragic passing. On Thursday, September 5, sad news
hit the music world when the Fulton County Medical Examiner announced that
Atlanta, Georgia rapper Rich Homie Quan had died. Even basic details about his death
remain unknown, and an autopsy is pending. However, numerous Quan tributes have
already popped up online since the news broke. As fellow rapper
2 Chainz wrote 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." Quavo from Migos wrote, "May God be with us never saw
this being part of our journey." Megan Thee Stallion also contributed to
the series of grieving posts, writing, "RIP to one of the best." Meanwhile, fans posted their own tributes online.
As one posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, "Rich Homie Quan was an era within himself!!!. This is insane!!!! RIP to this
man and prayers to his family." But out of all the posts written about
Quan, it's his own final Instagram post that stands out. Written mere days before his
death, it shows a glimpse into his off-stage, everyday life. The photo looks like it
was taken at an optometrist's office and shows Quan peering through
a pair of glasses. He wrote, "Vision clear even through the BS" This small, commonplace moment
serves as a stark and somewhat disturbing reminder of how quickly
and unexpectedly death can come. That's not to say the artist didn't live
life to the fullest. Born Dequantes Devontay Lamar in Atlanta, Georgia in 1989, Rich
Homie Quan's earliest love was baseball. "Baseball make more money all the
sports, so that's how I'm thinking." Quan was raised in a single-parent house
with two younger siblings. After some run-ins with the law for burglaries, he
found himself behind bars for 15 months. When he was released in 2011, he turned to
music to make a name for himself. Quan's venture into music was well-timed. Though
Atlanta has been a hub for hip-hop since the '80s, it was initially outshined
by the often-publicized East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry that dominated
the industry through the 1990s. However, throughout the early and mid-2000s, a
whole bunch of Atlanta artists made their way into the national spotlight. Quan rode this wave
and made a name for himself with his 2013 hit, "Type of Way." The song was also featured
at Michigan State Spartans games and got remixed by other rappers like Meek Mill and Jeezy. Despite his success, Quan only
ever released one studio album, 2018's Rich as in Spirit. Nonetheless,
he performed at the BET Awards and VH1 Hip Hop Honors and was nominated
for BET and BET Hip Hop Awards. Quan's final eye examination post
comes across as tragic because no one who saw it could have predicted that
he would be dead within a few days. Quan's other recent Instagram posts show an apparently
healthy, vibrant young man performing on stage, hanging out with friends, going
shopping, and horsing around. There's no indication anywhere of any lurking
disease or condition, nor of any circumstances that might lead to the rapper's death. In fact,
other Quan tributes alluded to collaborations actively in the works. Rapper Boosie BadAzz,
for example, wrote on X that he and his late comrade shared a lot of good times together and
had a project in the works prior to Quan's death. Nonetheless, Quan had some more
recent run-ins with the law. In 2017, Fader reports he was arrested and
charged with, quote, "felony drug possession with intent to distribute." The
charges were dismissed two years later. In 2016, he was questioned by police following
a shooting at The Diamond Club in New Bern, North Carolina, though he was not
a suspect in the investigation. There will surely be further news about the
cause of Quan's death following his autopsy.