How did Baby CEO die? Memphis rapper's death comes just 3 years after mentor Fredo Santana's demise
Baby CEO, a rapper from Memphis, Tennessee, has reportedly died. Born Jonathan Brown, the 20-year-old rap artist was reported to have died by various news outlets on Wednesday, January 20, though none of the news outlets could confirm any details regarding the death. More recently, Baby CEO had rebranded himself as Big CEO but his older name has remained more popular still.
The Sun reported that posts claiming that the artist had died started to appear online the morning of January 20, however, the news has not yet appeared to be confirmed. The New York Post also said that news of the young rapper’s alleged death was first reported by hip-hop news site My Mixtapez’s Twitter account without any details of any kind. Naturally, the cause or even the date of his alleged death remains unknown at this time.
Baby CEO’s reported death comes just three years after the death of Chicago-born hip-hop star Fredo Santana of Savage Records fame. Baby CEO was signed to Santana's Savage Squad Records. Baby CEO was often described by local media outlets as Santana’s protégé before the 27-year-old suffered a fatal seizure in 2018.
Who was Baby CEO?
The Memphis-based rapper found fame at a very early age as a teenager. Brown would post his songs on social media where they achieved viral fame. According to a 2015 local media report, one of the first videos of his -- a song called ‘Fck Da Oppz’ -- that found fame had reportedly caused “concern” in the local community.
The video that featured guns and “vulgar lyrics” about drugs and gang signs, caused a stir. Brown was only 15 then. JR Futrell, who works with Young Men University and helps rehabilitate young men, told WMC5, "It's a product of reap and sow, and we've sown things into our children's lives. They live in a world that they did not choose and here we are with the results." He said the video was disturbing. "If that represents the poison, within that same poison is the cure," Futrell said. "So we're going to have to be patient and see where he is."
Baby CEO was reportedly arrested in 2015 for a probation violation. But the news report did not carry more details. Memphisrap.com, however, reported that following his hearing, the young rapper was detained to stay in a juvenile detention center until his next hearing in late August.
Since then, Brown has remained out of the headlines. The rapper had recently started a family. In November 2020, he had announced the birth of his son.
Brown’s death comes just days after the passing of Hosea Mays Jr, a rap artist also known as MTown and M-Town Luv by his peers. A Memphis rapper as well, Mays dedicated his life to helping local artists gain visibility. He started Memphisrap.com in 2001 and helped provide a platform for artists from the city to showcase their talent. In his own words, “I want to show everyone that anything is possible with a local rap website named after my city.” And he achieved that.