Rapper Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys dies aged 52 after battling pancreatic cancer
Rapper Bushwick Bill's publicist has confirmed that the rapper has died at the age of 52. A member of the veteran Houston rap trio Geto Boys, Bill had revealed last month that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in February.
According to reports, Bill’s publicist, Dawn P, that the rapper died Sunday at 9:35 p.m., local time, at a Colorado hospital. The publicist also said that the rapper, whose legal name is Richard Shaw, was surrounded by family when he died. The rapper's son, Javon, told TMZ that Bill's final words were, "I will love you forever."
The news of his death began circulating early Sunday after fellow Geto Boy Scarface posted on Instagram saying: "RIP Bushwick Bill. You will be missed big fella." Soon his daughter and his publicist slammed the reports of his death saying that he was still 'fighting for his life'. She said on Instagram, "Certain people have been so quick to write him off as dead so they can capitalize off it." She stressed, "There is no Geto Boys without Bushwick Bill."
Bill's publicist also insisted that the rapper was still alive and was on a ventilator at a Colorado hospital. But the same publicist confirmed that he died at 9:35 p.m. CST. Pete Marrero, Bill’s Dallas-based business manager, said he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in February and was not expected to recover.
The Jamaican-born rapper, while speaking about his illness, had said: "I figure keeping it myself is not really helping nobody, and I’m not really afraid of dying because if anyone knows anything about me from [his 1992 song] ‘Ever So Clear,’ I died and came back already in June 1991, so I know what it’s like on the other side." He was referring to the time he accidentally shot himself in the eye while tussling with his girlfriend over a gun. He had been planning to go on tour around the time he was hospitalized.
Bill was born with dwarfism and joined the Geto Boys in 1986, after performing as the group’s dancer. He is a founding member of Geto Boys. Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D became the Geto Boys in Houston back in 1988 and signed with J. Prince's Rap-A-Lot Records.
Just a few weeks ago, the trio was planning a reunion but plans fells through at the last minute.