The family of veteran rapper Chino XL has confirmed the cause of his tragic death, which occurred on July 28th. The New York-based rapper, born Derek Keith Barbosa, was discovered unresponsive at his home at the age of 50.
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In a statement to People, his family revealed the rapper committed suicide.
“It’s been the most painful and personal experience of our lives, but in honor of Suicide Awareness Month, we decided to share this truth,” Chino XL’s family told the outlet in a statement.
The family also shared that the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s office stated that the official cause of death was asphyxia due to ligature hanging.
His family disclosed that Chino was diagnosed with congenital heart failure in 2020. He was also diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer earlier this year. In addition, Chino battled lifelong depression, according to their statement.
Chino XL’s Daughter Remembers Him as ‘Our Rock’
“Our father was our rock and our best friend,” his daughters added in the statement. “Papa Bear loved us and taught us so much.”
“Hundreds of emails, texts, chats, and beautiful posts and comments on social media, have shown us that Dad was a fountain of strength to so many,” they added. “He encouraged and comforted pretty much everyone in his path and left this dimension with an untouchable creative legacy. We are grateful beyond words for our time with Dad and are overwhelmed by the immeasurable global outpouring of love from around the world.”
The statement also refuted false claims that the family intended to release Chino’s album in October. The family clarified that there is no official release date at this time. Additionally, they revealed that an unnamed individual had leaked the album online, falsely claiming to be acting on behalf of the family.
“An unscrupulous individual illegally leaked Dad’s new album, online,” Chino’s family explained in the release. “To add to this excruciating time, this man’s contemptuous actions, have hurt what was originally Dad’s intended December album release, where a considerable portion of the proceeds were to be donated to charitable organizations.”
The family has hired a lawyer and started legal action against this individual, according to the statement.
Chino is survived by his children. They include Chynna, Bella, Lyric, and Kiyana; his stepson, Shawn; and his grandchildren, Emmy, Emery, Chris, Luis, and Dyani. He is also remembered by his mother, Carole, and his former longtime partner, Stephanie.