Rich Homie Quan, the platinum-selling rapper known for eclectic tracks like “Lifestyle,” “Flex” and “Type of Way,” has died at age 34, according to his family.
Quan, whose legal name was Dequantes Devontay Lamar, died at his home in Atlanta, his family told TMZ. The Fulton County Coroner also confirmed the news, but did not provide a cause of death.
“Rest in Peace my brother Rich Homie Quan. I love you for Life,” Quan’s friend and collaborator Jacquees wrote on social media.
Born Oct. 4, 1989, in Atlanta, Quan was a baseball star in high school and got a scholarship offer to attend Fort Valley State, a historically Black Division II school in central Georgia.
“I focused more in the streets instead of school. Not using my brain. I didn’t know what I know now,” he told XXL magazine in 2014.
That led to an arrest for burglary and a brief stint in jail, after which Quan decided to focus on his music career.
In April 2012, he released his first mixtape, “I Go In on Every Song,” hilariously followed up by “Still Goin In” later that year, “I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In” in 2013 and “If You Ever Think I Will Stop Goin’ In Ask RR (Royal Rich)” in 2015.
Quan’s first big hit arrived in 2013, with his flow on “Type of Way” driving his debut on the Billboard charts.
“Rich Homie Quan’s breakout has all the trappings of a DIY anthem: a killer beat from a relatively unsung producer, a hook so obvious that it makes you wonder how it’s never been done before, and several mixtapes’ worth of personality in just four minutes,” Pitchfork presciently wrote at the time. “Songs like this launch careers.”
Quan’s fame continued to skyrocket alongside another Atlanta rap star, Young Thug. The two collaborated spectacularly on “Lifestyle” in 2014, creating a joyful party track that became the sound of the summer for many and introduced Thug’s chaotically fun brand of rap to a mainstream audience.
The following year brought Quan’s biggest solo hit, “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” another upbeat jam that listeners loved. The song went triple platinum and peaked at No. 26 on the charts.
In 2018, Quan released his first and only studio album, “Rich as in Spirit.” The album showcased Quan’s storytelling abilities while audiences still enjoyed his unique flow.
In addition to his fans, Quan’s fellow rappers respected his skills, as he featured on YG’s “My N—a” and Travis Scott’s “Mamacita,” along with many other songs.
Quan continued releasing and performing music in recent years and was set to appear at Wild ‘N Out Live at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Sept. 19. He was one of several stars scheduled to perform, including Lil Boosie, who remembered Quan on social media.
“We got some good a– memories together [and] that go always bring a smile to my face,” he wrote. “Never go forget yo smile [and] the way talked [and] of course yo music.”
Music critic Charles Holmes meanwhile paid tribute to Quan’s “greatness.”
“There will never be another rapper that will go in like Rich Homie Quan,” he wrote on social media.
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