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Rapper Chino XL, born Derek Emmanuel Barbosa, has reportedly passed away. He was 50.
AllHipHop.com reportedly confirmed the rapper’s passing, while numerous peers took to social media to express their condolences. Fellow MC’s Planet Asia and A-F-R-O confirmed his death. RIP to CHINO XL .. I’m gonna miss you, big bro 🕊️,” wrote A-F-R-O on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Born in The Bronx and raised in New Jersey, Chino XL dropped his debut album, Here To Save You All, in 1996 via Rick Rubin’s American Records. Although received positively by critics it only performed modestly commercially and it would be five years, and some record label shuffling before he dropped a follow-up project (I Told You So). A third album, Poison Pen, followed in 2006 and by then Chino had developed a rep as a high level lyricist, a rapper’s rapper widely respected by his peers.
While Chino XL never achieved mainstream notoriety, his reputation as elite level MC was sterling. For example, in 2020 he dropped a smoking verse on “Superhumans,” which appears on the Madlib and Oh No album called The Professionals. In the early 2000’s he also found success in front of the camera as an actor.
In 2023, Chino XL linked up with producer Stu Bangas to drop an album called God’s Carpenter. Since news of his passing, peers including Crooked I, Evidence, Chuck D and more, and fans of Chino XL took to social media to express their condolences and appreciation for his mastery of the art of rhyme.
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