Rapper Chino XL Dead at 50

July 31, 2024 3

Source: Radio One / General

Derek Emmanuel Barbosa, best known to Hip Hop fans as lyrical rapper Chino XL, has reportedly passed away. He was 50 years old.

The cause of death has not been released, but fellow rappers have taken to social media to publicly mourn Chino’s death. Respected for his lyrical ability, Chino dropped a series of albums and also found work as an actor. A quick IMDB search lists 2002’s Barrio Wars, Gang Wars and the 2003 film Alex & Emma among his film credits.

On television, XL appeared on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!, Zane’s Sex Chronicles and the long-running day time soap opera, The Young & The Restless.

More recently he collaborated with iconic rapper Rakim on new music.

RIP to CHINO XL .. I’m gonna miss you, big bro pic.twitter.com/TPEtYfziy0

— A-F-R-O (@realfrothizzle) July 29, 2024

Some rap fans recall Chino XL being one of the names Tupac called out at the end of his now-classic diss song, “Hit ‘Em Up.” In a YouTube video a man claims to be the cause of Pac’s angry diss toward Chino, saying he’d tipped Pac off that there was a rapper from the East Coast who’d dissed him on wax.

Check out the clip below.