Confirming the sad news of the former Juice Crew member's passing, his representative Raya posts on her Instagram page, 'No, I am not okay. I'm devastated.'
- Dec 14, 2022
AceShowbiz - Hip-hop community is mourning the death of one its icons. Veteran rapper Grand Daddy I.U., who is best known for his debut album Smooth Assassin, passed away on Tuesday, December 13. He was 54 years old.
A cause of death has yet to be revealed, but his representative Raya has confirmed the news. Taking to her Instagram page, she wrote, "No, I am not okay. I'm devastated. Anyone who really knows me knows how much pure love and respect I had for him and out of respect for him and his family, I'm staying quiet right now. I do not need to post pictures nor stories to profess anything. I pray for a peaceful and easy transition."
Raya followed it up with a tribute to Grand Daddy I.U. a few hours later. "It's taken me a few to be able to say anything at all," she confessed how hard it was to put the words together. "To my big bro OUTSIDE of this hip hop world, like countless conversations we've had in the past, the last one I had with you was a memorable one for me, as most of them were often. You never minced any words about how you felt about anything, or anyone, always kept it so real and solid, sometimes too much for most."
She continued of the member of the legendary hip-hop collective Juice Crew, "The love, adoration and admiration you had for your daughter was such a beautiful thing for myself to personally witness. Yaya, you were truly the apple of his eye. Your father is now one of the most illest gangsters up in the skies watching over us, I have no doubt about that."
"I love you," Raya added of the late rapper. "Thank you for entrusting me enough to listen to me, to listen to my opinion on different matters and to keep your promise to no quit music. Promises were made and promises were kept. And I make you this promise, I will forever rep you, I will forever be grateful to our friendship/family ship and I will never forget you as long as I live. It's truly been more than my honor. Fly high bro, until we meet again."
In the caption, she wrote, "Thank you to everybody that reached out to me, called me, left me messages etc, it's all greatly appreciated. I truly am still in disbelief and heartbroken. I want to send my personal condolences and love to my lil bro @shortee_sha hold your head bro, we took the illest lost today personally, but we gained the illest Angel on the flip side."
LL Cool J took to his own Instagram page to pay tribute to Grand Daddy I.U. Along with a photo of the Hempstead native, he wrote, "Rest in power King. HipHop was in your DNA. @granddaddy_iu Thank You for your contribution."
Busta Rhymes was taken aback by the news, writing in the comment of LL Cool J's post, "Waking up to this crazy. RIP ALMIGHTY GDIU!!" Method Man similarly reacted, "Whaaaaaat?! No way! Long Island Legend … rest in power King."
DJ Chuck Chillout, a friend and collaborator of I.U., mourned on social media, "Man this one hurts RIP to coldchillin artist MC @granddaddy_iu rest well bro u will be miss[ed]." Longtime friend and hip-hop producer Pete Rock also posted a tribute on his Instagram, writing in the caption, "Grand Daddy I.U. died peacefully in his sleep."
Grand Daddy I.U. signed to Cold Chillin' Records in 1989 after getting his demo tape into the hands of Biz Markie. His debut album "Smooth Assassin" (1990) spawned a pair of hits in "Something New" and "Sugar Free".
After parting ways with Cold Chillin' Record, he released his sophomore album "Lead Pipe" in 2007. After a short break from releasing music, he dropped a new single titled "Stay Fly" in July 2021.
