The late Juice Crew member was all smiles as he sat down for a podcast interview, roughly a week before he was announced to have passed away at the age of 54.
- December 15, 2022
AceShowbiz - Grand Daddy I.U. laughed and celebrated a new project in his final social media post. The musician, born Ayub Bey, uploaded a video on the set of "Tha T-Money Podcast Joint Featuring Ciara Ross", which he captioned, "ON THE SET OF MY MAN T MONEY'S NEW PODCAST #goodvibes" and "#letsgo."
On Tuesday, December 13, news of Grand Daddy's death was broken by hip-hop producer Pete Rock who said the 54-year-old rapper had died in his sleep, but an official cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Best known for his hits "Something New" and "Sugar Free", the New Yorker was raised in Long Island and broke into the music scene in the late-1980s. He was a member of the New York hip-hop collective Juice Crew, and his collaborations included projects with Tupac Shakur, Lotto, and Big Snow.
Grand Daddy's business manager said, "No I am not okay. I'm devastated. Anyone who really knows me knows how much pure love and respect I had for him. I pray for a peaceful and easy transition."
LL Cool J, 54, paid tribute by posting a picture of Grand Daddy on Instagram, which he captioned, "Rest in Power King. HipHop was in your DNA. @granddaddy_iu Thank You for your contribution." Busta Rhymes, 50, said online, "Waking up to this crazy. RIP ALMIGHTY GDIU!!" Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man, 51, added, "Whaaaaaat?! No way! Long Island Legend... rest in power King."
