3-mob.com 
Some people just like water in a stream seem to pass through this life without making any significant impact in the lives they would have lived.
Earlier this week on Monday, the world woke to the news that prodigiously talented rapper Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy better known as XXXTentacion had died in a shooting outside a Florida mall. Now whether you believe it was for better or for worse what cannot be denied is that he made an impact on this world in one way or another, one which has reverberations we feel even more now after his death. X as he was also informally known has been a polarizing figure in death just as he was in life. Although a strong advocate for mental health issues, he had a horrific domestic abuse record, one so bad that popular music streaming service Spotify decided to exclude him from their service.
Despite of this record however there was a general outpouring of grief over his death and although some other distasteful comments hinting at his passing being a good thing have surfaced the general mood is that the world has lost a talented artist and in some ways a precious human being. Many artists have talked about how he in his own unique way influenced them or inspired to be better artists. Kanye West, Ski Mask the Slump God, Young Thug, Lil Pump and Jaden Smith most notably reaching out to him in one way or another.
The less popular names comprising of the general populace felt that to them X was a gateway artist who helped them grapple with their hardships and depression making the feel less alone. Songs like Sad! and Everybody dies in their nightmares made them feel less alone in this world and like someone really understood the pain they had to go through.
So what makes the story of XXXTantacion so sad? Well firstly I would say the manner of his death, America really has to wake up. Public shootings are really becoming the norm now and the Donald Trump-led administration seems to not be shaken, not in the least bit. Gun control is needed and needed now.
We have also lost a talented artist before we even really had him. The 20 year old was only just getting started and had already amassed a huge following his two albums 17 and (?) being huge commercial success. The saddest thing however is from a simply human point of view, 20 is just too young an age to lose anyone regardless of what they have done considering the fact that many people have reformed at much later stages in their in lives and gone on to achieve great things.
X is gone but his small but deeply personal body of work remains. It is interesting to note that after his death his album and song sales have sky rocketed his song “Sad!” Is currently number one on iTunes while “Changes” is number 5, in addition to that both his albums are back in the top 10. Spotify has also proven its hypocrisy by dedicating a playlist to the late rapper, despite the fact that it was only a few weeks ago they removed his music from their platform. I guess it’s true what they say that everyone loves when you are gone. Hopefully his death causes an awakening, more attention to the issues surrounding X like mental health, domestic abuse and also internet beefs which are leading to more and more dangerous real life confrontations like these.
Then his death will at least not have been in vain.
By Taka Mudariki
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