D.C. Rapper Swipey’s name became a national Twitter trend after reports of his death emerged on August 21. The head of his record label, Kevin Baldwin, tweeted a tribute to the deceased rapper saying, “May Allah have mercy on him. This stupid mentality has to stop!! #missingyoualready #notbywordsbyaction #word2dawise.” Swipey, known for his viral hits “Best Friend” and “Dirty” had just dropped his album, Sorry Not Sorry, in July, had worked with artists Shy Glizzy and Lil Durk during his short life. He was 18 years old.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. His Manager Told Heavy.com That Swipey Was Shot Dead During a Party at His Mother’s House
Swipey pictured on his Twitter page.
His manager, Kevin Baldwin, who wasn’t present at the party, told Heavy.com, citing family members, that Swipey was fighting with a girl that he “used to mess with” at a party in Suitland, Maryland. The fight happened at Swipey’s mother’s house, at around 1 a.m. on August 21, according to family members. Baldwin said that the rapper’s brother told him that Swipey had “messed around” with the girl in question around six months previous but wasn’t with her at the time of his death.
A friend of Swipey’s wrote on Twitter that the rapper was shot in the head “twice close range.”
Swipey was pronounced dead at the scene, along Parkway Terrace Drive in Suitland. Baldwin told Heavy that Swipey and the girl were constantly fighting with resulted in Baldwin becoming a “Dr. Phil” figure. In one instance, Baldwin said the girl stole Swipey’s clothes while he was in the shower and posted photos of the swag to Instagram.
His mother, Freda, told the Washington Post, “He was a good guy, he was a nice guy, he never tried to start no trouble. I’m crying. I’m crying because I love my son.”
A police source told the Post that investigators do not believe the shooting was random. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest. Anybody with any information is asked to call 301-772-4925.
Swipey Dead in Shooting: Photos to Remember Rapper
An 18-year-old rapper was shot dead at a party in his mother's house after a fight involving a girl escalated.
Click here to read more2. At the Time He Signed His Recording Contract, Swipey Had a Scholarship to Morgan State
(Instagram)
Kevin Baldwin told Heavy.com that when he signed to his Men of Principles record label that the rapper had graduated high school with a 3.0 GPA. He added that Swipey had a scholarship to Morgan State University in Baltimore.
Baldwin remarked that Swipey had “no stable foundation” to build upon his academic achievements. He said that when he signed the slain rapper, he was taken aback by how “well-mannered” and “intelligent” Swipey was. Baldwin also said that he believed young rappers “can’t stick” with the same people they grow up with until they make it. He said rappers “can come back” for their people later.
3. In a December 2015 Interview, Swipey Said That Rapping Was in His ‘Blood’
Swipey told Dionee Milli, “I was around music all my life. I got a uncle that wanted to be a rapper, that is a rapper, a stepfather that used to rap. So that music s**t is always around me. It’s in my blood.”
The rapper was one of those who appeared as part of WPGC’s 2016 Prom Pull Up in June, doing surprise shows at schools across the D.C. area.
Swipey Dead in Shooting: Photos to Remember Rapper
An 18-year-old rapper was shot dead at a party in his mother's house after a fight involving a girl escalated.
Click here to read more4. The Hashtag ‘RIPSwipey’ Is Being Used for Fans to Share Their Memories of Swipey
In the hours after his death, the hashtag “RIPSwipey” became a nationally trending topic in the United States. While on Instagram, Swipey’s collaborator Romilli wrote, “R.i.p my brova my heart. Some Fxck n—-s hated on you real live was s–ting on any Yung n—a Ina dmv I LOVE YOU BROVA Nobody Got You I Got You!!! I AINT WANNA POST THIS S–T BUT MAN I WAS W YOU ALL THESE YEARS AN YOU LEAVE ME NOW DAMN MOE GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN !Im Hurr.”
Here are some of the most poignant tributes to Swipey:
5. In 2015, the Murder Rate in D.C. Increased by 54 Percent
WJLA reports that Swipey was the first man killed in the Suitland area early on August 21. The station notes that police are not saying if the two shootings are related. The second took place in the Upper Marlboro neighborhood of the town. The above news item from the BBC in 2013 speaks about the lower murder rate in the U.S. capital. While WTOP reported in May 2016 that D.C. had the tenth highest murder rate in the country. The Washington Post reported in August 2015 that D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier believed the rise in murder rates involved a number of previous offenders who were back on the streets.
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is an independent journalist and senior contributor to Heavy who covers breaking news and current events. He's from Ireland and lives in Brooklyn.
August 23, 2016 9:15 am
This is a tremendous loss to America. He will be missed.
^^^Eazy-E expressing condolences from the other side!?!?! I bet the wifi signal is da bomb up there, lol. ;)
NOT
Huh? What? Tremendous loss? lol He rapped about guns, dope, sexxx, and violence….. Let’s educate ourselves! Do better!
shut up
stfu, think about his mom you piece of shit.
His Mom knew his lifestyle.
stfu yu doing to much lil boy
Take ur ass somewhere
I just want to thank whoever capped “Swipey.” You have probably saved this country millions of dollars in the cost of Swipey’s future incarcerations, in his collection of social welfare “benefits”, and in the costs of raising the numerous illegitimate offspring it would have eventually sired. As a bonus, you spared us from any more of this ape’s ooking out unintelligible “(c)rap”. You did all that for the cost of only two bullets. Way to go! Thank you for your service! I hope others will be inspired by you.
Agreed
I bet ur redneck ass collecting benefits also……..you piece of shit grow up
Nogmaster piece of shit. You should watch what you type. The internet is not as anonymous as people think. You should watch your back now.
Reported
ooooh get him Berry, that son of a bitch doesnt know what its like to lose a loved one or has a bit of respect for the dead.
You are really sickening!!! The bonus is you should put 2 bullets in your own head.. Better yet your mother even having a piece of shit like you.. You was waste of the doctors time and the welfare benefits your mother used to have you… You should’ve been stillborn or aborted… Who the hell even gave birth to glob like you.. Bless your soul!
Broke…Virgin..😅😅😅…. U must b a white man ….coward
stfu , where do you go off saying thank you to someone getting killed. he was apart of my community at that my youth community and was going make if if they hate on him. so when that been said i hope somebody kill your racism ass or you daughter or son shit anybody in your family, so you can feel our pain, since you feel that his success spared the country dick head
.
show some damn respect bruh
ok you got a 18 yr old interviewing live on the street all the while rolling up a joint SMH
Terrible loss to mankind,hahahahahahaha…………
The comments on this are actually sickening…
Imm Soo Upset That Dougie Is Dead #RipSwipey 😩😩😩
No tears shed for this one. Sexist lyrics, advocating violence and criminality, and bragging on his own crimes? He got what he had coming. And of course none of the idiots at the party will talk to the police, so there won’t never be justice for him. Stupidass ghetto niggas.
eat a dick bitch
The fact that this young man lost his life by the cowardness of someone hiding behind a gun, to the reporter from “Heavy”, why participate in this relentless act of shadowing black young men to be nothing but gang bangers, theifs or drug dealers. Although, this picture is from Swipey’s Twitter page, I’m very sure there is a much better picture to post! Now I’m saying please use a different picture of him, that shows his artistic nature as a rapper, not a pot head or drug dealer. Only out of respect.
chris Harley what are you talking about? A 3.0 is a B average grade scale. He was passing much more than gym. I swear some ppl just need to get a life
One thing I learned is no matter how someone dies people are going to have their opinion about it. Those who have two minutes to write the dumbest, racist, and callous post are just that! Cultural differences exist throughout this country. Unfortunately a lot of young black men are killing each other over nothing. It’s extremely sad. Despite what you dumb, racist and callous people write about this young man, know that he was loved by thousands of young teens in the DMV area. He has performed at a High School in which I worked at. The kids liked his music. Was it church going music? No! Was he popular and the kids knew his music enough to follow him and support him? Yes! In every major city around this country we are losing young black teens to violent acts. My job as an educator is to sway them in the right direction. But when you live in environments where survival is a job even as a teenager, it becomes very difficult to get these kids to move in a direction which they can see a positive light at the end of the tunnel. He did as the articles mention, however or despite of, he didn’t move fast enough or smart enough to make a difference before it was too late. Same thing recently happened to another young up and coming rapper from Baltimore Lor Scoota. The culture that exist in these inner cities are driven by a false sense of manhood! What it is to be a man! Teens in these inner cities are driven by violence and it comes from various situations. The absence of fathers and male role models, poor parenting, violence depicted on television and in the music, poor education, and lack of counseling to deter acts of violence when you are angry or have a misunderstanding between two people or a group. In DC you have a terrible history of violence towards each other stemming from neighborhood ‘beefs’! You also have an influx of guns that are putting weapons like AR-15’s and Glocks in the hands of teens. You have to ask yourselves where are these teens getting these guns from? In every major city!!! This young generation of teens needs counseling in a major way. They’ve become just as numb to killing each other the same way some cops are killing them as well. Everyday at my previous school I was forced to hear teens express violence from who has the guns, to who are the real shooters! They are in the streets everyday and they know what’s going on. They know who was killed from their block and even know who did it before the police. But no one talks! Another sad part of this young culture…stop snitching! Regardless of all these variables, something has to give. The internet bullies and bigots who feel they have an avenue to express themselves are assholes. They seem to have forgotten they use to hang us from trees and now they want to judge who’s barbaric. But our black communities across this country has to figure things out. This is what THEY want us to do to each other. They set it up that way. It’s working for them. All you have to do is read their statements. They are winning without raising a noose! Until we realize as a race of people who have been set up to think the way we do, act the way we do, and see and feel like we have no future, this madness is going to continue. As a black male who grew up in the streets of Baltimore witnessing death because of the drug trade in the 80’s and 90’s, but somehow still persevered, I have to admit that we have to be smarter and more knowledgeable when it comes to being brainwashed and used by outside forces that love seeing us do this to each other. No violence is worth me allowing these bigots to win! We have to change this culture that we have condoned. Look at the results of the variables I listed earlier. The forces are and have been against us for decades. We are better people than what we have been forced to believe! Wake up! We can’t keep losing our Kings and Queens! Rest in peace to all of the fallen soldiers and young black men and women who didn’t stand a chance in these Un-United States of America where the streets are not paved in gold in the ‘Hood’! THEY are making sure you continue to struggle! They are making sure your brains are flooded with negativity towards each other! Wake up my young children, before it’s too late! It’s time to change your culture and the way you think!!! Survival comes from another direction which you’ve been too blind to see! It’s over there, not right here! Get that and you will get change! Peace and Love as always!
Your post is so profound. You hit all the problems of “the system” or in your words, “Un-united States.” I feel that your post should be shared to educate others. Do you mind if I share?
@Anonymous re your post at 12:40 am: Your post was so profound! I would love to send this to my 2 teenage sons to post on their social media accounts.
Take this straight from the horses mouth. Lil Dougie was my nephew and for the uneducated as racist bigot; Rap is a form of Art and that is just what this was to him. He was an artist and like Scarface said years ago and Lil Boosie “these rappers are studio gangsters” he was not about that life for real. Shit his ass just graduated from high school and was trying to make something out of his life. He was not dumb by a long stop and if the rap didn’t make it best believe he could have gotten a career in the real world like the rest of us doing a 9-5, so miss me with the bullshit…don’t speculate when you can’t relate, old racist ass clown. To each’s own, you don’t have to live us, but you can’t get rid of us…old bitch ass!! R.I. Paradise…Love you Swipe…
POP! POP! 2 in da haid! Da mo’ da merrier!
R. I. P. I am not aware of who this young man was. I hear it on news & social media. It’s very sad to see this age group of our Black race killing each other, it’s reducing our men for this generation. My condolences to the family & community. Stay blessed
Damn Dougie
rip swipey tears
When will the gov’the start penal colonies south America and ship these hood rats to for life. We need peace and love.
hes 19 now, why people keep saying hes still 18