Hella Sketchy Dead: Soundcloud Star Dies at 18

Instagram/Hella Sketchy Hella Sketchy pictured on his Instagram page in March 2019.

Hella Sketchy is a Soundcloud rapper who died of a drug overdose on June 27 at the age of 18, his father said on Twitter.

Erik Thureson wrote in his heartbreaking tweet, “You are not supposed to go before your father or grandfather. That’s not supposed to happen. That’s not how this works. We have no words. We are so sad to share that Jacob Tyler Thureson passed away on June 27,2019 at 5:11 am.” Thureson included the hashtags, “#ripsketchy #ripjacob #riplittlebuddy.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up by Sketchy’s family in order to help pay for his healthcare and funeral costs. At the time of writing, the page has raised more than $8,000. The description on the page reads in part, “[Sketchy’s parents] will be responsible for co-pays and deductibles, memorial services, and any other funds collected will go into producing a very important documentary creating awareness on the opioid epidemic plaguing our nation and getting honest about the effects of mental illness and depression on our youth.”

On the Day of His Overdose, Sketchy Told His Fans, ‘I Love You Guys So Much’

Facebook/Erik Thureson

In subsequent tweets, Thureson said that Hella Sketchy’s cause of death was a drug overdose. Thureson said his son was found unresponsive following an overdose on June 13. He was revived and brought to a hospital, where he spent his final days. Thureson wrote,”Never in a million years would I have imagined that it would end like this.” On June 13, Sketchy posted a photo on his Instagram page with a caption that read, “I love you guys so much thank you for supporting me I’m so grateful that I can help people with my music.”

Sketchy’s Father Blamed His Son’s Death on the Opioid Epidemic

Thureson blamed his son’s tragic death on the opioid epidemic. He wrote, “The conversation regarding drugs, depression, mental illness, social media, needs to be happening more openly without judgment and stigma. Jacob’s life was not and will not be in vain.”

Thureson closed his heartbreaking Twitter thread by writing, “Jacob touched many lives. He had so many praying. There was unity from people of all backgrounds with 1 hope for Jacob to pull through. We don’t understand why but we do know that no matter what God is still good & we praise him… We love you Jacob. More than words can express. We honor your short life of 18 years but we promise, your legacy will live on forever.”

In the wake of her son’s death, Sketchy’s mother, Judy Thureson, posted this heartbreaking image to her Facebook page:

Sketchy Was Named as One of the Best Rappers on Soundcloud in 2018

In June 2018, a year before his death, Hot New Hip-Hop named Sketchy as one of the top ten rappers on Soundcloud. The article mentioned that Sketchy made his name as a “type beat” producer before branching into his own music. The blog wrote of Sketchy, “I’m not sure what the ceiling is for Hella Sketchy but for now he will continue to make waves on Soundcloud and beyond.”

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