Instagram/Kiing Shooter Kiing Shooter posted this photo to his Instagram page on April 24.
Kiing Shooter, the Dave East-associated rapper and Queens native, has died at the age of 24. Kiing Shooter’s real name was William Daniels. New York rapper Big Twins confirmed to Heavy that Daniels’ death was not related to coronavirus. Big Twins said that Daniels’ cause of death was liver failure.
Kiing Shooter first rose to fame in 2017 after appearing on several songs with Harlem rapper Dave East. His first single, “They Say,” was released in June 2018. His first major release was August 2018’s Fucc the Doubters, which made it to 148 on the Billboard 200. A second EP, No Turning Bacc, came out in April 2019. Kiing Shooter’s first album, Still Outside, was released in March 2020. The late rapper had been uploading music to his official SoundCloud page since 2016.
Heavy has reached out to Dave East for comment on Daniels’ death.
In April 2020 Daniels Said, ‘No More Drinkin’ for Me’
On April 24, Daniels posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed to his Instagram profile. Daniels wrote in the caption, “This Can’t Be Life ??♂️I Said Henny Was Stronger Than The Rona I Ain’t Kno It Was That Strong ??♂️ No More Drinkin For Me ??♂️.” “Henny” is the slang term typically associated with the cognac brand Hennessey. The following day, Daniels posted this photo to his page:
Daniels Had Just Signed to Nas’ Street Dreams Records
Big Twins, real name Jamal Abdul Raheem, told Hip Hop DX that Daniels had been hospitalized due to liver problems. In the same interview, Raheem referred to Daniels as “one of the news guys coming up in Queensbridge.”
Raheem added that Daniels had just signed to legendary rapper Nas’ label Street Dreams Records. Raheem said Daniels’ music was beginning to get thousands of views on YouTube and that he was the “next up” to represent Queensbridge.
Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the NYPD Had to Break Up an Impromptu Vigil for Daniels
On the day of Daniels’ death, Patch Queens reported that police had broken up an unofficial vigil to the rapper at the Queensbridge Houses around 2 p.m. The website said that around 75 people had shown up at the event at 40th Avenue and 10th Street. The New York Post reported the number to be closer to 50 people.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has banned mass gatherings of any kind.
One person who attended the gathering, Lashawn “Suga Ray” Marston, told Patch, “A lot of people at Queensbridge had a personal relationship with him. He loved his community and wanted all of us to do better and be out of the street life. It completely took the whole neighborhood by surprise.”
Dave East Said Daniels Was the Only Rapper He Kept Close By
In a 2019 interview with Revolt.tv, Dave East said Kiing Shooter was the only rapper he kept close to him. In August 2019, East, a native of Harlem, and Daniels collaborated on a remix of the Pop Smoke song, “Welcome to the Party.”
On March 18, Daniels announced on Instagram that his upcoming national tour had been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite his disappointment, Daniels celebrated the fact that Instagram had awarded him a verified blue check.
Daniels’ Fans Have Taken to Social Media to Mourn the Late Rapper
Instagram/Kiing Shooter
As news of Daniels’ death spread, some of his most ardent fans took so social media to mourn the late rapper. Here are some of the most poignant tributes:
Probably on the worst type of terms you can be on with someone you knew since middle school. RIP Chill Will aka Kiing Shooter 🙏🏽
man i’ve been trying to focus on work but every few mins i remember that kiing shooter passed away today and my day keeps getting ruined all over again what the fuck yoooooo
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Queens Rapper & Dave East Associate Kiing Shooter Dead at 24