Instagram/Snowhadd Pridgen pictured on his Instagram page in September 2020.
Jihad Pridgen aka Snowhadd is the son of rapper Freeway who died in October 2020 at the age of 20.
The Philadelphia-based Freeway, whose real name is Leslie Pridgen, 42, broke the news of his son’s death in an Instagram post which featured him standing next to his son.
Freeway is best known for his appearance on Jay-Z and Beanie Siegel’s 2003 hit “What we do.” Freeway was signed to Jay-Z’s Roc-a-Fella label 2003 and 2009. Freeway’s most recent effort, his album Think Free, was released under the Roc Nation label in 2018.
Heavy has reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department and to Pridgen’s management for information on his death.
Freeway Said Following His Son’s Death: ‘Please Cherish Your Time & Your Loved Ones’
Instagram/SnowhaddPridgen pictured with his father on September 9.
In his father’s Instagram post, Jihad Pridgen is wearing a graduation cap and gown. Freeway wrote in the caption:
God knows I try my best to be strong, but this right here is a pain like I never felt. Please cherish your time and your loved ones because we’re not promise the next breath. I Pray Allah forgives my son for all Of his sins and I pray that Allah grants him the highest level of paradise. Ameen 😢 Please make dua for him & my family.
According to Pridgen’s LinkedIn page, he was formerly a student at North Penn High School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. On that page, Pridgen gives his location as Philadelphia. Pridgen’s social media pages indicate that he was an aspiring rapper going by the moniker Snowhadd.
On his Instagram page, Pridgen regularly posted videos of his freestyle raps. Pridgen wrote in a September 9 Instagram post, “Told @PhillyFreeway I need a deal I got my foot up in the door.” In a post on October 3, Pridgen said that he was releasing some new music “soon.”
Philadelphia rapper Lil Mopp Top paid tribute to Pridgen on Instagram writing, “This a different pain…🕊…I love you & I promise all this s*** gonna be ours rest easy lil cousin we playing this s*** all day.”
Pridgen’s Death Comes Shortly After Another Philly Rapper, Oschino, Publicly Mourned the Death of His Son
Instagram/Oschino VasquezOschino Vasquez and his son pictured on Instagram on October 24.
The loss of Freeway’s son comes shortly after another Philadelphia-based rapper, Oschino, announced that his son and his son’s pregnant girlfriend were killed in a car accident, reports The Grio.
Oschino posted about the death of he and Freeway’s sons in an Instagram post on October 28. Oschino wrote in part, “What is the chances of that both lose our sons. F*** rap beef that’s fake s*** this real life I’ve never been depressed before but I am now.” Oschino began the post writing, “I wouldn’t wish his on my worst enemy.” In a separate post, Oschino wrote, “My heart is broken into a million pieces.” Oschino also wrote about when he was in prison being visited by his son’s mother while she was pregnant. Oschino said that he begged his son’s mother not to have an abortion.
Those deaths come as Philadelphia and the city’s police force are under scrutiny over the shooting death of 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr. Wallace was armed with a knife when he was shot 12 times by officers. Wallace’s family maintains that the victim had mental health issues.
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