Getty Lil Uzi Vert performs onstage at Rolling Loud Fueled by West Coast Cure Los Angeles 2019.
Fans of Lil Uzi Vert can rest assured that he is very much alive. Audiences speculated on social media about whether the American rapper, whose real name is Symere Bysil Woods, had died over the weekend but there is no truth to the rumor.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Fake Headline Claimed Lil Uzi Vert Had Died From an Overdose
TikTok/@demigodgeloA TikTok user spread a fake headline claiming Lil Uzi Vert had died.
The gossip circulated after a TikTok user posted a fake headline that came from a meme generator website called “Break your own news.” The app includes on its home page that it is intended for “fun, humour and parody.”
TikTok user @demigodgelo, who has nearly 25 million followers, posted the fake headline “Lil Uzi Vert Found Dead” on December 27. The subheader read, “26 year old rapper Lil Uzi Vert has reportedly overdosed in a L.A. hotel.” The TikTok user added a generic photo that included emergency responders and a stretcher. The post prompted more than 146,000 “likes” and thousands of comments.
As of this writing, Lil Uzi Vert had not directly commented on the false headline. But on December 27, the musician was responding to comments from fans on his Twitter page.
The Death Headline Was Generated From a Parody Website
BreakYourOwnNews.comA fake headline claiming Lil Uzi Vert had died came from a parody website.
TikTok user @demigodgelo did not even try to hide the fact that the fake headline came from a parody website. The post claiming that Lil Uzi Vert had died includes a watermark for “breakyourownnews.com” in the top right-hand corner.
The home page of this site explains that it is meant to be used for humorous purposes and includes the disclaimer, “This app is intended for fun, humour and parody – be careful what you make and how it may be shared. You should avoid making things which are unlawful, defamatory or likely to cause distress. Have fun and be kind!”
The example in the center of the site’s home page includes the headline, “Something Went Viral Online.” The subheader alludes to the fact that the app is meant to help spread memes online. “‘Is this really news?’ asks commenter | 5 million retweets in 1 hour already.”
The TikTok User’s Other Fake Headlines Include That President Trump Had Declared War on North Korea & That Murder Hornets Had Killed 100 People in New York City
TikTok/@demigodgeloThe TikTok user who claimed Lil Uzi Vert had died posted several fake headlines on December 27.
TikTok user @demigodgelo used the headline generator to create several memes espousing fake news over the weekend. The posts on December 27 include a now-deleted headline that President Donald Trump was “declaring war with North Korea due to oil supply.” This claim is clearly not real and would never make any logical sense. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, North Korea “has no proved reserves of petroleum and other liquids” and imports its oil from China.
TikTok/@demigodgeloThe TikTok user who claimed Lil Uzi Vert had died posted several fake headlines on December 27.
Also on December 27, @demigodgelo wrote that a “nest of murder hornets have killed over 100 civilians” in New York City. In the TikTok post, he covered his mouth as if in shock and wrote in the caption, “Stay safe out there.”
Rest assured that this did not happen. So-called “murder hornets” are native to Asia and are even eaten in Japan, the New York Times reported. A nest of these insects was found in Washington State in late 2019 but the nest was eradicated in October 2020, CNN reported. The network added that the hornets get their name because they are known to destroy honey bee hives.
TikTok/@demigodgeloThe TikTok user who claimed Lil Uzi Vert had died posted several fake headlines on December 27.
The poster also claimed on December 27 that a “killer creature” had been found in China and that scientists called it the “most vicious they ever found.” The picture in the fake headline looks like an alien and was likely lifted from a movie or television show.
This Isn’t the First Time Lil Uzi Vert Has Faced Death Rumors
Steven Ferdman/Getty Images for TIDAL
Lil Uzi Vert may get a laugh from these online rumors because he’s faced them before. Twitter user @sunsonc wrote in September 2018 that the rapper had died at age 24 “following recent reports of a shootout.” There was no source listed, even a fake one, but the tweet still comes up in internet searches.
According to the Cinemaholic, fans again expressed concern about Lil Uzi Vert’s well-being on June 18, 2020 after a Facebook page titled “R.I.P. Lil Uzi Vert” gained a lot of attention. But as the outlet reported, representatives for the rapper quickly reassured his fans that he was fine and that the Facebook page was nothing more than a hoax. The page appears to have since been deleted.