Greatest rappers who have already died

As in all areas of music, rap has its share of tragedies. The early deaths of many of hip-hop's outstanding talents left hip-hop fans wondering - where would the genre be today if the likes of 2pac or Notorious BIG hadn't died? What would hip-hop sound like if super-producers like Jay Dilla had the opportunity to help shape the sound of modern hip-hop artists?

Here are 9 rappers who left us too early.

9 PHOTOS

1. Pop Smoke.

Death: Pop Smoke (age 20) was shot and killed during an apparent home invasion in the Hollywood Hills around 4:30 a.m. on February 19, 2020, when two men in hoodies and masks broke into the house and killed the artist. The murder has since been solved.

2.XXXTentacion.

Death: On the afternoon of June 18, 2018, XXXTentacion (20 years old) was shot and killed in a robbery near RIVA Motorsports, a high-profile motorcycle and boat dealer in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He was shot several times in the neck and was in critical condition before being pronounced dead at exactly 5:30 pm. Since then, four of the attackers have been caught.

3. Mac Miller.

Death: Mac Miller, 26, was found dead in his room in Los Angeles on September 7, 2018. Miller suffered an overdose due to the addition of fentanyl to his drugs.

4. Ol 'Dirty Bastard.

Death: ODB died at approximately 5:29 pm on November 13, 2004, at the Wu-Tang recording studio. He was pronounced dead less than an hour later, just two days before his 36th birthday. At the time of his death, he had a lethal mixture of cocaine and the prescription pain reliever Tramadol in his system.

5. Eazy E.

Death: In 1995, Eazy-E (31) was admitted to the hospital with what he believed to be bronchitis. He was diagnosed with AIDS and almost immediately announced his illness to the public. He died shortly thereafter, on March 26, 1995.

6. Big L.

Death: On February 15, 1999, Big L. (24) received seven shots to the head and chest and was killed on 139th Street, just a few blocks from his home in Harlem. The murder remains unsolved.

7. Nipsey Hussle.

Death: Nipsey Hussle, 33, was shot dead on March 31, 2019, in the parking lot of his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles at approximately 3:19 pm. Attacker Eric Holder was caught.

8. Biggie.

Death: On March 9, 1997, Biggie (24) was shot dead in Los Angeles, where he attended a VIBE magazine party outside the Peterson Automotive Museum. The murder remains unsolved.

9. Tupac.

Death: Tupac (25) was shot dead on the road on September 7, 1996, after a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon in Las Vegas. He died in hospital on September 13, 1996. The murder remains unsolved.