Celeb Reactions To XXXTentacion's Death

XXXTentacion's murder shocked the music world, devastating the rapper's fans and colleagues. As Nicki Swift previously reported, XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, was shot in his car outside of a South Florida motorcycle dealership in a possible drive-by or robbery on June 18, 2018. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was later pronounced dead that same day. He was just 20 years old.

While details surrounding his death remain unclear, XXXTentacion's admirers have taken to social media to express their grief and offer their condolences to his loved ones. Everyone from fellow rap icon Kanye West to rock drummer Travis Barker has posted about XXXTentacion's passing, obviously stunned by the sad news. It's clear that, despite his legal troubles and alleged history of violent behavior, the "SAD!" artist will be missed by many.

Following the news of XXXTentacion's death, Kanye West took to Twitter to grieve the loss of the ? rapper. Sharing a photo of XXXTentacion, the "Famous" artist wrote, "Rest in peace," followed by several praying hands emojis. "I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here," said West, who's been opening up about his personal life and mental health since creating his eighth studio album Ye. "Thank you for existing."

The "Buy U A Drank" artist reacted to XXXTentacion's passing online, expressing his disbelief that the young star had died after allegedly making positive changes to his life. "Man, damn X," tweeted T-Pain, whose real name is Faheem Najm. "You JUST turned it around brother." T-Pain added, "Senseless bro. No reason. We gotta do better man."

It's unclear what life changes XXXTentacion may have made in recent months, but it's possible T-Pain was referring to XXXTentacion's philanthropic pursuits. According to The Blast, XXXTentacion had been planning charity events for suicide prevention awareness. T-Pain may also be referring to XXXTentacion's release from prison in December 2017, after which he'd remained on house arrest. He was later let off house arrest in order to tour in March 2018 (via XXL magazine).

Diplo (real name Thomas Wesley Pentz) was clearly taken aback by the news of XXXTentacion's death. He shared photos of the rap star on his Instagram page, along with a lengthy message that said, in part: "This kid was a genius" and a "true artist" who "made his own rules." 

"He has his faults and we was willing to pay for his sins ... but he was young and he worked so hard on his own self. He wanted to be better," Diplo said, added that he was planning to work with him on the rapper's next record. "He texted me this weekend it was one of his goals to get me & Skrillex to finish his next album," Diplo said. "I Invited him to La this week. I was wondering if he was gonna come." Diplo concluded, "I love this kid. He was gonna do so much more he promised me."

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker also tweeted about XXXTentacion's tragic murder. "I'm at a loss for words... speechless #RIPXXXTentacion," he shared with his more than 1.63 million followers. "You were a true artist, one of the most f***ing talented of our time."

Barker also took to Instagram to post a photo of XXXTentacion, writing, "Spoke to you weeks ago my brother... I loved collaborating with you and was honored to call you a friend." He added, "Your music will live forever, blessings to his family & loved ones."

Earlier that day, after news first broke that XXXTentacion had been shot, Barker, who was recovering after receiving treatment for blood clots in his arms, tweeted that he was praying for the rap star to pull through.

Like his fellow music artists, Kylie Jenner's ex and "Rack City" rapper Tyga took the news of XXXTentacion's death hard. He shared a photo of XXXTentacion on his Instagram account and penned an emotional caption. "Such a sad feeling today. Losing a good artist. Nothing is worth losing your life," Tyga said. "I'm really sad about this and hurt how things have changed, so many new young good [artists] that need to realize their platform and influence."

Tyga continued, telling his fans and 12.7 million Instagram followers, "We gotta do better as a culture. We gotta come together and set better examples. We got [so] many young people that idolise (sic) us as [artists]." Tyga explained that he wants his son — King Cairo Stevenson, whom he shares with ex Blac Chyna — to have the "right influences" as he grows older.

Noah Cyrus, who collaborated with XXXTentacion on the track "Again," spoke out about the rapper's death on Instagram. Beside a photo of XXXTentacion, Cyrus expressed her disbelief: "i dont know what to say... im sorry," she wrote, "and we'll miss you doesnt cut it. no one deserves to go this young." The singer went on, "I found a friend in you, someone with no judgement. someone who understood what being judged felt like. you were someone who was trying to better themselves."

Cyrus said she felt "lucky" to have been friends with XXXTentacion and to have worked with him. "At this point i feel as if im at a loss for words and nothing i say will do [you] justice. im so sorry this had to happen to you. im so sorry someone took you from your family at such a young age," she said. "Im grateful to have known you the short amount of time i did. im grateful for every bit of advice you gave me. i will hold it with me forever."