The Tragic Death Of Rapper Big Wan

Big Wan, a rising Milwaukee rapper, was fatally shot on November 26. "Shots were fired into a residence and subsequently struck the victim," the Milwaukee Police Department reported. Dawan Turner, the rapper's real name, was 19-years-old and staying in the same home as his mother and grandmother when the shooting occurred, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Hilda Alayeto, a close friend of Big Wan's mother, remembered him fondly. "Dawan was very lovable. He's always the kid to hug you, to make sure you are OK. He was almost like a big teddy bear," she told the Journal Sentinel. Big Wan's prowess on the microphone came through in real-life punchlines as well. "He was just a jokester who had a comeback and a joke for anything you say," Alayeto added.

The rapper's death came a year after he — along with 24 people other people — got charged with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The group, dubbed the Buffum Meinecki Boys, was described as a "violent drug trafficking organization" by the United States Department of Justice. Big Wan pled guilty to the charges and "was sentenced to time served, plus three years of supervised release," per HipHopDX.

At only 17-years-old, Big Wan started making a name for himself in the Milwaukee rap scene in 2019. He was described by Radio Milwaukee as "a Milwaukee rap star in the making," and with good reason.

Big Wan started recording rap music before he was even a teenager at 12-years-old. Eventually, he started collaborating with a group of friends that included his favorite producer RichiWitDaHitz. The rapper's manager, Bagzz, recalled Big Wan putting on electric shows at a young age. "[Big Wan] was the type of young guy who could get in the grown people's club and perform and rock the whole club," Bagzz told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after his friend's death. 

In 2019, Big Wan's playful delivery helped give him the hit single "Fast Lane Lifestyle" which had a popular YouTube music video. The following year, Big Wan proved he had staying power when his track "Eggshell" gained similar traction. His music found an audience as he tackled dark subject matter with a playful twist. "Like so many rappers from his circle, Wan wrote about extremely bleak topics, including addiction and violence. But he did so with a smirk," Radio Milwaukee wrote. The outlet called him "one of the most distinctive lyricists in the city."

Prior to his death, Big Wan was praised in a feature article on Milwaukee's burgeoning rap scene by Pitchfork. The publication praised the rapper's bombastic delivery. "Big Wan is the city's finest s*** talker," Pitchfork wrote in March. "He's behind some of the most fun rap in a city that has no shortage of it right now," it said of the talent who sadly is gone too soon.