Rapper Huey, best known for his 2006 debut single “Pop, Lock and Drop It,” was killed in a double shooting in Kinloch, Mo., outside of St. Louis late Thursday night, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch and multiple local reports.
Police confirmed the deceased’s identity as Lawrence Franks Jr., 32, of St. Louis. The rapper was rushed to the hospital but died shortly after he arrived, according to the reports. He had been shot at least once, according to police police.
The second victim, a 21-year-old man, suffered non-life threatening injuries, police told the paper.
The two were shot in the front yard of a residence in Kinloch. Police believe that as many as 10 other people were present when the shooting took place; they have asked witnesses for help solving the crime, an officer said.
St. Louis County police detectives are investigating. Police released no details Friday about a possible motive, nor had they revealed whether they have identified any suspects.
“Pop, Lock and Drop It” was one of several songs Huey placed on local mixtapes as a teenager, which led to a deal with Jive Records. The label released the song as Huey’s debut major label single, and it reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified double platinum; his debut album, “Notebook Paper,” reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Rap chart. However, his follow-ups — including singles with Lloyd and Juelz Santana — were not as successful, and he released just one other major label album, “Redemption” in 2010. He dropped mixtapes in 2011 and 2014.