Atlanta rapper Lil Marlo has died, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed to NBC News. While no cause of death had been confirmed, TMZ, which first reported the news, cites a police source as saying the MC, whose real name was Rudolph Johnson, was shot while driving. The medical examiner’s office said he was 30, although some reports say he was 27.
A rep for his label, Quality Control, confirmed the death.
Atlanta police confirmed to NBC that officers found a 30-year-old man dead of gunshot wounds in a vehicle on I-285 near the Benjamin E. Mays Drive overpass after responding to a call about an accident on Saturday night, although they did not confirm his identity.
“At this time, investigators believe the victim was the intended target of the gunfire and they are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting,” a police statement reads.
Lil Yachty posted about the shooting early Sunday, writing on Instagram, “We just did a song a 4 this morning smh rip brother.”
Marlo signed with Atlanta powerhouse Quality Control — home to Yachty, Migos, Lil Baby, City Girls and others — in 2017 and released an album with Lil Baby, “2 the Hard Way,” later that year, as well as his own debut, “The Wire.” He released a pair of mixtapes, “The Real 1” and “9th Ward God,” in 2018, and dropped his most recent album, “1st & 3rd,” in February. He also released several singles and appeared on the first two “Quality Control: Control the Streets” compilations.
He is survived by four children: Kemora, Rihanna, Marlo and Rudy, according to XXL.