TMZ reported that Lil Marlo (real name Rudolph Johnson) was gunned down in downtown Atlanta. “On 7-11-20, at around 11:30pm, officers responded to a single vehicle accident on I-285 near the Benjamin E. Mays Drive overpass,” Atlanta PD told HollywoodLife. “Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle and found the 30-year-old driver deceased inside the vehicle. The preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling on I-285 in the Southbound lanes when the driver was shot. The vehicle came to rest on the left side of the southbound lanes. Atlanta Police Homicide investigators responded to the scene and immediately began their investigation. 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. At this time the investigation continues.”
Fellow rapper Lil Yachty, 22, was the first one to break the news on his social media. “We just did a song a 4 this morning smh rip brother @lilmarlo_1,” he wrote on Instagram next to a photo of them together. He was only 27 years old.
Here are 5 things you should know about Lil Marlo and the impact he made on the music world.
1: Big Break. Lil Marlo was signed to the popular Quality control label in late 2017 that included a ton of other chart-topping names like Lil Yachty, Migos and The City Girls.
2: Major Hits. He released his first mixtape that year called The Wire. Lil Marlo also had success with many of the tracks he released including “1st N 3rd,” “F****em” and “9 + Z6ne = 1’5.”
3: Highly Respected. “Marlo’s been in development with QC these past two years and this summer is when people will really see his incredible talent,” Quality control co-founder Pierre “Pee” Thomas said in a 2019 interview. “He is one of my favorite artists and he’s speaking that real s**t.”
4: Loving Father. He leaves behind four children: Kemora, Rihanna, Marlo and Rudy. He posted a sweet Father’s Day dedication for them last month, writing, “Thanks For Making Me Y’all Father I Wouldn’t Trade Y’all For Da World.”
5: He Will Be Missed. Dedications have been pouring in for him since word got out about his passing. “Waking up seeing Lil Marlo passed away made me appreciate waking up even more,” fellow ATL rapper Clay James tweeted.