Lexii Alijai, a young star who made a name for herself rapping over tracks by Drake and Nas, has died at the age of 21. Her family confirmed the news in heartbreaking posts on social media on New Year’s Day. Not much is known about her untimely death, however, singers including Kehlani are sharing their devastation on Twitter and Instagram. Here’s five fast facts about Lexii.
1. Lexii Alijai was a rapper from Minnesota. — Born Alexis Alijai Lynch on February 19, 1998, Lexii was a standout performer from St. Paul, Minnesota. After reportedly dropping out of school to focus on her music career full-time, Lexii caught the attention of fans on SoundCloud and YouTube by rapping over the beats of popular songs including, “Try Me” by Dej Loaf, 2Pac‘s “Thugz Mansion”, and “Girls Love Beyoncé” by Drake.
2. She’s released two albums in her short career and collaborated with Kehlani. — Lexii’s first album Joseph’s Coat, was released in 2015 when she was just 17. Her second, Growing Pains, debuted in 2017. She was featured in a verse on Kehlani’s 2015 track “Jealous” and had a close relationship with the singer, wh referred to Lexii as her “little sister” in an emotional tribute on Instagram. They also collaborated on the song, “You Should Be Here,” which was nominated for a Grammy. In 2016, she performed at Soundset Music Festival. Lexii’s opened up for artists including, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti and Rich the Kid.
3. Lexii’s cousin confirmed her death on Facebook. — In a tribute to the late rapper on January 1, her cousin asked for prayers for her family. “They say don’t question God, but damn why you baby. This thing called life is crazy as hell. My heart is broken 💔 the tears won’t stop. I’m trynna hold it together… I love you more then you’ll ever know. I can’t focus, I can’t concentrate, I’m numb, I literally can not breath. Rest easy baby… 😘 You gained your beautiful wings… Lexii Alijai,” LaMycha Jett wrote. “Please keep our family in your prayers.” Lexii’s cousin also shared a news article reporting her cousin’s death, and posted more heartfelt tributes to her.
4. It’s unclear how she died. — While Lexii’s family has spoken out about her death, there have been no confirmed details about how she died or the exact date of her death. As of January 2, a cause of death and autopsy report were not yet been released. Our thoughts are with her friends and family during this difficult time.
5. Lexii’s last social media posts were shared on the day before her death. — In Alijai’s last Facebook post on New Year’s Eve, she re-shared her status from 2013, hinting that she may have stayed in on the holiday. “Stayin in the crib as usual on New Years… [I don’t] do parties,” the post said. “I hope everyone has fun, be safe!” Lexii also shared a video on Instagram, which Kehlani and singer DaniLeigh comment on. After news of Lexii’s death, Dani wrote, “I was just with uuuuuu!!!!!”