Chicago Rapper Fredo Santana Reportedly Dead At 27

Chicago rapper Fredo Santana has reportedly died, according to several of his friends and collaborators. He was 27.

The tragic news was first shared early Saturday morning (January 20) by Santana’s good friend Maxo Kream. “I’m lost for words right now,” he wrote on Instagram. “RIP a real Savage.”

Santana, born Derrick Coleman, helped usher in Chicago’s drill music scene back in 2012, alongside his younger cousin Chief Keef. He also founded his own record label, Savage Squad, where he released his debut album, Trappin' Ain't Dead, in 2013. Over the past five years, he churned out nearly a dozen mixtapes and albums, the last being 2017's Fredo Kruger 2.

Santana had his share of struggles as well, suffering health issues ranging from liver and kidney failure to seizures. In October, he posted on Instagram that he was hospitalized with liver failure, writing, “I wouldn't wish this on my [worst] enemy.”

Santana is survived by one son who was born in 2017. A cause of death has yet to be confirmed.