Chinx, the New York rapper who won a growing following by turning his bleak experiences as a drug-dealer into verse, was shot dead Sunday. He was 31. The rapper - whose works included a series of mixtapes with the prophetic title "Hurry Up and Die" - was driving a Porsche in the early morning in Queens when another motorist opened fire, police said.
Chinx, whose real name was Lionel Pickens, was pronounced dead at a hospital where another passenger was being treated for bullet injuries. Police did not immediately arrest a suspect or describe a motive.
"Chinx was one of the most talented, professional and determined rappers this industry had to offer," publicist Chanel Rae said in a statement confirming his death.
The rapper became a breakaway success in the hip-hop world with his 2012 song "I'm a Coke Boy" recorded with his mentor French Montana, the Moroccan-born rapper and label chief.
A remix of the song featured rap giant Sean Combs, best known as Puff Daddy. Chinx collaborated more recently with Young Thug.
"I'm a Coke Boy" was an anthem of sorts to the drug-dealing lifestyle, with the lines: "Could have been a pilot / Could have been a doctor / Could have been a pimp / Could have been a mobster... Keep wiggling, baby / I'm a motherfucking coke boy."
Chinx was strongly identified with the drug culture, with a recent photo he posted on social media showing him smoking from a pipe shaped like a rifle.
But he distanced himself slightly as he gained more mainstream recognition, shortening his stage name from the original Chinx Drugz.