'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABgAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAEDBAEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQABQYRBwgSE1FSAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGEQADAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMREgAEUf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AguB+nzFsxwS/XufNmJbgFbj8JrSUSQhhS0AqOyghdZ7n4FbkzpI87h084N9iPo+hSlHO7akFk02wX32PuDxD0Zzu9VooYIF1HmRz/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Famous rapper Grand Daddy I.U. recently passed away on December 13 at the age of 54. Although the cause of death has not yet been revealed, he reportedly died in his sleep.
I.U.’s representative Raya paid tribute to him in a social media post stating that she was shocked to hear the news. She added that she always had a lot of love and respect for the artist, continuing:
“I do not need to post pictures nor stories to profess anything. I pray for a peaceful and easy transition.”
Grand Daddy I.U. was mostly known as a member of the hip-hop group Juice Crew. The hip-hop star is survived by his family members, whose identities are yet to be disclosed.
Rapper LL Cool J took to his Instagram to pay his respects to the late artist by sharing a picture of his friend alongside a moving caption, thus confirming his demise.
"Rest in power King. HipHop was in your DNA. @granddaddy_iu Thank You for your contribution."
Netizens pay tribute on Twitter
Also known as Ayub Bey, the late artist managed to build a huge fanbase in recent years despite releasing limited material. Several netizens paid their tributes on Twitter when they heard about his unfortunate demise:
Grand Daddy I.U. was well-known for his albums and singles
Born on August 23, 1968, Grand Daddy I.U. spent most of his childhood in Hempstead, Long Island. Detailed information about his parents and educational background is not available as he never revealed anything about them.
After being encouraged by his brother Kay Cee, he made his debut in the music industry by joining Cold Chillin’ Records in 1989. Although he gained recognition as a hip-hop artist, he failed to reach the level of other artists who were signed to the record label. The late 54-year-old released four albums since his time in the music industry.
His first album Smooth Assassin and its singles were loved by the audience. However, Grand Daddy I.U. started having a negative opinion of the music industry after Biz Markie received publishing credits for the singles despite the fact that most of the work was done by I.U. and his brother Kay Cee.
He then released his second album, Lead Pipe, in June 1994. The album failed to repeat the success of I.U.’s first release despite being included in the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It had a total of 16 singles. The album’s failure was attributed to the lack of promotion and the end of Cold Chillin’ Records’ collaboration with Warner Bros. Records.
Later, Grand Daddy I.U. took a break from releasing any new work for a long time and changed his focus towards writing songs for other artists. He made special appearances on several albums and after a long break, his third album, Stick to the Script, was released in 2007 under the record label Steady Flow.
The album became famous for guest appearances by well-known faces from the music industry.
He also joined Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard on an album titled Still Hear. Grand Daddy I.U.'s latest album, titled Essence, was released in 2020 and the following year, he released a single, Stay Fly.
