Image via Getty/Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS
XXXTentacion was emerging as one of hip-hop’s most popular and polarizing figures when, on June 18, 2018, he was gunned down in his car after leaving a motorcycle shop in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy on Jan. 23, 1998 in Miami, X burst onto the mainstream music scene in 2017. The track “Look At Me!” was his breakthrough after he spent several years working on his craft and building an online following. In fact, the SoundCloud rapper actually dropped the track 14 months before it hit the Billboard charts, and he had been producing music since early in 2013.
X’s dramatic rise and tragic death followed a troubled childhood. When he was 6, he attempted to stab a man who was “messing with” his mother. His mom struggled financially, so he was mainly raised by his grandmother. He was a self-described “misfit” in high school, and he dropped out in 10th grade.
That didn’t stop him from making a cultural mark, though, as his music won over much of the rap community. Following his death, numerous prominent hip-hop figures—including J. Cole, Joey Badass, and Gucci Mane—made public statements.
“I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here,” Kanye West wrote. “Thank you for existing.”
In interviews before his death, X repeatedly emphasized that he felt his purpose in life was to inspire the nation’s youth, stating that it was his goal to make at least 5 million kids happy. “I try to live as long as I can for these kids and die a good death, because if I don’t live long, they not gonna want to live long,” X said just months before he was shot.
He viewed himself as an inspirational leader, but his life was rife with controversy. X was consistently in trouble with the law: He faced charges of gun possession, aggravated battery, domestic violence, and tampering with a witness, and served jail time on multiple occasions.
Below is a timeline of XXXTentacion’s emergence, his time in the spotlight, and the events surrounding his passing.
June 2013: X Appears on SoundCloud
In 2013, X uploaded his first song, “News/Flock,” to SoundCloud, the site that was also instrumental in the emergence of artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Pump, and Young Thug. Today, his SoundCloud account has nearly 3 million followers. Unfortunately, the official “News/Flock” is no longer available online, though there are several bootleg versions in existence. Rumor has it, some fans possess the official version.
Late 2013: X Sent to Juvenile Detention
Onfroy was sent to juvenile detention for nine to 12 months on gun possession charges. While there, he met Stokeley Goulbourne, aka Ski Mask the Slump God, who was in for possession of marijuana. The two freestyled together and developed a close friendship. After their release, they met up again, planning to rob homes together. However, Onfroy bought a microphone, and they got distracted by hip-hop—Onfroy later said he had realized music was a better outlet for his emotions than committing crimes.
While the duo were making their first batch of songs, Onfroy adopted the moniker XXXTentacion; XXX represents the unknown, and “tentación” is Spanish for “temptation,” he said in later interviews.
March 2014: First Official Track Drops
X had planned to release a project titled Mona Lisa in 2013, but he scrapped it. Instead, in March 2014, he released his first official song, “Vice City,” on SoundCloud.
On the hook, he sings, “my hypothesis is, death ain’t shit”—death was a constant theme in his lyrics and interviews.
May 2014: Hints of First EP
Soon after, X released what appeared to be his first EP, Ice Hotel, featuring several appearances from Ski and the title track, “Ice Hotel.” In what would prove to be a theme throughout his career, he later deleted the EP.
Nov. 2014: First Real EP
The Fall, which dropped Nov. 21, 2014, marked X’s first official EP. This one is still available online.
April 2015: The Birth of Members Only
The next year, X and his buddy Ski created a collective dubbed “Members Only.” They launched the collective with their collaborative album Members Only Vol. 1.
Oct. 2015: 'Members Only Vol. 2'
Roughly six months after Members Only Vol. 1, the duo released a follow-up, this time featuring more underground artists and producers, including 1Hunnit Junior, Flyboy Tarantino, Vinny Changos, Fukkit, and Kilo Jr.
Dec. 2015: “Look at Me!” Drops on SoundCloud
X’s first real hit landed online on the final day of 2015. The track, which samples “Changes” by British dubstep DJ Mala, was produced by Rojas and Jimmy Duval. It debuted on Rojas’ SoundCloud account, and focuses on X’s sexual escapades and dominance.
When the crew realized they had a banger on their hands, they released the track as a single available for digital download on Jan. 29, 2016.
April 2016: X Quits His Job
X was working as a call-center operator, but he quit the gig and moved in with fellow rapper Denzel Curry. He also released another EP, titled Willy Wonka Was a Child Murderer.
July 2016: X Arrested Again
As his online celebrity started to build, X found himself in legal trouble again, this time on charges of home invasion and aggravated battery. The arrest report stated that X and three others broke into a home, and X had a firearm, which he allegedly used to pistol-whip the home owner. He reportedly took off with an iPhone, a PlayStation Portable, an iPad, and $20 cash. X was arrested in Orlando.
At this time, his friendship with Ski grew rocky, and it appeared Members Only had disbanded.
Oct. 2016: Domestic Violence Allegations
In October, X posted $10,000 bail to be released from jail. Later that month, while he awaited trial, he was arrested again. X’s girlfriend at the time, who was pregnant, filed a police report stating that the rapper beat her until she lost the ability to see.
“Defendant punched and kicked victim on 10-06-2016 at approximately 2330 hrs (11:30 p.m.),” the report read. “Victim’s both eyes where [sic] punched to where both eyes became shut and victim could not see.”
Police arrested X and charged him with aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment, and witness tampering.
Feb. 2017: “Look at Me!” Hits Billboard Charts
“Look at Me!” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 95 after Empire Distribution released a remastered version of the track. The song eventually peaked at No. 34, and has amassed more than 156 million views on YouTube and 135 million streams on SoundCloud.
March 2017: X Released From Jail
X was released on bail after his October arrest. His trial was scheduled for May 2017, but it was pushed back several times. Prior to posting bail, X hosted a Periscope session to communicate with fans in which he announced that Members Only had been revived. The crew, which included Ski, Wifisfuneral, Craig Xen, and Robb Banks, released Members Only Vol. 3 in June 2017.
May 2017: X Drops 'Revenge'
X’s debut commercial mixtape, Revenge, arrived in May 2017, three months after the remastered version of “Look at Me!”—the tape’s lead single—was released. Revenge featured eight tracks, all of which had previously appeared on X’s SoundCloud. It debuted at No. 76 on the Billboard charts, climbing as high as No. 44 during X’s life. After X was killed, it peaked at No. 28.
June 2017: X’s Concerts Get Out of Hand
While X was developing a following online, he was also building a reputation as an artist whose concerts were violent. Things got testy at two shows in particular. In San Diego, a brawl broke out, and X got knocked out cold onstage.
Days later, while he was performing in Salt Lake City, X entered the crowd and punched a fan in the face.
June 2017: ‘XXL’ Puts X in the Freshman Class
X landed a spot alongside Kamaiyah, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, PnB Rock, Playboi Carti, Aminé, Kap G, Kyle, Ugly God, and MadeinTYO.
“Obviously I’m one of the greatest of this upcoming generation, as far as artistry,” X told XXL in his Freshman interview.
Aug. 2017: X Releases '17'
Following his appearance in the XXL Freshman list, the Florida rapper dropped his highly anticipated debut studio album, 17. The album included a feature from Trippie Redd and boasted production from Nick Mira, Taz Taylor, Natra Average, and Potsu. 17 sold 88,000 units in its first week and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts.
The album was polarizing—some critics gave it harsh reviews—but fans and fellow artists, including Kendrick Lamar, loved it.
Aug. 2017: “Look at Me!” Goes Platinum
August 2017 was a big month for X. The same month his debut studio album dropped, his biggest hit was certified platinum.
Sept. 2017: Ex-Girlfriend’s Testimony on Alleged Domestic Violence Emerges
The juxtaposition of X’s career success and personal turmoil continued. Pitchfork shared troubling excerpts from the testimony of X’s ex-girlfriend, who said the rapper attacked her frequently, hit her with plastic hangers, threatened to penetrate her with a barbecue pitchfork, and threatened to kill her and her unborn child. Per her testimony, she knew she needed to escape, so she sought help from an ex-boyfriend, whose mother picked her up from the street where she had fled and took her to the police.
Sept. 2017: Controversial “Look at Me!” Video Arrives
The music video for “Look at Me!” which addressed police brutality and included a scene showing the rapper hanging a young white boy, was released, leading to X reportedly receiving a death threat from the KKK.
While contending with legal issues, X continued to rise, and signed a deal worth a reported $6 million with Capitol Music Group’s Caroline, an indie distributor.
Oct. 2017: X Apologizes on Instagram
X took to Instagram to publicly apologize to the women he had “disrespected,” and pledged to donate $100,000 to domestic violence prevention, though there does not appear to be proof that he followed through on his pledge. He also announced an event to support rape victims. However, the event was later canceled.
Dec. 2017: Another Arrest
Before the year was over, X was arrested again and faced 15 new charges of harassing and tampering with a witness or victim. He was placed on house arrest.
March 2018: X Releases '?'
X’s first song of 2018, “Shining Like the Northstar,” arrived in February, followed by “Hope,” both via SoundCloud. The next month, he released his second studio album, ?. The album featured big names, including Joey Badass, Travis Barker, and PnB Rock, and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
? sold 131,000 copies in its first week.The album’s lead single—“Sad!”—debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard charts and eventually soared to No. 1 after his death.
March 2018: Video of X Hitting a Girl Surfaces
One day after X got off of house arrest, an old video that appeared to show him hitting a young woman across her head emerged. “It’s obvious that she just wants money, and every single allegation she has made is a complete and utter lie,” X’s lawyer said of the woman, who was reportedly 16 at the time the video was recorded.
May 2018: Spotify Takes X Off Curated Playlists
Spotify, in employing a new “Hate Content” policy, removed “Sad!” from its curated playlists. However, after receiving backlash from the hip-hop community, including Kendrick Lamar, the company changed its policy and added X’s music to its playlists again.
“Across all genres, our role is not to regulate artists,” Spotify said in a statement. “Therefore, we are moving away from implementing a policy around artist conduct.”
June 2018: Alleged Victim Speaks to the ‘Miami New Times’
In June, Geneva Ayala, X’s ex-girlfriend, spoke to the Miami New Times and shared more of her story as part of a lengthy profile on the rapper. She noted that X’s “favorite thing was to just backhand my mouth” and that his marks often left welts on her lips. Additionally, she said X’s fans were cyberbullying and stalking her.
June 2018: X Is Killed
On June 18, TMZ broke the news that X had been shot and rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 5:30 p.m. EST. He was found in his car without a pulse.
Four men—Dedrick Devonshay Williams, 22, Michael Boatwright, 22, Trayvon Newsome, 20, and Robert Allen, 22—have been indicted for his murder. All have pleaded not guilty. Police reportedly believe the murder was premeditated. Prosecutors have requested DNA swabs from all four men.
A few weeks before his death, X had signed a new $10 million deal with Empire.
On June 30, crew member Craig Xen announced that the next installment of the Members Only series was on its way. It is not clear whether X will be featured, but he does appear to have multiple unreleased collaborations.
Aug. 2018: Domestic Abuse Charges Dropped
Due to his death, X’s domestic abuse charges were formally dropped, as is standard in criminal cases. It is expected that his witness tampering charges will be dropped as well.
Aug. 2018: X Has a Boy on the Way
X’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, announced that the rapper has a son on the way. Bernard posted a photo of an ultrasound days after her son was fatally shot.