The star is said to have passed away last Monday. Photo / Getty Images
Legendary rapper Chino XL has reportedly died aged 50.
The music star and actor - whose real name was Derek Emmanuel Barbosa - was famously a rival of the late Tupac and is said to have died on Monday. No cause of death is known at this time.
The news was first reported by AllHipHop.
Tributes have poured in for the rap icon, with rapper A-F-R-O posting to X: “RIP to CHINO XL .. I’m gonna miss you, big bro.”
Public Enemy’s Chuck D has been left heartbroken as they bonded over music and art.
He wrote: “This one’s a tough one. I admired Dj Polo as a @hiphopgods PEer. @CHINOXL was my brother in rhyme and Art. He encouraged my graphics forward. We exchanged art books. He looked out to protect my lyric books better. He supported my events. We supported his music and art. (sic)”
Chino’s 1996 debut album Here to Save You All is not only beloved in hip-hop but also sparked an infamous feud with Tupac.
On the track Riiiot!, he rapped: “By this industry, I’m trying to not get f***** like 2Pac in jail.”
Tupac got his own back on the track Hit ‘Em Up, on which he took aim at several rappers, including Biggie and Diddy, and those associated with Bad Boy Records, which was founded by the latter.
Just three months after one of the greatest diss songs of all time was released, Tupac was killed in a drive-by shooting on September 7, 1996.
Away from his rap career, Chino appeared on the small screen in CSI: Miami and Reno 911!, whilst he starred alongside Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson in director Rob Reiner’s Alex and Emma flick in 2003.
'3-6-9, damn you fine,' croons the Facebook founder on the surprise cover of Get Low.