Baller Alert’s Today in Hip-Hop: One Year Since the Death of Shawty Lo

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One year ago today, the world lost Atlanta native and rapper Shawty Lo.
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Born Carlos Rico Walker, Shawty Lo got his start in music in 2003 as a founding member of the rap group D4L. Alongside other group members, Fabo, Mook-B and Stoney, the group had much success with their debut album ‘Down for Life’ which brought us chart topping hits like ‘Laffy Taffy’ and ‘Betcha Can’t Do It Me’.
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In 2007, just two years after D4L’s album release, Walker released his debut solo single ‘Dey Know’. The single was an instant hit, charting in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and earning him three Bet Hip-Hop Awards.
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Walker died Sept. 21, 2016 from a car accident in Fulton County, Georgia. The accident happened around 2:20 a.m. when Walker’s car went over a guardrail, hitting two trees, and catching fire. The rapper was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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While Walker died rather young at the age of 40, his career was impactful enough to earn him tributes from other great artists such as Beyoncé, Gucci Mane, Lil’ Kim, Future, and many more.