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Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), professionally known as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gained a cult following among his young fan base during his short career with his depression and alienation-themed music. Critics and audiences often credit him for his musical versatility, with his music exploring emo, trap, trap metal, nu metal, indie rock, lo-fi, hip-hop, R&B, and punk rock. He was considered to be a leading figure in the establishment of the emo rap and SoundCloud rap genres, which garnered mainstream attention during the mid-to-late 2010s. In the years after his death, Onfroy's musical style went on to influence the development of rage music.
Born in Plantation, Florida, Onfroy spent most of his childhood in Lauderhill. He began writing music after being released from a juvenile detention center and soon started his music career on SoundCloud in 2013, employing styles and techniques that were considered unconventional in rap music such as distortion and heavy guitar-backed instrumentals, drawing inspiration from third-wave emo and grunge. In 2015, he formed the underground collective Members Only and soon became a popular figure in SoundCloud rap, a trap music scene that takes elements of lo-fi music and harsh 808s. Onfroy gained mainstream attention with his 2016 single "Look at Me!". His debut studio album, 17 (2017), peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, while his second album, ? (2018), debuted at the top the chart; both received certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The latter's lead single, "Sad!", posthumously reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and received a diamond certification by the RIAA in August 2021.
On June 18, 2018, Onfroy, age 20, was murdered when he was shot near a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, Florida. In 2023, his murder suspects were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Onfroy has sold 110 million records in the US according to the RIAA, and has BPI-certified sales of over 13 million units in the UK, bringing his total to 123 million certified units sold in the two countries. Since his death, he has won an American Music Award and a BET Hip Hop Award and received 11 Billboard Music Award nominations. Two posthumous albums were released, Skins (2018) and Bad Vibes Forever (2019); the former became his second number-one album on the Billboard 200, while the latter entered the top five.
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