Philadelphia Rapper LGP Qua Shot Dead at 24

LGP Qua (real name Qidere Johnson) was shot and killed on May 11 in Philadelphia's Juniata Park area. The attack happened around 4:40 pm along East Luzerne Street's 1400 block.

The police are still searching for the suspects responsible. LGP Qua wasn't just a rapper. He was known for speaking out against street violence and doing community work, so many sympathized and shared their thoughts about him. The Philly rapper died after being rushed to a nearby medical center.

"Damn I loved watching his Instagram freestyles I was gonna reach out to him for a feature on a song, he was so talented RIP & Prayers up for the family," Artist Juicy J commented on an Instagram post reporting his death.

Some others, like rapper Money, also expressed discontent over influential people only offering tributes when they could have helped him earlier. He commented, "All these powerful ppl in these comments who knew that man had talent & could've changed his life yall should blame yall self... us talent Trench kids ain't got no luck or help we in a lose lose situation. R.I.P Kid"

Johnson found music while serving an 18-month jail sentence in 2016. He also met his dad for the first time behind those walls.

His rise started in 2017 when his song about Meek Mill's arrest went viral. This success led to big opportunities, like his collaboration with will.i.am a year later on "INSOMNIAC (woke)," a track tackling tough political and social topics.

In an interview with CBS News in March 2019, Johnson expressed, "Everybody in my city, they got their own craft with their art music and I'm all the way left. Nobody was talking how I was talking, like I just came onto the scene like who's this young boy talking, speaking what he's speaking."

Street freestyles and youth work built his Instagram following to 300,000. As LGP ("Let's Get Paid"), he became the self-proclaimed "Voice of the Youth."

His 2019 song "Dear Qua" told honest stories from Philly teens. He also spent time mentoring students at Edward T. Steel Elementary, and city leaders noticed. Senator Shariff Street and Councilwoman Cindy Bass praised his shoe giveaway project with Puma and Foot Locker, which put 1,000 pairs on kids' feet at local schools.