Early this morning, news spread that Shawty Lo was killed in a car accident. The entire hip-hop community celebrated his contributions to music and many artists mourned his death. One name who has been associated with Shawty Lo dating back to 2008 was T.I., and he turned to Instagram to offer a heart-felt tribute to Lo.
“Damn!!! I just woke up to some Bullshit News…RIP to a true Westside Atlanta Legend!!!!! You truly represented Bankhead to the fullest!!! My Heart goes out to his family,and his children as well. Even through our toughest times I must admit I was impressed,& kinda proud of how well you rep’d our hood,and how much you cared for it. It was a real relief to have someone else helping to lift Bankhead up & hold it there. Can’t say enough about how much you meant to the city. Glad we matured beyond our trivial personal differences in time enough to have a laugh about it as neighbors. For those of us who were around & “in the mix” in the mid-late 90’s,we know the “Legend of Lo” started waaaay before Music. We salute U G!!!! Rest easy,You’ll truly be missed.”
Back in 2008, Shawty Lo’s “Dunn Dunn” took a swipe at T.I.’s roots not being from Bankhead, Atlanta. T.I. took offense to this and responded with “What’s Up, What Happenin’,” and infamously shot the video in Shawty’s neck of the woods. The relationship was mended in 2009 shortly before T.I. went to prison.
T.I.’s tribute is perfect, because it captures what Shawty Lo meant to Atlanta. He may not have been the biggest name in hip-hop worldwide, but he was a legend in the A that helped plenty of individuals and, as T.I. says, has been doing his thing for decades. His presence within the city will surely be missed.
