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XXXTentacion was shot and killed last year at the age of 20
The girlfriend of the late US rapper XXXTentacion, Jenesis Sanchez, has given birth to a boy – seven months after the artist’s death.
“We’re happy to confirm that Baby and Mother are healthy,” a joint statement from Sanchez and the rapper’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, said on Saturday.
They said they were “thrilled” at the arrival of Gekyume Onfroy.
The pregnancy was revealed last June, shortly after XXXTentacion was shot and killed in Florida at the age of 20.
The family statement says the late musician, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, “specifically chose” the name Gekyume “for his first born son”.
Gekyume “means ‘different state’ or ‘next’ universe of thought,” it says, adding that the family were “honoured to fulfil his wish”.
- The troubled talent of a volatile rap star
- XXXTentacion and the problem of separating art from artist
In December, a posthumous 10-track album by XXXTentacion, Skins, was released.
It was the rapper’s third studio album and followed “?”, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 last March and later reached platinum status following his death.
XXXTentacion’s personal life was plagued by allegations of domestic violence.
He was facing 15 felony charges at the time of his death, including aggravated battery of a pregnant woman in 2016, domestic battery by strangulation and witness tampering.
In October 2018, audio emerged of the rapper apparently admitting to assaulting his ex-girlfriend and stabbing nine people.