Texas rapper Lil Loaded, who earned viral success with a 2019 single and was facing a manslaughter charge in a fatal shooting last year, died Monday, officials said.
The rapper, whose real name was Dashawn Robertson, 20, died by suicide, his lawyer, Ashkan Mehryari, said.
An official with the Dallas Medical Examiner’s Office said his cause and manner of death had not yet been determined.
Robertson’s 2019 song “6locc 6a6y” racked up more than 28 million views and was awarded a gold certification last week by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Stanley Gabart, whose production company worked with Robertson’s record label, Epic, told the Dallas Morning News that his death was a shock.
“This kid was on a great path,” he said, adding: “He was struggling with some things we wish we would’ve known about.”
Court records show that Robertson was charged with murder in the Oct. 25, 2020, shooting of Khalil Walker. A police account of the incident said the shooting occurred at a home southwest of downtown Dallas. When officers arrived, they were told Walker, 18, had been taken to a local hospital.
Earlier this year, Robertson was indicted on the less serious crime of manslaughter for “recklessly” causing Walker’s death, the documents allege.
Walker was Robertson’s best friend, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Mehyari did not respond to a request for comment on the charge. It wasn’t clear if Robertson had entered a plea.
Last month, prosecutors asked for Robertson’s bond to be revoked after the rapper tested positive for marijuana, a violation of his pretrial release.
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.