Rapper Fredo Santana Dead After Suffering Fatal Seizure

Chicago rapper Fredo Santana died Friday night, and the hip hop world is reeling from another untimely loss.

Santana was only 27 years old, though he was candid about his substance abuse. On Oct. 12, he posted a video from the hospital, saying that he was in treatment for kidney and liver failure. Later, he confessed to fans that the hospital stay was related to his continued use of the prescription drug concoction, and he was considering checking himself into rehab.

On Friday night, Santana was found in his own apartment by his girlfriend. He had reportedly passed away by the time she arrived, around 11:30 p.m. No official cause of death has been released, though TMZ reports that he suffered from a seizure.

Santana, whose birth name was Derrick Coleman, was a cousin of Chicago rap icon Chief Keef. He had a huge network of friends and supporters in the hip hop world, and his passing has been mourned widely across social media.

Drake was one of the first rappers to post a salute to Santana, with a throwback picture of them up on his Instagram. “Rest In Peace Santana,” the former Degrassi star wrote, along with a string of sad emojis. Santana appeared alongside Drake in his video for “Hold On, We’re Coming Home.”

Travis Scott also posted a photo of a fond memory with Fredo Santana. “Rip to my dawg,” he wrote. “Rest up easy love you bro.”

Lil B was also in the early wave of those paying their respects. “Let one off in the air for fredo santana,” he wrote. “For life they cudnt [sic] stop that man.”

As Santana’s friends and loved ones await the autopsy and toxicology report, many of his fans and followers are letting the world know that the rapper was reportedly clean and sober for nearly 70 days leading up to his tragic passing. Whether he was in a treatment program is unclear, and there’s no word yet on whether the alleged seizure was part of a relapse.