‘Law & Order: SVU’ Star Ice-T Mourns ‘Very Close’ Friend Ganxsta Ridd Who Died From Coronavirus

Ice-T is mourning a friend named Ganxsta Rid, who reportedly passed away due to COVID-19 last week. The Law & Order: SVU star took to Twitter to share some tributes to Gangxsta Rid — whose real name was Paul Devoux. Fans joined him in honoring the hip-hop veteran’s memory.

Ice-T posted a few photos of Devoux on Twitter on Saturday afternoon, both new and old. He wrote: “I just woke up to the Terrible news… My very close homie ‘Gangsta Rid’ of Boo-Yaa Tribe passed away yesterday from Covid… So sad. My love and condolences go out to the family.” Ice-T appended a prayer-hands emoji to the post, and in a follow-up tweet, he wrote: “Unfortunately today my Twitter page is a Tribute to two brothers that are gone far to soon. ‘Godfather’ of Boo-Yaa Tribe.. Who recently died.. And his younger brother Gangsta Rid, who passed away yesterday from Covid… I’m speechless. Family to me and WestCoast Legends.”

The Devoux brothers co-founded the hip-hop group Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. in Carson, California in the late 1980s. Paul “Gangxsta Rid” Devoux passed away last week, while his older brother Ted “Godfather” Devoux passed away in 2018. The rest of the group members were brothers as well — Vincent “Gawtti” Devoux, Donald “Kobra” Devoux, Danny “Monsta O” Devoux and Roscoe “Murder One” Devoux. Past members also include David “E.K.A.” Devoux.

The Devoux family hailed from American Samoa, and are credited with blazing a trail for American Samoans in popular music, particularly hip-hop. According to April K. Henderson’s Dancing Between Islands: Hip Hop and the Samoan Diaspora, the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. was “synonymous with hip-hop in Los Angeles” in their era.

This would have made them colleagues with Ice-T, who began his own music career earlier in the 1980s. The Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. also shared Ice-T’s interest in combining rap music with heavy metal and rock music, which helped propel him to popularity.

Fans mourned Devoux along with Ice-T on social media this weekend, and vented their frustration over the coronavirus pandemic itself. Many listed other iconic artists taken by the virus, wondering how it could have been allowed to reach this stage.

“I’m sorry. Another precious victim of an incompetent, venal and malicious government,” one fan tweeted. Another added: “Wow. RIP big homie. My condolences to his family. COVID-19 is not a joke. Gotta’ take every precaution and stay safe. You DO NOT know how it will infect you. 2,800 people are dying a day now. It’s out of control, infectious and enough cases – DEADLY. Please protect yourselves.” So far, there is no word on any public memorial services for Devoux.