23-Year-Old Rapper Found Dead in Florida: Investigation Underway in Petty Levels’ Death

Police are investigating the death of Philadelphia-based rapper and social media influencer Petty Levels. The musician, real name Mia Armaj Bennett, was found dead in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, July 19. She was 23.

Confirming her passing, Bennett’s record label, Chosen One Records, wrote on social media, “We regret to inform you of the passing of our lil sis. We ask for prayers and comfort at this time [and] respect of privacy for the family.”

At this time, details of the rapper’s passing remain unclear. A spokesperson for the Tampa Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a report of a deceased individual in an area in Northwest Tampa, close to the airport, at around 1:30 p.m. on July 19. When officers arrived, they discovered Bennett deceased at the scene, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office declined to release the cause and manner of death due to the ongoing investigation, but the police department said there were “no initial signs to suggest that foul play was a factor.”

Amid news of her passing, Bennett’s family released a statement urging fans to refrain from speculating about her passing. Online rumors suggested Bennett had died in Philadelphia, something her family denied.

“All these allegations and comments are not true,” a family member told the Inquirer. “We don’t even know exactly what happened so if everybody could just please bear with everybody on this subject, I’m begging you, please our family is devastated.”

Bennett rose to fame on social media in 2018 when she began making short rap videos and releasing her own music. Throughout her career, she featured on Fredo Bang’s song “Freak” alongside fellow rapper Latto, and released songs including “Ain’t It” and “Malibu.”

She took on the stage name Petty Levels while still in high school, the musician sharing in a November 2019 interview, per the Daily News, “in ninth grade, that’s when I first came up with ‘Petty Levels,’ and the whole Instagram came along.” She said she loved “getting a rise out of people. I start putting that in rap videos and girls who feel the same way, they took it and they ran with it.”

News of her passing sparked a wave of tributes, with many fans paying their respects on Bennett’s final Instagram post, dated July 17. Commenting on the post, one person wrote, “This is heartbreaking. I’ve been following her so long. Such a bubbly confident woman,” while somebody else wrote, “This is crazy I grew up watching her I’m so sad and my condolences to the family from the bottom of my heart.”