Rapper MoneySign Suede Stabbed to Death in Prison

By Ashley Turner

MoneySign Suede, real name Jaime Brugada Valdez, a well-known rapper from Los Angeles, was stabbed to death in a shower at a California prison on Tuesday night. Officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Monterey County coroner's office confirmed Suede died at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad but did not immediately elaborate on how the 22-year-old died, reported The Los Angeles Times.

A TMZ Hip Hop report stated that prison officials are investigating MoneySign's death as a homicide after discovering he was absent from a headcount check around 9:55 p.m. on Tuesday. After correctional officers found the rapper not in his cell during a regular count, CDCR officials said he was found unresponsive shortly before 10 p.m. Officials said he was found "with injuries consistent with a homicide." Despite attempts to provide him with emergency aid, prison officials could not revive him. He was pronounced dead around 10 p.m.

"People are very shocked," said Valdez's attorney, Nicholas Rosenberg. "He was a very popular guy, very mild-mannered. People loved him."

Rosenberg said the rapper had been attacked in prison before Tuesday's incident. Rosenberg was informed of his death around midnight on Tuesday. "They said it was a stabbing to the neck," Rosenberg said. "They said they're investigating."

According to CDCR officials, the prison's Investigative Services Unit and the Monterey County district attorney's office are investigating. CDCR reports that the Correctional Training Facility, where Valdez was housed, has more than 4,000 minimum- and medium-security inmates. The Los Angeles Times reported that another prisoner at the facility, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said the rest of the unit heard the news early Wednesday morning when officials locked down part of the prison and delayed breakfast. According to the prisoner, the killing occurred in a general population area of the prison. He wondered why a popular rapper was not housed in a sensitive-needs yard specifically designed to protect vulnerable individuals with safety concerns.

To facilitate the investigation, CDCR officials said movement within the prison had been limited. Angela Diaz, a coroner's division secretary at the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, confirmed to the LA Times that he died at the state prison around 10:20 p.m. According to Rosenberg, Valdez was serving a 32-month sentence for a pair of gun charges in Riverside County. Moreover, he had been charged with a gun offense in Los Angeles County but had already pleaded to the charge and was expecting a two-year sentence to run concurrently with his Riverside convictions. After surrendering in December, he was sent to Soledad state prison. 

The rapper shared an inspirational post on Facebook before going to prison in early January, stating, "Life too short enjoy it while you here." His team then posted a message on his Instagram account asking his fans to suggest the name of his next mixtape. "What should I name my new tape? its Still Free Me," the caption read, featuring a photo of the California native.

Almost immediately after turning 18, Valdez's music began to catch the public's attention. His song "Back to the Bag" in 2020 reflected his personal struggles over smooth piano notes and a West Coast beat. "I didn't really know how to feel because I was in jail," Valdez told Passion of the Weiss in 2021 of the song's music video, which reached one million views while he was incarcerated. "It's hard to focus on that ... and feel hopeful. You can't really force yourself to be happy. I didn't really feel it like that, you know?" 

His Instagram account had a considerable number of followers. He had a following of 213,000 on the platform, and the comment section of the most recent posts he had shared was filled with fans mourning the artist's sudden death. Valdez's family released a statement on his Instagram account following his death: "We appreciate the condolences, our family has not set a GoFundMe, don't fall for any scams, thank you!" reported Fox 11. YouTuber MzFree shared a tribute to Valdez on Instagram, including multiple photos of them together. "From the day I met you. You were genuine authentic energy. Never switched up and never played fake," the influencer wrote in her caption.

She referenced her YouTube videos that the rapper appeared in, saying, "My channel cherished you. [And] I thank you for allowing me to get your first-ever interview and be a part of your legacy." After signing with Atlantic Records in 2021, Valdez released his latest album, Parkside Baby, last September.

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