A week after his death, funeral services for rapper Doe B were held in Montgomery, Alabama yesterday (January 4).
According to news released by the Montgomery Advertiser, separate services were held in the same venue for both Doe B and another victim of the shooting named Kimberle Johnson.
In addition to words delivered by Doe B’s mother, his manager, DJ Frank White, and T.I. both spoke at the funeral.
“I knew how much love the city and state had for him,” White reportedly said. “They saw the bright future he had.”
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Speaking to an overflowing crowd at the True Divine Baptist Church in Montgomery, T.I. eulogized the 22 year old rapper, whose given name is Glenn Thomas. “I’m up here to celebrate the life of a young man whose path I crossed a little over a year ago,” he said. “I admired Doe because, as a young man at the age that he was, he always presented himself to be more mature. It’s very rare that you could find somebody at the age of 20 or 21 and sit them down in front of somebody they aspire to be like and they are as composed and poised and postured and looking eye to eye with this person. It’s very rare that you find somebody at the age of 20 or 21 and you could walk them into the room with a Nelly, or you could walk them into a room with a Timbaland or Jay Z, and they not lose their cool, they’re composed, postured, with the morals, standards, and the principles that were instilled in him from his family, his mom, his dad, grandmama, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles.”
Footage of T.I. speaking at the funeral can be streamed below.
T.I., who signed Thomas as a rapper to his Grand Hustle label in 2012, added that he appreciated the type of family values the rapper displayed from an early meeting. “I saw that in him day one, off top, and that is what drew me to him even more so beyond the music,” T.I. said. “Over here at Hustle Gang we have a host of artists, and all of them, know that I tell them, ‘Hey man, listen, your talent is only going to get you so far. It’s the things you learn, the things you’re able to do outside of the booth is what going to separate you from the rest.’ I said the same thing to Glenn. He never left the studio, he said, ‘Man, I’d rather be here than the clubs simply because I know this gonna pay off.’ It was extremely rare to hear a young man at that age speak at that level.
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“Over here, a lot of people look at us like a record family. A lot of people look at us like an entertainment house. To be honest with you, we a family, this is a family business,” T.I. said to applause. “So I want everybody to know that, one thing I will never do, I will never let this hard man’s hard work go to waste. I’ll never let his work go to waste, I’ll never let his life be lived in vain. All of my resources, relationships, all of my efforts, all of my energy will be put forth to make sure his dream lives on. And I speak on behalf of myself, I speak on behalf of the entire Grand Hustle, Hustle Gang family. I speak on behalf of Blueprint. I speak on behalf of anybody who got any love for me. Show some love for Doe B. Love.”
Doe B was the victim of a fatal gunshot wound in the early morning on December 28. Besides the 22-year old Hustle Gang emcee, a 21-year old female victim was also found dead. Per a report from WSFA.com, the female victim was pronounced dead on the scene while Doe B passed away as a result of the gunshot wound after being taken to the hospital. On January 3, the day before funeral services were held for Doe B, a third victim passed away from injuries sustained in the same shooting.
Shortly after the shooting, Todd Strange, the mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, ordered the closure of the venue at which the crime occurred.
Police have arrested Jason McWilliams, a 25-year-old man who turned himself into Montgomery Police Department detectives Sunday (December 29) for the murder, as per wsfa.com.
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A second arrest was made on January 1 according to the Birmingham, Alabama-based Fox 6 News. The second suspect in the case turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday (January 1). That suspect, 25-year-old Darius Thomas, was charged with two counts of capital murder.
T.I. released the song “Flying With Angels (RIP Doe B)” in tribute to the Ridgecrest emcee. Atlanta rapper Pastor Troy also offered a musical tribute to Doe B with “Yall Ain’t Do Him Right (Doe B Tribute).”
