Philadelphia, PA

Meek Mill is mourning the death of fellow Philadelphia rapper Phat Geez after he was shot and killed outside his own home.

Meek paid tribute to Phat Geez on X (formerly Twitter) and criticized the high levels of violent crime in the city.

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“Rip phat geez…..Philly is a terrible place for black people to live… you see too much death!!!! Smh,” he wrote.

Phat Geez, real name Derrick Gant, was found dead on March 17 following reports of a man carrying a gun on North Tanney Street where the rapper lived.

Lil Reese and Dej Loaf were also among the artists to pay tribute to Phat Geez.

According to NBC10 Philadelphia, when police arrived on the scene, Gant was found bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds and later pronounced dead in a hospital later the same evening.

Police are believed to have video footage of Gant speaking to somebody sitting in a vehicle before shots were fired. It is reported that the authorities have identified the vehicle in question.

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A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Gant’s murder.

Phat Geez recently released a song calling for peace on the streets of Philadelphia entitled “No Gunzone.” The song was shared by Meek Mill after his death was made public.

Meek Mill Explains How Father’s Murder Motivated Him To ‘Get Rich’
Meek Mill Explains How Father’s Murder Motivated Him To ‘Get Rich’

Alongside a link to the track, Meek wrote: “I never heard this til your passing … just give a listen to how hurt and torn about trying to survive Philly the streets these young black men are! Listen to the words.”

He added: “Just listen to the words of when you know you’re gonna go to jail if you carry a gun and the reality of how easy it is to lose your whole life for no reason to murder!”

Gant’s brother Dushone also commented on the killing: “He was a good dude. We were together yesterday and he was praying at the masjid, trying to do good deeds, feeding the homeless.”

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The late rapper was best known for his 2014 collaboration with Meek Mill called “Life” and going on to be associated with the Dream Chasers record label, releasing his debut mixtape Cut From a Different Cloth the same year.