Rapper Qidere Johnson, who opposed gun violence, killed in shooting in Philadelphia
Rapper Qidere Johnson was gunned down in Philadelphia on Sunday. The deceased was known for his socially conscious lyrics and was also an anti-violence activist. Here's all you need to know about LGP Qua's brutal killing.
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What happened to Qidere Johnson?
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Qidere Johnson's journey to fame
Philadelphia hip hop stars mourn LGP Qua's demise
Philadelphia: A look at homicide figures
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A 30-year-old rapper and anti-violence activist died after being shot in Philadelphia on Sunday. The incident took place in the Juniata Park neighbourhood. According to police, the victim was identified as Qidere Johnson , with the stage name LGP Qua The rapper's work used to focus on drawing attention towards gun violence, the police said. The firing incident took place a little before 04:40 PM (local time), the Philadelphia Police Department informed.Johnson was rushed to a hospital with multiple bullet wounds. As per the police, he succumbed to his injuries just before 5 PM (local time).Johnson had adopted the nickname "Voice of the Youth", ABC News reported. The rapper had shot to widespread significance with videos of his freestyles on social media platform Instagram.The first time when a freestyle of his went viral on the internet was in 2017. In the video, he had rapped about various challenges that Philadelphia was facing at the time, ABC News stated. The freestyle had reportedly mentioned multiple pressing issues, including police brutality. That video has garnered nearly a million views till date.However, Johnson's other freestyle video, which received a whopping 1.6 million views, was shared in 2022. The video showed Johnson rapping about the concerning murder-related figures his city was witnessing at the time.Several notable hip hop figures of Philadelphia took to social media to mourn Johnson's demise. These include rapper Meek Mill, renowned hip hop producer Swizz Beatz, and DJ Kid Capri, NBC10 Philadelphia said in a report.No arrests were made at least until the early hours of Monday, May 12. The police were yet to release any details about the suspected shooter.As per reports, the reasons behind the shooting incident were also not immediately clear. A $20,000-reward has been announced for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.Besides Johnson, the past weekend in Philadelphia also saw a 12-year-old boy being fatally shot. The child was reportedly recording a music video at the time of the incident.Official data from police suggests that Philadelphia has witnessed a 21.28 per cent drop in homicide cases in contrast to the same time in 2024. The city has reported 74 cases of homicide so far in 2025.As of now, no arrests have been made by the police in connection with Johnson's murder.He gained significant popularity as LGP Qua.
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