US Rapper Rich Homie Quan Dead at 33: Tributes Flow From Hip-Hop Titans

Titans of the hip-hop industry have remembered US rapper Rich Homie Quan, following his death aged 33.

The melodic star rose to fame over a decade ago with his career closely tied to that of Grammy-winner Young Thug, as the pair were members of the group Rich Gang.

Quan – real name Dequantes Devontay Lamar – had other hits including Type Of Way released in 2013 and Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh) – which inspired a track from rapper iLoveMemphis titled Hit The Quan in 2016.

The viral song sparked a “Hit The Quan” dance craze, after the rapper popularised a series of low-stepping, arm-swinging dance movements in the music video for Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh).

Kendrick Lamar, who has won 17 Grammy Awards, incorporated the dance move into a music video for his track These Walls – which featured a cameo from Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor Terry Crews.

Quan’s death was confirmed by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office, which did not provide a cause.

“On Thursday, September 5 2024, the Fulton County Medical Examiner was notified by Grady Memorial Hospital of the death of Dequantes Devontay Lamar,” a spokesperson told the PA news agency.

“An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday September 6 2024.”

Titans from the music industry weighed in on social media to express their sorrow at his death.

Megan Thee Stallion, real name Megan Pete, wrote: “RIP to one of the best,” alongside a broken-heart emoji as she added a photograph of Quan to her Instagram story.

Meanwhile, fellow Atlanta-based rapper Quavo, real name Quavious Keyate Marshall, said: “May God be with US, never saw this being a part of our journey.”

He shared a photograph of the pair to his Instagram story, which also featured his late nephew and fellow Migos group member Takeoff.

The late rapper, real name Kirsnick Khari Ball, was shot and killed in 2022.

Similarly, the star was remembered during the R&B Hip-Hop Power Players awards in Los Angeles.

After being named artist of the year, US rapper Playboi Carti said: “RIP Rich Homie Quan”, before exiting the stage with his award.

US star 2 Chainz also remembered the rapper on Instagram, telling his 12.7 million followers: “Dam lil brother, we just spoke about shooting a video, special prayer for you and your family, and pray for any and everybody that’s dealing with something.”

US music producer Metro Boomin, real name Leland Tyler Wayne, also shared a series of photographs of the pair on Instagram, writing: “Rich in spirit! You are now immortalised by your classics and your body of work.

“Praying God blesses your family with divine comfort and healing.”

A Life in Music

The rapper gained mainstream notoriety through the singles Type Of Way and Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh), becoming one of the biggest names in hip-hop in the mid-2010s.

Quan – real name Dequantes Devontay Lamar – had his breakthrough in music in 2013, with the Type Of Way - a song that became so successful that several other rappers jumped on the remix, including Jeezy and Meek Mill.

He maintained his momentum, appearing on a YG track with Jeezy and releasing Lifestyle, a London on da Track-produced song, through his Rich Gang rap collective that included Young Thug and Birdman.

Quan followed up with Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh), a song produced by DJ Spinz and Nitti Beatz.

It became his highest charting solo single at No 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He also featured on Lil Dicky’s Save Dat Money.

The rapper’s movements for Flex helped inspire the Hit the Quan dance craze in 2015.

In 2018, Quan debuted his first and only studio album Rich As In Spirit, which mostly went without any features, except for Think About It, a single with Rick Ross.

A Look Back at His Early Days

Quan's journey to the top began in Atlanta, where he first made a name for himself in 2008 with the song “Stay Down” featuring the Stack Money Boyz. From there, he went on to release several mixtapes, including I Go in on Every Song, Still Goin In: Reloaded, and I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In.

He was open about his past, acknowledging that he had to hustle and even spent time in jail in 2011 at the age of 21 for 15 months.

Quan’s death was confirmed by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office, which did not provide a cause. “On Thursday, September 5 2024, the Fulton County Medical Examiner was notified by Grady Memorial Hospital of the death of Dequantes Devontay Lamar,” a spokesperson told the PA news agency.