Randy Savage (Born Randall Poffo)
November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011
Macho Man Randy Savage was more commonly known as a wildly flamboyant WWF professional wrestler who held no fewer than 30 championship belts. But Savage also made a mark on popular music as well. In 2003, Savage released his only album, a rap collection entitled, Be A Man that included the hit “diss” on Hulk Hogan of the same name. The CD comes highly recommended by no less than indie-rock darling, Devendra Banhart by way of a 2007 Stereogum interview. On May 20, 2011, Savage suffered a heart attack while driving his jeep in Florida. After losing control of the vehicle, he crossed the median and crashed into a tree. His wife, who was also in the car, suffered minor injuries. Randy Savage died of his injuries at a local hospital. He was 58.
Thanks to Stephen Brower of the Silent Majority for the help
M-Bone was a Los Angeles rapper and member of up-and-coming hip-hop group, Cali Swag Disrict. Formed in 2010, the group scored a hit with “Teach Me How To Dougie,” which ultimately cracked the the Top 30 on the Billboard singles chart. Recently signed to Capitol Records, Cali Swag District’s debut album is slated to be released in 2011. M-Bone was shot and killed during an apparently random drive-by shooting outside an Inglewood, California liquor store on May 15, 2011. He was 22.
Nathaniel Hall, who was more commonly known by his stage name, Nate Dogg, was a popular rapper and singerwho got his start on the same Long Beach, California streets as Snoop Dogg and Warren G. His smooth voice was one of the greatest to come out of the G-Funk era of hip-hop. Hall began singing in his church choir when he was a child, then dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Marines where he served for three years. After his return to the Long Beach area, Hall joined up with fellow Rollin 20 Crips gang members, Snoop Dogg and Warren G to form a rap group, 213. Together they recorded their first demo at a local record store, and when Dr. Dre heard it, he offered Hall a slot to sing on his now legendary The Chronic album. From there, Hall got signed to Dre and Suge Knight’s Death Row Records. Over the next several years, he released a handful of albums and was nominated for four Grammys. Either singing on his own records or guesting on others, Hall appeared on the Singles chart over 40 times. In December of 2007, Hall suffered a stroke which reportedly left the left side of his body paralyzed. He suffered a second stroke in September of 2008 but was expected to make at least a partial recovery with physical therapy. On March 15, 2011, Nate Dogg suffered yet another stroke and died. He was 41.
Bobby Robinson was a pioneering R&B and later, hip-hop record producer, as well as a longtime record store owner. He opened Bobby’s Record Shop in 1946, making it the first Black-owned business on Harlem’s famous 125th Street. The store and cultural landmark remained open until he was forced to close in 2008 due to his landlord’s desire to raze and rebuild at that spot. As a producer, Robinson had a hand in creating a string of R&B and hip-hop hits that stretched from the early ’50s through the mid ’80s. The list of greats that he enjoyed success with includes Gladys Knight & The Pips, 
Coming to prominence in the Detroit’s underground rap scene of the ’90s, Baatin was part of the popular rap group, Slum Village. The group released several albums throughout it’s career, including a couple for Capitol Records. Baatin left the group in 2002 due to undisclosed health reasons. He passed away at the age of 35 on July 31, 2009. Cause of death was not been released.
Rammellzee was a popular and influential New York City based performance artist, sculptor, graffiti artist, and hip hop singer. His vocal style, which dates back to the early ’80s, is said to have influenced the likes of the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill. He released several records, though under different monikers, throughout his career, and had collaborated with Buckethead of Guns ‘N Roses fame. Rammellzee’s death was announced on June 29, 2010. Actual date and cause of death are still pending.
Dolla was an up-and-coming Atlanta based rapper who was signed to Akon’s Kovict Muzik label in 2007. He has released a handful of popular hip hop singles since his signing. Songs to his credit include “Who The Fuck Is That?” (with T-Pain and Tay Dizm), “Make A Toast,” and “Feelin’ Myself” from the Step Up soundtrack. Dolla was also a member of rap group, Da Razkalz Cru. He was allegedly shot and killed on May 18th, 2009 after an altercation outside the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. He was just 21. Police later arrested Aubrey Berry at Los Angeles International Airport, charging him with the murder of Dolla.
Lisa Lopes was part of the Grammy winning R&B singing trio TLC, and was on her way to super-stardom when her life was tragically cut short at the age of 30. TLC hit huge in 1992 with the release of Ooooooohhh…On The TLC Tip which sold in the neighborhood of six million copies. They followed that up with the 15 million-selling CrazySexyCool. By 1999, TLC albums had sold upwards of 30 million units, easily making them one of the most successful female groups of all time. In the early 2000s, Lopes was off on a solo career, guest rapping on several hit records while working on her own solo debut which came out in 2001. But in the spring of 2002, Lopes was taking a break from working on her second solo album as well as TLC’s fourth album by visiting Honduras. On April 25, Lopes was killed when the SUV she was driving rolled several times after swerving to miss another car. Lopes was thrown from the vehicle and died from injuries she sustained.
Eazy-E was a groundbreaking rapper who, along with his group, N.W.A. was a pioneer of the gangsta rap genre. During the mid ’80s, Eazy-E co-formed N.W.A. while also starting his own label, Ruthless Records, through which he released the group’s records. In 1988, N.W.A. released their landmark album, Straight Outta Compton, which made a massive impact on both music and pop culture in general. With its hard hitting lyrics strewn with violence and profanity, it offered a glimpse of the inner city life, appealing to both urban kids and those from the suburbs alike. The album sold over three million copies and is often cited as one of the most important albums of all time. Shortly after the release of it, Eazy-E released his own Eazy-Duz-It which also sold in the multi-million copy range. N.W.A. group broke up in 1991, reportedly over money issues. Eazy-E continued to release solo albums through the early ’90s. On March 16, 1995, Eazy-E went to the hospital complaining of what he assumed were asthma-related issues. But to the shock of friends, family and fans, he was diagnosed with AIDS and died as a result of it just ten days later. He was 31 years old.
The Music's Over 