Legendary Rapper Chino XL, Dies At 50, Fans And Peers Pay Tribute

Rapper Chino XL, born Derek Emmanuel Barbosa, has reportedly passed away at the age of 50.

Originally from the Bronx, he moved to New Jersey and gained fame with his 1996 debut album "Here to Save You All."

Since the news of Chino XL's death, his colleagues in the music industry, including Chuck D and Crook, have paid tribute to his talent and friendship.

According to an inside source cited by AllHipHop, Chino XL has died.

Before his passing, the rapper remained professionally active, recently teaming up with Rakim on the track "Pendulum Swing" for the album "G.O.D.'s Network: REB7RTH."

He expressed his excitement in response to a tweet from fellow artist Configa, saying, "I'm also proudly on the new @OfficialRakim project as well!!"

In addition to his music career, Chino XL was also an actor, appearing in TV shows like "Reno 911!," "CSI: Miami," and "The Young and the Restless," as noted by IMDb.

His film credits included roles in "Alex & Emma," "The Beat," "Crime Partners," "Playas Ball," and "Young Cesar."

The cause of the rapper's death remains undisclosed, but his family shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram.

In a joint statement, his daughters said, "Our father had many titles — King of Punchlines, Puerto Rican Superhero — but the most important one was Girl Dad."

They continued: "He gave us most in that role was his strength, straightforwardness, and ability to be super realistic. The main thing we are feeling now is that our Dad is at peace, and so we are at peace."

The family requested privacy and mentioned that a memorial service would be announced soon.

Chino XL is survived by his four children, Chynna, Bella, Lyric, and Kiyana; his stepson Shawn; grandchildren Emmy, Emery, Chris, Luis, and Dyani; his mother, Carole; and his former longtime partner Stephanie.

As news of Chino XL's passing spread, his music industry peers took to social media to remember the rapper with heartfelt tributes.

"Chino XL was one of the best lyricists in the game," producer Domingo told AllHipHop, adding that he was a "legendary artist and friend" and was "extremely talented since the day we met in the early 90's."

Public Enemy's Chuck D shared on X (formerly Twitter): "This one a tough one. I admired Dj Polo as a @hiphopgods PEer. ⁦@CHINOXL was my brother in rhyme & Art. He encouraged my graphics forward. We exchanged art books. He looked out to protect my lyric books better."

Musician Crook reminisced, "We spoke on the phone the other day and laughed. Our careers have been tied together since the Wake Up Show freestyles decades ago. I'm f-cked up. Rest in Peace, my brother Chino XL."

Rap artist Emilio Rojas called Chino XL a "talented MC and great person," adding, "Chino XL. Man ... here to save you all stayed in rotation for me. Wow. Rest in peace king. Thank you for the music. Thank you for always being kind and humble to me and everyone you ever met. Wow."

Fans have since taken to social media to celebrate Chino XL's legacy by sharing clips and videos of him from his heyday.

One person shared a photo of the rapper's debut record, "Here To Save You All," writing, "Saw this news just now and really hoped this was an extremely poor joke. RIP ChinoXL."

Another wrote, "Rest in Power ChinoXL. I'm grateful I had a chance to see you perform just a bit over two months ago. You will go down in history as one of the greatest lyricists of all time @CHINOXL."

A third person noted, "[He] was a real humble dude that had time for people, man, damn."

Chino XL's rap career began in the early 1990s, and he gained prominence with the release of his debut album, "Here to Save You All," in 1996.

This album, which catapulted him into the spotlight, also sparked a notable feud with the late rapper Tupac Shakur. On the seventh track, "Riiiot!," Chino XL raps the controversial line, "By this industry, I'm trying to not get f-cked like Tupac in jail."

Tupac responded to Chino XL in his legendary 1996 diss track "Hit' Em Up," targeting the rapper along with other hip-hop figures he was feuding with at the time.

It remains unclear if they reconciled before Tupac's untimely death. However, according to The Mirror, a hip-hop fan on Reddit mentioned that Chino XL paid a small tribute to Tupac during a concert they attended "a couple of years ago."