Fred the Godson, Bronx Rapper, Dead at 35 From COVID-19

South Bronx rapper Fred the Godson has died, Complex reports. He had revealed earlier thismonth that he was suffering from COVID-19. Fred the Godson was 35 years old.

Fred the Godson made his breakthrough in 2010 with the Armageddon mixtape. The tape had guest spots from Busta Rhymes, Cam’ron, Waka Flocka Flame, Styles P, and others. Fred was subsequently named to XXL’s 2011 Freshman Class, which also featured Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, Lil B, Meek Mill, Big K.R.I.T., and YG.

“I call that the all-star game,” Fred said in a 2016 Breakfast Club interview. “You work through the year and you just keep going, and they just call you out for your individual accolades. The top 11 met up, and that was just crazy to me. That’s the biggest thing thus far to happen to Fred the Godson.”

Later in 2011, Fred released the Gangsta Grillz mixtape City of God, featuring PUSHA-T, Diddy, Meek Mill, Vado, and more. While his output slowed somewhat and he did not reach the commercial heights of his XXL 2011 peers, Fred the Godson was a consistent fixture on hip-hop radio. He freestyled often for Hot97, Sway in the Morning, and more.

Fred never signed to a major label, and, in interviews, he discussed his aspirations to sign to a major label and the near-misses on the path to achieving that milestone. He claimed that he nearly signed to Def Jam during JAY-Z’s tenure as president in the ’00s, but said the deal fell through after JAY-Z left Def Jam. “I’m not saying I’m the best rapper in the world,” Fred told Sway in a 2017 interview. “I just know I’m better than a lot of the shit that’s out now. Sometimes, you just think, ‘What the hell’s going on?’

Fred the Godson closed his career with a quartet of comeback releases: 2017’s Gordo, 2019’s God Level, January 2020’s Training Day (with SNL alum Jay Pharoah), and March 2020’s Payback.