Just a week after Chief Keef’s stepbrother Ulysses “Chris” Gissendanner III died from a gunshot wound, another promising young rapper was shot dead in the streets of Chicago.
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Johnny “Da Prince” Taylor was shot several times in Garfield Park in what sources are calling a case of “mistaken identity.” He was taken to the hospital, where doctors initially thought he would pull through.
“The doctors first said he was going to be OK,” said Dillard Florence, Taylor’s manager. “Then the surgical doctors came out and said he didn’t make it.”
Police are investigating leads in the shooting. According to The Chicago Tribune, Taylor had a criminal record dating back to 2008, mostly for possessing or dealing drugs, and had been released this spring after drug treatment in Cook County custody following his most recent drug case.
But Taylor had skill and talent. Just recently he had scheduled a meeting with Atlantic Records to discuss a record deal.
The upcoming Atlantic Records meeting was “a big deal, a life-changing situation,” said Florence, who said two other companies — Epic and Universal — had also shown some interest. But Atlantic “was likely his best shot.”
Andrew Fechter, an assistant with Atlantic Records in New York, said Taylor’s managers had sent him an email with his music earlier this year.
“I see a lot of emails,” Fechter said. “I listened to it, I liked what I heard, I asked for more. I played it at a meeting and everyone liked it. We were working on a meeting, bringing him in. Get him to meet everyone before a decision is made.
“He was definitely talented,” he added. “I personally believe he had a bright future in the music business. He definitely would have had a career.”
Fletcher, who is in complete shock over Taylor’s death, knew that his music was relatable and powerful.
“The energy and the music and the pace and the delivery he had. . . The music was captivating. He had the full attention of everyone in the room. . . Johnny was definitely a prospect.”
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He leaves behind a 4-year-old son.
Another talented poet taken from us in Chicago. We pray for Taylor’s family and for Chicago.
SOURCE: Chicago Tribune
