Huey, the US rapper who scored a major hit in 2006 with Pop, Lock & Drop It, has been killed aged 32.
Huey, whose real name was Lawrence Franks Jr, was shot in Kinloch, Missouri late on Thursday. He was taken to hospital but died shortly after from his injuries. Police are conducting a murder investigation, which “remains very active at this time”, a spokesperson said. A second unidentified person was also shot, and is being treated for non life-threatening injuries.
Franks was born and raised in Kinloch, a suburb of St Louis that neighbours Ferguson. He began rapping as a teenager, and local success earned him a record deal with Jive. Pop, Lock & Drop It, a heavy club track further popularised by its signature squatting dance move, reached No 6 in the US charts. The album it features on, Notebook Paper, reached No 26 on the album chart.
He didn’t match the success of his breakout hit, but went on to release a second album in 2010, Redemption.
