Monday, February 14, 2011

Canadian rapper Bad News Brown has been found dead in southwestern Montreal. Brown, whose real name was Paul Frappier, was found by some abandoned buildings near the Lachine Canal by a passerby. He was 33 years-old.

Oliver Lapointe, a police spokesman, said Frappier’s upper body had “clear signs of violence”. He added “We do not know the motive and we have no witnesses.”

Henry Gelot, Frappier’s manager, released a statement saying “Bad News Brown’s death is a great loss for the entire hip-hop and music community in Quebec. In addition to being one of the first rappers from Quebec to reach international acclaim, Bad News Brown has certainly left a mark on everyone who knew him.”

Frappier was born on the island of Haiti. He moved to Canada when still young and was adopted by a family from Montreal. He started his career as a street busker and performed in several Montreal Metro stations. According to his Facebook page he later became an opening act for several major stars including 50 Cent, Snoop Dog, and Kanye West. Born 2 Sin, Frappier’s first album, was released a year ago.

Fans have also paid tribute to Frappier through his Facebook page. One person commented “Your sounds will flow for eternity.”