Musician and actor Nashawn Breedlove is dead. The rapper, who was particularly known for his appearance in a key scene in the hip-hop film “8 Mile” (2002), died at the age of just 46, according to the US portal ” TMZ” reported, citing a family member. Breedlove died in his sleep on Sunday (September 24th) at his home in the US state of New Jersey.
According to TMZ, Breedlove’s next of kin do not yet know the musician’s cause of death. Breedlove, who also rapped under the stage name “OX”, first became known for the soundtrack to the hip-hop film “The Wash” (2001) with Dr. Dre (58) and Snoop Dogg (51) in the main roles. Here he contributed the track “Don’t Talk Shit”.
In the iconic rap film “8 Mile” with superstar Eminem (50), Breedlove was seen in an important scene towards the end. The two musicians engage in a rap battle, during which things initially don’t look good for hip-hop icon Eminem’s character known as B-Rabbit. Breedlove’s character Lotto describes Eminem here, among other things, as an ensemble member of the staid 1950s sitcom “Leave It To Beaver”.
The New York rapper Mickey Factz (41) was the first to report about the tragic death on his official Instagram channel yesterday, Monday (September 25th). In his post, Factz calls the deceased “one of the few MCs who beat Eminem,” adding, “You will be missed for your tenacity and aggressiveness.”
Nashawn Breedlove isn’t the first person involved in the hip-hop film “8 Mile” to die. Director and Oscar winner Curtis Hanson (“L.A. Confidential”) died in 2016 at the age of 71. Brittany Murphy, who played the female lead in “8 Mile,” also died in 2009 at the age of 32.
