Up-and-coming St. Paul, Minnesota, rapper and singer Lexii Alijai has died at just 21 years old reports People. Her cause of death has not been confirmed.
Born Alexis Alijai Lynch, Alijai was the granddaughter of famed singer and songwriter Roger Troutman, who was known for popularizing the use of vocoder and heavily influencing West Coast rappers according to Rolling Stone.
The late musician has 40,000 followers on Soundcloud. Her music video for "Cold-Hearted (Remix)" has garnered 100,000 views on YouTube. She released two commercial albums during the span of her career: 2015's Joseph's Coat and 2017's Growing Pains.
"You're a real Legend. If you know her or heard her music you’d feel chills, rest in paradise you’ll never be forgotten. I’m so lost for words," Alijai's cousin Raeisah Clark revealed in a Facebook post. "My beautiful cousin with so much talent & Unique soul. It’s too soon."
The rapper also worked with California-based singer and songwriter, Kehlani, who featured the young artist on her singles "Jealous" and "You Should Be Here," the latter being nominated for a Grammy, according to Page Six.
it’s hard to have so much faith in god and that everything happen for a reason cuz it’s shit i can’t imagine there ever being a reason for
why bro
— Kehlani (@Kehlani) January 1, 2020
In addition to her own bodies of work, Alijai was known for adding her own flow and words to tracks made famous by Drake, Nas and Dej Loaf.
this shit was so much deeper than music
that was my little sister
— Kehlani (@Kehlani) January 2, 2020
In one of her last tweets, the budding artist expressed a need to prioritize her mental health.
I gotta stop treating social media like it’s a therapist & fuck around and really go see one.
— Lexii Alijai (@lexiialijaii) December 22, 2019
No details have been revealed about a pending funeral.
Alijai was born on February 19, 1998, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her love for music blossomed while she attended the Creative Arts Secondary School, although she later left school to pursue music professionally. Her first full-length project dubbed Super Sweet 16 was released on her birthday. The following year, she released a mixtape titled Same Struggle, reports Heavy.
Watch her music video for "Cold Hearted (Remix)" below:
