Mercy: 10 Hip-Hop Artists Who Chose To Die Another Day

Death is serious business. Nobody knows that like the people who’ve had experiences that have left them knocking on heaven’s door. Near death experiences aren’t foreign to those in the Hip-Hop arena. There are plenty of Hip-Hop artists that can attest to that.

Whether the catastrophic moment was caused by getting shot, a car accident or a plane crash, there have been dozens of rappers who have punched death in the snotbox and kept it moving. Here are 10 Hip-Hop artists who told death, “I’ll holla.”

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Photo: YouTube

The D.O.C

Besides being able to say he did the butt naked percolator with one Ms. Erykah Badu, Tracey “The D.O.C.” Curry is most well known for being one of many ghostwriters for Dr. Dre’s non-rapping azz contributing to N.W.A and Dr Dre records and cheating death. There is a reason his voice is so raspy. In November 1989, he crushed his f#cking larynx! You read that right. He was leaving a party one night and started snoozing at the wheel when his car veered off the road. Of course, stylishly, he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was thrown out of the rear window, where he went head on with a tree. Guess what? The tree won. After 21 hours of plastic surgery and two and a half weeks in the hospital, he eventually made a full recovery, save for his voice.

50 Cent

We are not going to get into who and why (or how many times he was actually shot), but on May 24, 2000, someone wanted to serve Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson with way more than the garden-variety fade. Fif looked death in the face, and gave it the “50 Cent laugh.” Sitting in a an idle vehicle in front of his grandmother’s South Jamaica, Queens home, Boo Boo was fired on and allegedly hit with nine rounds, including bullets to the face, hip, chest legs and hand. Jackson spent 13 days in the hospital. While recuperating, he signed a publishing deal with Columbia records.

Travis Barker & DJ AM

On September 19, 2008, Hip-Hop’s favorite rocker Travis Barker and DJ AM told the Grim Reaper go f#ck yourself when a Learjet they were passengers on crashed and burst into a blazing inferno near Columbia, South Carolina. The plane was attempting to depart the airport when it began to spark, eventually swerving off the runway, plowing through a fence and sliding across a road, before coming to a catastrophic halt after hitting an embankment. Barker and DJ AM survived the crash and were both sent to the hospital in critical condition, but recovered. Four other passengers on the plane didn’t survive the crash. DJ AM passed a year later in an apparent drug overdose which some attribute to the crash.

Kanye West

Kanye West turned his back on heaven’s doors on October 23, 2002 when he survived a near fatal car crash in Los Angeles. Following a late night studio session, Yeezy was headed home when he was reportedly cut off by another vehicle, veered into oncoming traffic and collided with another car. He was rushed to nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he had his jaw wired shut and underwent reconstructive surgery on his mug. Two weeks after the crash, ‘Ye made the track “Through the Wire” with his jaw still wired shut.

Lil Wayne

On November 11, 1994 Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter told Final Destination to take the plans they had for him and shove ‘em up their azz when he Plexico’d himself at the age of 12, and lived to tell the tale. Home early from school, Weezy was fooling around with a 9mm gat and blasted himself in the chest. After calling 911, a blood soaked Tunechi crawled to the front door and waited to be returned to the essence. Police arrived, but no ambulance was available, so Wayne was rushed to a nearby hospital by an off duty police officer where he eventually recovered from his wounds.

Freeky Zeeky

On April 25, 2003, Diplomat soldier Ezekiel “Freeky Zeeky” Jiles dodged pushing up daisies duty when he was shot outside of a Chelsea nightclub in an attempted robbery. Following a minor traffic accident, the men in the other vehicle reportedly attempted to run Zeeky for his jewels. A fight ensued and the vehicle carrying Zeeky and three other associates were fired upon leaving the rapper shot in the torso and his bodyguard Eric Mangrum dead. Twenty-four shots were reportedly fired in all. Jiles was transported to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition and recovered short time later.

Jim Jones

Last January 17, Joseph “Jim Jones” Jones avoided at date with the ancestors when the vehicle he was riding in was in a terrible highway accident. While traveling on I-85 through North Carolina in his tour van, the driver swerved to avoid to a deer. The van went into a spin, a rim broke off the axle and the vehicle slammed head on into the guardrail. The Byrd Gang head’s transportation was mangled to shreds, but he escaped the wreck with nothing but a minor limp.

Obie Trice

Obie Trice (real name, no gimmicks) almost got a new set of angel wings on New Years Eve, 2005. The frequent Eminem contributor was reportedly driving on Lodge Freeway in Michigan at approximately 1 a.m. when a vehicle pulled alongside his and shots were fired. The “Got Some Teeth” rapper was struck twice, with one bullet entering his head. He was able to exit the expressway, where his girlfriend – who was riding shotgun – flagged down authorities. He was rushed to Providence hospital where he was released a short time later. He still has a bullet fragment lodged in his cranium.

Timbaland

Timothy “Timbaland Mosley” Mosley should be making beats for Jesus right now. But he said f-ck that. In 1986, while working as a lowly dishwasher at Red Lobster, the VA super producer was shot by a man with whom he had an ongoing beef. The bullet passed through Tim’s neck and lodged in his right shoulder leaving him paralyzed for the better part of a year. He eventually made a full recovery.