REMEMBERING CHINX
by Keyz
Also known as Lionel Pickens, Chinx Drugz was born on December 4, 1983 and
died on May 17, 2015. Best known for being a member of the "Coke Boys" along
side French Montana, this rapper was taken away from us too early. Hailing from
Queens, New York, Chinx started rapping in Junior high school and a er a few
years he realized that he wanted to take his rap career more serious. He grew
up around proverty, which lead him to partake in the street life by selling
drugs. He used his earnings from slanging dope and started inves ng into
his rap career.
While being musically influenced by ar sts such as NWA, Wu-Tang,
and Nas; Chinx wanted to stay true to his self by crea ng his own style.
He never wanted to fit in and he wanted others to respect his music.
During his early years, Chinx formed a friendship with Stack Bundles.
Together they created "The Riot Squad" and for years they made great
music together, un l Chinx was incarcerated. During his me in jail, his
friend (Stack Bundles) lost his life. His death inspired Chinx to push
harder despite the emo onal impact his death took on him.
A er being released from prison, Chinx met up with French Montana,
who later became known as the "Coke Boys". Chinx first mixtape was
en tled "Hurry Up & Die Vol. 1 (Get Ya Casket On)" and was released in
2009. He would eventually release 13 more mixtapes, before releasing
his first debut album en tled "Welcome To JFK".
At the rise of his career, Chinx was taken away from the music world
due to a senseless act of violence. The event happened on May 17, 2015 in
Queens, New York. He was gunned down while driving in his car. Despite where this
tragedy occurred, his murder s ll hasn't been resolved. It remains and open case.
On August 14, 2015, his debut album was released. eOne Music gave all his fans a
sneak peak at his en re album the week of his release. The album features ar sts such
as Stack Bundles, French Montana, Nipsey Hussle, Lil Durk, Ty Dolla $ign, and Jeremih.
Each song packs a punch and the beats will surely make your truck pound. One of my
favorites is called "Thug Love" which features Jeremih. It's a smooth love song. If you are
a Chinx fan or are just a li le curious about his music, you should definitely go get you a
copy of his latest album. You won't be disappointed.
I want to leave you with this. Although his life was taken tragically, lets use
this as an example of working to end the violence in our communi es,
because at the end of the day it's not worth it. Too many of us are killed daily
due to things that can be talked about or overlooked. We should come
together as a community and figure out a way to where we can have
disagreements, but remain peaceful. Let's remember Chinx by the music he
made and his journey to fame.
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