Reports this morning indicate that the Chicago rapper was murdered. Payroll is best known for a high-profile beef with Kanye West, and has been a fixture on the underground Chicago rap scene.
Chicago may have claimed another rapper’s life, according to unconfirmed details this morning. The tip comes from FakeShoreDrive, which initially pointed to a murder. Conflicting reports continued, with FSD subsequently attributing to the death to a drug overdose.
The Chicago-focused site cited multiple unnamed sources, though the information has not been confirmed.
Payroll first rose to prominence in the late 90s. But a high-profile dispute with Kanye West offered the greatest fame. Of course, Kanye also hails from Chicagoland, setting the stage for a perfect beef.
The controversy stemmed from Payroll’s “Never Change” instrumental. According to accusations, Kanye West subsequently supplied the beat to Jay-Z, and the similarity is obvious.
Intentionally or otherwise, the event prompted an outcry from the lesser-known rapper. But neither Kanye nor Jay-Z seemed to catch any serious backlash — at least from the mainstream.
Here’s that track (you’ll recognize the instrumental):
And here’s the song that ultimately became a hit for Jay-Z.
The apparent ‘borrowing’ stirred a livid response from Payroll. The subsequent diss track didn’t go unnoticed by Chicago rap fans (and serious rap fans in general). But the controversy failed to go nationwide.
“Kanye is a f—ing geek, f—k what you sold the beat
Don’t know the industry n—ga, but I know the streets
Ear to the curb I heard some speculation
I know the streets been shoppin’ and patiently waiting.”
We’ll have more details as they surface.