Toronto Rapper King Reign Dies

Yesterday (June 28), Toronto rapper King Reign died at the age of 40. He had fallen into a coma resulting from a heart attack last week.

King Reign was born in Toronto in 1975 to Trinidadian and Guyanese parents. He was a member of the Scarborough, Ontario hip-hop group Brassmunk and had a record deal with Sony. Brassmunk was a popular Canada outfit with a Juno Award nomination under its belt. Throughout his career, King Reign collaborated with the likes of Drake, Pharoahe Monch, Saukrates, Boi-1da, Rich Kidd and more.

King Reign's most recent project was the 12-track LP Sincere, which he released in 2014. According to his website, Reign intended to drop new music in 2016.

If you'd like, you can donate to a GoFundMe campaign, which will help towards Reign's memorial and aid the educational expenses of his two young children. According to the GoFundMe, Reign is survived by his two children, mother, father, brother, sister and partner.

Toronto hip-hop is having a moment right now, and there's no doubt that King Reign had an influence on some of today's top artists, including the aforementioned Drake, who is arguably the biggest name in the game right now. King Reign, Drake and Saukrates collaborated on the track "Fades Away," a three-and-a-half minute, piano-laced track.

If you want to listen to King Reign, go back and re-visit projects including Reign Music Vol. 1, Reign Music Vol. 2, The Audacity of Hope EP and Sincere. Keep it locked to XXL as more information regarding King Rein's death surfaces.

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