Today in Hip-Hop: R.I.P. Seagram (April 13, 1970 – July 31, 1996)

On this day, July 31, in hip-hop history...

1996: East Oakland, Calif.-bred lyricist Seagram Miller was tragically shot to death in his hometown.

The first attempt on Seag's life took place in 1993 after he recorded a song targeting a rival gang. Several drug dealers from his hometown's 69th Avenue housing projects reportedly sent their gunmen to kill the rapper in response to the track. The Oakland wordsmith was able to flee both shooters unscathed, while a man named Antonio Pennyman was later convicted of wounding a San Leandro police officer at the time of the incident.

During the summer of 1996, 26-year-old Seagram was fatally wounded after an unknown gunman ambushed him and his partner, fellow rapper Gangsta P, on an Oakland block "known for violence and drug trafficking." While P miraculously survived the hail of bullets, Seag succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds at Highland Hospital. His murder remains unsolved.

Seagram was a force to be reckoned with in his heyday. The relentless, ballsy lyricist made a name for himself with his debut album in 1992, The Dark Roads, and its storytelling lead single, "The Vill." The Rap-A-Lot Records signee notably collaborated on a handful of tracks and projects with Geto Boys as well.

The gangster rapper left fans with three albums, including his sophomore project, Reality Check, which landed at No. 53 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. His last album, the posthumous Souls on Ice, was released in 1997.

R.I.P. Seagram.

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