Rappers React to Underground MC Eyedea’s Unexpected Death

 •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  79 Comments

Micheal “Eyedea” Larsen, a renowned battle rapper and recording artist for popular independent hip-hop label Rhymesayers, mysteriously died over the weekend, according to the Minnesota’s Star Tribune.

The 28-year-old St. Paul, MN native, known for his work with partner DJ Abilities, was found by his mother, Kathy Averill, in his home on Saturday (October 16). While Ms. Averill is currently awaiting the results from the autopsy, she believes her son died in his sleep.

Many of the MC’s associates took to twitter today to express their condolences. “We lost our dear, beloved, genius brother Eyedea the other night,” fellow Rhymesayers MC Brother Ali wrote. “Tears and tears. I just can’t describe it.” “RIP Eyedea,” Immortal Technique wrote. “Goodbye my old friend.”  El-P added, “Sad fucking day.”

Eyedea made a name for himself by winning a handful of rap battles, including 1999’s Scribble Jam in Ohio, and 2000’s Rocksteady Anniversary and the Blaze-Battle World Championships, among others. He soon linked up with DJ Abilities and the duo formed a friendship with fellow Minnesota outfit Atmosphere, signing to their label, Rhymesayers Entertainment. Dubbed Eyedea & Abilities, the group released three solo discs on the imprint, including 2001’s First Born, 2004’s self-titled LP and last year’s By the Throat. As a solo artist, Eyedea also recorded 2002’s The Many Faces of Oliver Hart, which also showcased his talents as a producer.

Eyedea’s mother is in the process of putting together a memorial with Rhymesayers scheduled for Nov 9, which would have been the rapper’s 29th birthday.

Stay tuned to XXLMag.com as more information becomes available. —Elan Mancini

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  • DV8

    took yall long enough….SMH

    Hiphop on the next level (or whatever that tagline on the mag says) right?

    R.I.P. to Eyedea and condolences to the family.

    Ok let the Worldstar comments begin. SMH at whats allowed as comments on this sight but once somebody tries to put some truth out there they get shut down.

  • King

    Good fucking riddance white piece of shit trying to ruin our culture. FUCK YOU.

    • pimparelli

      lol ne story that got nething to do with sum white folx u go off on that muthafucka damn

      • pimparelli

        o ya i forgot to say rip n shit

    • King

      My bad ya’ll, I forgot I’m just mad that a rapping white boy made more cash than me and all my homeboys combines. Nevermind my first post. 1.

      • Tim

        This could easily out rhyme 98% of the black rap community. Easily. You probably aint even seen his battles. He fought through black rappers making countless Vanilla Ice jokes and made your race look like the ones out of place. And he shouldn’t even be compared to Em ever, cause ever since Em dropped Recocery and fell off, Eyedea took over as the best white rapper alive, and he’s always been one of the best rappers to ever spit on the mic. It’s sad, you only see skin color. Cause I bet if you didn’t know he was white and you heard him rhyme, your fuckin heart would stop and your brain would be so tangled you wouldn’t know where the fuck you were. Your not mad he makes more money, your mad that a white boy was 10 times more talented than you and your homeboys combined could ever be, even with a ghostwriter, even with a dre beat, no matter what you got.

        • lol

          hes not talented and he doesnt have money, hes dead

          waaaaaaaaaaaaah my fav rapper died let me cry about it waaaaaah

      • King

        Don’t pay attention to this homosexual cracker trying to use my name. What’s wrong? Mad that SLAVERY IS OVER? Yeah, I’m certain that’s it. Y’all would love it if we were still in shackles but guess what you fucking faggots, we’re free and not going back to doing your dirty work. You’re going to have to suck it up. Now go back to wishing you could be half the man that a brotha can be.

        Pale face losers, go back to listening to country music.

        • Gemz

          I’m black and the hatred of these comments burn my eyes with tears. We need to learn how to forgive & move on.

        • King

          Wow, is your name Tom, as in Uncle Tom? Keep coonin’ it up and soft shoeing for these devils if you want. SMH

        • http://raklo@gmial.com raklo

          King your a racist. Timmy your even worse. you both need to smarten the fuck up.

          show some respect too.

          eyedea. RIP

      • Case ma fkn P

        It’s only natural that greatness always leaves us at it’s pinnacle. Eyedea was one of the most enlightened artists of our time. Not to mention his MAD freestyle skills. RIP EYEDEA, hip hop has lost a king among mice. He must have had an idea.

        —-King, you’re on some lame shit. Stop with the racism… Hip hop is about good music and PROGRESSION. Get your head out the bullshit. its a new millenium ma fucka.

      • Alexander

        you want to know why “king” because Eyedea was a real person with actual talent.
        he was an amazing poet and artist. his style and taste were both original and unique.
        he wasn’t in it for the money, because he was truly an artist. the way he thought was so much more in depth than your primitive way of thinking will ever be.

    • Anonymous

      how is your culture if you sample white people and rock and roll. If you ask me its a mixture of generes and cultures. open your mind.

      • Noneyme

        You stupid or what?

        Go study the origins of rock..

        Black people own that shit too.

    • White guy

      Shut up King you stupid nigger. I wish we would have never brought you monkeys over here in the first place. We made a huge mistake that all of us white people regret.

      You people are nothing but monkeys.

      • Ramesh

        your president is a monkey lol how does it feel to be a monkey’s bitch? you americans are starting to look more like africans by the day

    • justice

      eyedea was a real poet, a genius, who shared a vigorous and profound love for humanity. he inspired me.

  • OG Matt Herbz

    Dude was sick with it, no doubt. For those that don’t know, search him on YouTube. He was crazy on the mic…

    –OG Matt Herbz–

  • PUSSEE BEETAH

    What?

  • Tim

    This guy was my favorite. The worst is how young he was and how much he still had left to give. His rhymes still are as fresh as they were the day he spit them into the mic. RIP Michael “Eyedea” Larsen, forever in our hearts, and in our ears even longer.

  • Waka Flocka Flame

    Nigga I get $15,000 a night nigga. Brick Squad nigga what.

    • Wooh Da Kid

      15,000??? Nigga i get $50!!!

      • Waka Flocka Flame

        Sorry nigga you need to make certified classics like me if you wanna make the big bucks. It’s still 1017 though nigga. Mizay Management company nigga. Grove Street nigga. Atlanta Georgia nigga. WAKA FLOCKA FLAME nigga!

  • Anotha Dead Rappa

    WHO THA FUCK CAREZ?

  • d

    alright first off, music is for everybody, so i dont understand why yall fighting and arguing in the first damn place.
    second, who let WACKa flocka comment on here

    • Waka Flocka Flame

      Nigga you pussy, that’s on God nigga.

  • bentley drivah

    this dude wuz prolly gay if the pic yall used iz any indication so he deserved it i bet he in hell right now

    trill niggaz dont die so this whiteboi wasnt trill

    learn to rap betta

    • Flo

      Everyone who still sees the racial division of things makes me so angry. Good music is good music. King you are just contributing to the problem your talkin about. You say your free, but are you really. It’s your hate that enslaves you. Just like it was hate that enslaved white slaveowners. It’s all about the spirit.

  • Eyedea

    Look at me I’m being eaten by worms!

    • that girl

      OMG, sum1 died. This has 2 turn into a race fight? He is dead, a mother has lost her son!! For all the”who cares” and sick coments, you should b ashamed. No compassion that’s what’s wrong with this world! He was a good guy and deserves none of this shit. Anybody talking crap about the dead, you might grow up 1 day..maybe!!

  • damn

    damn this dude could spit look up his shit. rip eyedea

  • http://www.bboycult.com Don mcCaine

    RIP Eyedea

    But there are THOUSANDS of rappers out there like him, Black or White, who are nice and get no shine.

    Supernatural>>>Eyedea

    Fukk a color too…and XXL did the same thing when Guru died…

  • Revenant

    All you Niggers are jealous dissin on Mike. He could out write, out spit and crush all you hatin ass NIGGER RAPPERS. That’s right a White Boywasa million times better than you coon ass suckamc niggas.

    • Anonymous

      yeah eyedea was nice on the mic …that shit can from the heart …not some made up bullshit you hear on the radio now days….sorry rap is dead…underground hip hop rise it’s ur chance to shine educate these fucking idiots

    • Noneyme

      No he wasn’t & now is dead.

      Cry white boy CRY!!!

      Fuck outta here..only white bootyhole bandits care about this clown..

      Dead rapper is dead..

  • ^^^^Dave Chappelle as the KKK BLack Guy

    WHITE POWER!!!!!!!

  • UNCLE TOM

    1st on behalf of my black brothers rip. Yo also for my brothers that racist buster Revenant spelled Relevant wrong.

  • ^^^sarcasm

    i was sacastic but rip

  • trollssuck

    you xxl trolls have to be the worst trolls on the internet, please go do some research before you try that gay ass attempt at trolling comment sections!

    RIP EYEDEA some of these racist assholes just mad that a white boy from minneapolis constantly made these black hardcore thug g i got a gun type dudes look like bitches, you only have to see his battle against shell to see what eyedea did to bitch made dudes hating on his color!

  • kedordu

    A SAD DAY FOR UNDERGROUND HIPHOP . ONE OF THE BESTEVER OF THE TOP FREESTYLING .

  • Anonymous

    Im a troll and your a coked up leprachaun.lol

  • caino

    damn, this is sad!! RIP Eyedea, people on this site (not the old faithful) need to youtube this kat and educate yourself! and maybe open up your horizons !! and step away from this waka flocka type hiphop!

  • Steve

    Why all the hate for white rappers ? A white man rick rubin started def jam.

  • ToMeK

    R.I.P Eyedea

    This guy brought me many laughs with his battle raps, didn’t like his album stuff though.

  • robmarkman

    Dude passed away and y’all turning this into a race issue? SMH. I wonder about some of y’all.

  • Capital G

    ^^ This is what happens when the wrong shit gets moderated but all these worldstarr-esque comments are allowed to see the light of day. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but the comments section is taking a nose dive.

  • Jhon da Analyst

    Most of the ppl posted above this are assholes. I like Eyedea and I mentioned it in the comment section of that UNITY NY article. XXL hadn’t even posted anything. I’m black and yes Eyedea was that good. Like Joell said, “You could be Ethiopian rhyming for rice, if you’re nice you’re nice”. So fuck all of you black and white commenters who turned this into a race issue for real. So fuckin sad…grow the fuck up. Crackas and Niggas GROW THE FUCK UP!!!

  • http://MYSPACE.COM HELTAH SIN SAY

    TALKING ALL THAT SHIT ABOUT A MAN WHO IS DEAD… SO WHAT IF HE RAPPED!!
    BUT HERES THE FUCKED UP PART, NIGGAS WANT TO SAY “FUCK THAT CRACKER” FUCKE THAT WHITE BOY
    BUT THERE THE SAME ONES WITH A “WHITE GIRL” HAHAH YOU BROTHAS KILL ME. I SEE MORE BROTHAS WITH WHITE GIRLS THEN BLACK GIRLS, THEN THEY GO AND MAKE A LIL CRAKA BLACK BABY AND THEY ALL PROUD OF THEY WHITE GIRL!! YOU NIGGUHS KILL ME!! STOP FUCKIN WHITE BITCHES THEN TALK SHIT YOU FUCKEN SELL OUT NIGGAS!! SELL OUT BITCHES!! BRUVAS ARE THE WORST ONES WHO TALK SHIT BUT GOT A WHITE BITCH ON THEY ELBOW!!

    • Anonymous

      thats cause whitegirls is the shit

      just cause whiteboys deserve to die doesnt mean we cant fuck there bitches you ignorant faggot

  • oooooooooooooooo

    OH MY FUCKING GOD WHO GIVES A SHIT

  • Noneyme

    BWAHAHAHHAHAHaa’ another white man dead?

    YES!!!!

  • King

    hey guys.
    its king again.
    im sorry for sounding like such a racist piece of shit in my first couple comments. im just a confused black homosexual who lusts after white dicks. i love em and it makes me very angry.
    anyway. r.i.p. eyedea.
    and remember this fact. me, king, who posts on xxl.com really really LOVES white dicks in all my body holes. the more the better. this is king saying bye.

  • http://www.emcdl.com EmCDL

    Comments’ section getting coonified again…

    R.I.P. Eyedea!

  • Anonymous

    Such a loss, I hope people understand what a loss to the hip hop world!

  • Anonymous

    wiggers smh

  • kcz253z

    I cant beleive all the hate that has been posted here. There is NO room for this in Hip Hop!!!!! There needs to be some standards here. Dude could spit point blank, no matter what color he was. XXL is loosing big time with what you allow and put out. Seems like as people we are going backwards. The younger generation has no respect.

  • http://www.bboycult.com Don mcCaine

    robmarkman says:

    Dude passed away and y’all turning this into a race issue? SMH. I wonder about some of y’all.

    Capital G says:

    ^^ This is what happens when the wrong shit gets moderated but all these worldstarr-esque comments are allowed to see the light of day. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but the comments section is taking a nose dive.

    kcz253z says:

    I cant beleive all the hate that has been posted here. There is NO room for this in Hip Hop!!!!! There needs to be some standards here. Dude could spit point blank, no matter what color he was. XXL is loosing big time with what you allow and put out. Seems like as people we are going backwards. The younger generation has no respect.

    ^ point blank yo…

  • yall some haters

    niggers like yall is y black folks dont progess yall sound like a bunch of ignorant jealous hatin fucks mad cus some white boy was sicker then ur whole crew on the mic and at ur own culture.. eyedea was probably ur favorite rappers favorite rapper…

    • Real MC

      I second this.

  • yall some haters

    waka flocka what kinda stupid fuckin name is that ur fuckin music is shit i bet i could put a mic to my ass and fart in it and make better music then u fuckin hater…. everyone talkin shit about eyedea yall jus haters plain and simple.. a true mc doesnt hate on talent their inspired to become better yall jus mad cus this white boy could rip u and any motherfucka yall know… keep on hatin haters….. check out eyedea on the wake up show R.I.P Eyedea best freestyler to ever walk this earth

    • Yen Money

      First off R.I.P. Eyedea, from the underground to under ground….

      Second, I dont know why everyones getting gassed at these monkeys
      Theyre obviously the same guys in school who pick on smaller people to make themselves feel better
      Actually theyre even worse cuz its real easy to talk shit from a keyboard
      Story the fuck up and stop embarrassing your own scene AND culture
      If you can come up with one reason why no one should care he died besides him being white I’ll bleach MYSELF white

      Grow up

  • vision

    1 dunce
    2 dunce
    3 dunce
    4 dunce
    5 dunce
    6 dunce
    7 dunce
    8 dunce
    9 dunce
    10 dunce
    etc. followed by the infinity sign

  • Arse One

    Wow it’s 2010, and ya’ll ignorant muthafuckaz still arguing about race. If anything true Hip-Hop knows no colors or boundaries (black, white, asian, hispanic etc)… Grow the fuck up…

    • Noneyme

      Fuck outta here.

      I lol at these white boys trying to beg hip-hop.

      • Arse One

        Shut the fuck up you ignorant dumbass. Right… I’m sure everyone thinks Soldier Boy is better than Eminem (simply because he’s black). Do the world a favor and go play in traffic and stop replying on some dumb shit. I could already tell by your posts, you know nothing about hip-hop. Go dougie somewhere else.

  • Real MC

    This is a sad day, with the loss of eyedea. Quite possibly one of the most skilled rappers of all time. At least that I’ve ever heard. My opinion is that eyedea is on the same level as Andre 3000, who is def one of the best in my book. Screw you racist bastards on here, learn how to speak english and get back at us with a real opinion. Learn to love God, cuz the way your actin’, your gonna burn in hell for a long long time… Black supremacist hell, too! lol!

    • RoaR

      Agree 1000%…Andre is By Far My Fav In So Many Ways…And I CAN’T Put Eyedea ANYWHERE but equal…

      …Wonder what some of these kids would do if they knew how George Clinton,The Clash,The Sex Pistols,Public Enemy,RUN D.M.C,And Grand Master Flash mixed and matched from the patchwork of humanity for ALL 20-40yrs ago…

  • lopez

    These comments are fucking stupid. Are you guys understanding what this is really about?

    Go read a damn book and stay on topic.

    R.I.P. EYEDEA.

    fuck the assholes on this blog that are commenting off topic.

    GO ELSEWHERE.

  • t

    EYDEA learned the craft of hip hop-music in general.

    You bitches on here talking shit should stop talking and start studying.

    He made an impact-what the fuck have you done?

    You’re not a staple on the hip-hop community…you’re sitting at home wishing shit would happen.

  • J-Sask

    R.I.P Eyedea
    One of the illest MC’s world wide, freestyles and Writtens.
    If you got a problem with his skin color, well then I guess you can just stay in your basements recording on your laptops, stealing beats, commiting petty crimes, and making no progress in life and no difference in the world except that you promote sterotypes and give hip-hop a bad name.

  • KING

    I´M SORRY! I SMELL SO FUCKING BAD! :/
    I THINK IT´S BECAUSE I THROW UP FECES ALL THE TIME!
    I EVEN SLEEP WITH DREG WHEN I CAN BE ALONE ;)

    sorry for being for being such an ASS hole (hmmmm it sounds so good :p hehehe)

    FUCK ME!

  • Pingback: XXLmag.com - » Eyedea Memorial Announced, Slug, Murs Speak on Deceased MC’s Legacy

  • J2ThaFizzle

    RIP Eyedea. I only discovered him recently but he was one of my favourite rappers by far. As for all the racism, y’all need to check yoselves. It’s ridiculous that the death of a great rapper should be dissed in such a way.

  • j-whitey the man, MR BOBO!!

    This racial shit is fuck’n sad…..You should be ashamed of yourselves.

  • Pingback: Rhymesayers MC Eyedea Died of Accidental Drug Overdose

  • TheOneAndOnlyV

    yall are fucked up.. and need a hip hop history lesson.. eyedea was a boss. RIP my brotha

  • BLER1

    Hip-Hop isn’t based on race.. i just stumbled upon this and had to say something. Wacka flacka is rediculous. i guess pac and big weren’t trill and most of the pure hip hop lives underground anyway.

  • minz

    TRUE LEGEND

    ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREATS. WHOEVER DISAGREES NEEDS TO OPEN THEIR MINDS, LOOK PAST SKIN COLOUR AND ENJOY THIS MANS GENIUS