Chinx’s Widow, Janelli Caceres-Pickens, Speaks on Rapper’s Legacy One Year After His Death

A year ago today, hip-hop suffered the tragic loss of Chinx. The news of his murder spread like wildfire resulting in an industry-wide mourning that likely had one of the biggest impacts death-wise in the genre this past decade. The Far Rockaway bred rapper was best known for his prominency in French Montana's Coke Boys collective, his Cocaine Riot series as well as for street anthems like "I'm A Cokeboy," "Feelings" and "Dope House."

In the early hours of May 17, 2015, the rapper's Porsche was riddled with bullets. Chinx, whose real name is Lionel Pickens, was transported to Jamaica Medical Center with wounds to the chest and torso, where he was pronounced dead. The rapper was with friend, Yemen Cheese who survived the shooting. Pickens had just left an appearance at Club Red Wolf in Brooklyn with friends when he was gunned down soon after. The murder had several leads around the time of the shooting, which turned out to be dead-ends. The case still remains unsolved.   

On Aug. 14, 2015, his long-awaited debut album, Welcome to JFK, was released -- an effort Chinx spent years cultivating but didn't get to see released. The posthumous LP was distributed through eOne music and entailed features from Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Durk, French Montana, Nipsey Hussle, Jeremih, Meet Sims, and his former Riot Squad bandmate, slain rapper Stack Bundles. Chinx spent so much time recording for his debut, that a gang of unreleased material will soon see the light of day on his second posthumous effort, Legends Never Die, which drops June 3.

One year after the tragedy, XXL catches up with Chinx's wife, Janelli Caceres-Pickens, to get insight on life after her husband's passing, the rapper's estate following his death and her new foundation. Janelli bares all. Watch above.

R.I.P. Chinx.

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