Fredo Santana

Rapper Fredo Santana, born Derrick Coleman, emerged in the early 2010s as a veteran figure in Chicago’s drill scene despite still being in his late teens. He delivered measured, unflinching accounts of street violence over booming, low-tempo instrumentals in much the same manner as his peers. His debut mixtape appeared in 2012, coinciding with the Midwest breakthrough of his younger cousin Chief Keef, a fellow South Side resident and co-founder of Glory Boyz Entertainment. Following additional independent releases and the launch of his Savage Squad imprint, Coleman issued his first proper album, Trappin’ Ain’t Dead, in 2013; it included guest spots from Chief Keef and Lil Herb as well as Kendrick Lamar on the project’s standout cut, “Jealous.” Further Savage Squad mixtapes arrived over the next several years, among them Walking Legend in 2014, Fredo Mafia in 2016, and Plugged In in 2017, many again featuring Chief Keef. In January 2018 Fredo Santana suffered a fatal seizure at his Los Angeles residence at age 27.