Rich Homie Quan

Born in Atlanta, Dequantes Lamar first pursued a path in professional baseball before issuing his debut single, “Stay Down,” featuring Stack Money Boyz in 2008. Incarceration on burglary charges halted his momentum for a full year, yet after his 2011 release he quickly aligned with the Loyalty Ova Royalties crew and formed a close bond with CEO Teezy. Teezy’s sudden passing later that year derailed Quan’s intended first mixtape, prompting a fresh start the following year on the Think It’s a Game imprint with the releases I Go in on Every Song and Still Goin’ In. Early 2013 brought an opening slot on Trinidad James’ tour and a featured spot on Gucci Mane’s Trap House 3, while the infectious summer single “Type of Way” cracked the Billboard Hot 100. That same period saw him join Rich Gang; together with Birdman and Young Thug he co-headlined the widely praised 2014 mixtape Tha Tour, Pt. 1, whose companion non-album track “Lifestyle” reached number 16 on the Hot 100. The 2015 release “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)” became his largest solo success, peaking at number 26.

Rich Homie Quan’s melodic, hook-driven style and narratives of struggle and ambition defined a steady stream of mixtapes that began in 2012. As part of Rich Gang he appeared on the platinum-certified “Lifestyle,” while his own double-platinum single “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)” arrived the next year. A deal with Motown was secured in 2016, and the March 2017 single “Replay” anchored the Back to the Basics mixtape. His first proper album, Rich as in Spirit, surfaced in March 2018, led by “Change” and “34” and landing at number 32 on the Billboard 200. Subsequent projects included the EP The Gif, the 2019 release Coma, the 2021 singles “Daily Bread” and “To Be Worried,” and the 2022 EP Family & Mula. Quan died on 5 September 2024 at age 34; the rap community and broader music audience mourned his loss, and renewed interest propelled his 2013 mixtape I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In onto the Billboard charts at number 110.