The hip-hop community is mourning the loss of André Wakefield, better known by his artist moniker DJ Official.
As reported by NBC’s Los Angeles affiliate KNBC, the 26-year-old producer was killed in a double double drive-by shooting on Friday (June 14).
According to reports, the gunfire came from a passing SUV, taking the life of the recent Grammy Award winner and father to a newborn son. Police are investigating the fatal shooting, which took place while Official and a friend sat in a car in front of his home in South Los Angeles. Both men were unarmed. Additionally, Official’s grandfather was mowing the lawn when the shooting happened. The alleged gunman fled the scene and police are still actively looking for any suspects.
Throughout his career, Official worked with artists such as Cardi B, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign and more, as well as was a signee to DJ Mustard’s 10 Summers imprint. Earlier this year, Official took home his first Grammy Award due to his work on Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy album.
DJ Mustard took to Instagram to react to the heartbreaking tragedy, promising to take care of Official’s son.
“I’m beyond hurt,” Mustard wrote on Instagram. “I’m devastated. I’m sick to my stomach. I love you lil bro forever @prodbyofficial …. I got your son 4 life this ain’t how it was suppose to go.” He noted how Official “wasn’t trying to do the right thing, he was doing the right thing,” a sentiment his cousin, Ty Guerrero, also expressed.
“All he did was go to work and come home,” Wakefield’s grandfather told NBC Los Angeles of his grandson. “He didn’t belong to [a] gang or nothing like that.”
According to Official’s cousin, he was at the studio with Nipsey Hussle two days before the 31-year-old rapper and fellow Los Angeles native was gunned down earlier this year. One of his final Instagram posts was a dedication to the Victory Lap artist.
Most recently, Official produced three tracks on Tyga’s Legacy album.