Off The Record
Chino Xl, The New York Rapper Known For 1990s Hits Died At His Home On Sunday Morning
Chino XL, the New York rapper known for 1990s hits like “No Complex” and “Kreep,” died at his home on Sunday morning (July 28), his family shared in a statement.
“Our father had many titles — King of Punchlines, Puerto Rican Superhero — but the most important one was Girl Dad,” his daughters wrote on social media. “And what he gave us most in that role was his strength, straightforwardness, and ability to be super realistic.
The main thing we are feeling now is that our Dad is at peace, and so we are at peace.” Chino XL was 50 years old.
Chino XL, whose real name is Derek Keith Barbosa and who was raised in the Bronx, formed his own group, Art of Origin, when he was just a preteen, together with future DJ Kerri Chandler.
A 16-year-old Chino XL signed with American Recordings when he caught Rick Rubin’s eye.
He released his debut album, Here to Save You All, in 1996, with cameos from Kool Keith, Gravitation, and Ras Kass.
The main singles from Here to Save You All, “No Complex” and “Kreep” (the latter of which pays homage to Radiohead’s “Creep” in both title and melody and received extensive MTV rotation), established Chino XL as a rapper to watch across the country.
Although the album received favorable reviews from critics, its provocative songs about s***** bravado and eye-rolling over conventional commercial rap also caused controversy. Particularly, “Riiiot” came under fire for a well-known stanza that began, “I’m trying not to get fucked like 2Pac in jail,” and which allegedly started a quarrel with Tupac Shakur.
(On the diss track “Hit ‘Em Up” that year, 2Pac poked fun at Notorious B.I.G., Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Mobb Deep, among others.)
Chino XL secured a record deal with Warner Bros. in 1997 to release his sophomore album; however, the label let him go with the closure of its Black music department due to multiple delays in the album’s delivery.
After Metro Records released I Told You So in 2001, Chino XL went on to release Poison Pen in 2006 and Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary in 2012, the latter of which featured Immortal Technique, Tech N9ne, and Bun B as collaborators.
“I never got into this music to get rich. When I first started, the music that I was influenced by, the people were not rich,” Chino XL once told Truth505. “I kind of enjoy being an artist; you’re not my fan or my supporter by accident. You can’t find my records in half of the places. So, I’m kind of happy to be able to say what I want and do what I want. It feels good.”
Chino XL is said to be working on a new full-length album.
The 2020 EP, Chino vs. Balt, was published in recent years. His most recent projects include a feature on Rakim’s song “Pendulum Swing,” which also features Kxng Crooked, Canibus, and La the Darkman, and a collaboration with Stu Bangas on their joint album God’s Carpenter.
After hiring a talent manager, Chino XL began to make a number of TV appearances outside of his music career.
These included guest stars in shows like CSI: Miami, Reno 911!, and The Walking Dead.
He went on to get a few roles in feature films as well; in Rob Reiner’s 2003 picture Alex & Emma, he starred alongside Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson. He also appeared in independent films, such as The Beat.
Tributes have poured in from the hip-hop community after news of Chino XL’s death spread, with Czarface, Sage Francis, Bun B, and other artists sharing memories in his honor.
“This is a tough one,” Chuck D posted on X. “@CHINOXL was my brother in rhyme & art. He encouraged me to move me to move my graphics forward. We exchanged art books. He looked out to protect my lyric books better. He supported my events. We supported his music & 🙏🏿rt.”
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