Derek Keith Barbosa (April 8, 1974 – July 28, 2024), better known by his stage name Chino XL, was an American rapper and actor. He released five solo studio albums. His album '' Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary'' (2012) won the 2012 HHUG Album of the Year Award.
In addition to his music career, Barbosa acted in numerous films and on television and subsequently appearing as a guest star on the

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...

series ''

Reno 911! ''Reno 911!'' is an American television sitcom created by Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver for Comedy Central. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically '' Cops'', with comic ...

'', and

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

series '' CSI: Miami''. His feature film credits include a co-starring role opposite

Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Born to singer Bill Hudson (singer), Bill Hudson and actress Goldie Hawn, Hudson made her film debut in the 1998 drama ''Desert Blue'', which was followed by supporting ...

and

Luke Wilson Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor. Wilson's prominent film roles have included '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Blue Streak'' (1999), '' My Dog Skip'' (2000), '' Legally Blonde'' (2001), ''The Royal Tenenbaums' ...

in director

Rob Reiner Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and liberal activist. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael Stivic, Mike "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitc ...

's ''

Alex & Emma ''Alex & Emma'' is a 2003 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson. Written by Jeremy Leven, the film is about a writer who must publish a novel in thirty days or face the wrath of loan ...

'' (

Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film studio and distribution arm of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group division of Warner Bros., both of which are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex ...

) and several indie films, including Brandon Sonnier's ''The Beat'', which premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

. Barbosa was the nephew of

Bernie Worrell George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016) was an American Keyboard instrument, keyboardist and record producer best known as a founding member of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. In later years, he also worked with ...

of the music group Parliament/Funkadelic, and was also a member of

Mensa International Mensa International is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test. Mensa ...

Early life

Born in

The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, New York, Derek Barbosa grew up in

East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 69,612, an increase of 5,342 (+8.3%) from the 2010 United States ...

.. He was raised by his single mother (African American) and his father was of Puerto Rican descent.

Career

After co-founding the duo Art of Origin with

Kerri Chandler Kerri Camar Chandler (born September 28, 1969) is an American DJ and record producer. He has been dubbed a pioneer within house music, a genre in which he has an "eclectic brand". Biography Chandler's influences go back to New Jersey, growing up ...

, "Chino XL" (as he was called from then on) was signed at age 16 by music impresario

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...

to his American Recordings label, at the time a member of the

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

family. Barbosa released his debut album ''

Here to Save You All ''Here to Save You All'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Chino XL. It was released on April 9, 1996, through American Recordings. The recording sessions took place at Platinum Island Studios and Firehouse Studio in New York, at Ca ...

'' in 1996, to critical acclaim. The lead single "

Kreep KREEP, an acronym built from the letters K (the atomic symbol for potassium), REE (rare-earth elements) and P (for phosphorus), is a geochemical component of some lunar impact breccia and basaltic rocks. Its most significant feature is somewhat e ...

", which featured an interpolation of the

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...

song " Creep" received major airplay by radio and

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

. "Kreep" charted on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Bubbling Under R&B Chart for a record 23 weeks, from July 1996 to January 1997. ''

'' was A&R'd by ''

Dan Charnas Daniel Louis Charnas (born August 30, 1967) is an American author, radio host and record company executive. He is considered to have played a role in the creation of hip-hop journalism. A native of New York City, Charnas graduated with honors f ...

''. Chino was released from his American Recordings contract when the label switched distributors from Warner Bros. Records to Columbia Records in 1997. Warner then signed Chino in the fall of 1997. His second album was due to come out in April 1999 but numerous delays prevented this. In early 2001, when the album's lead single "Let 'Em Live" featuring

Kool G Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Cr ...

was about to appear, Chino was dropped by Warner, as they folded their Black music department, allegedly due to the public legal battle with

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

. The album was eventually released in 2001 by Metro Records under the title '' I Told You So''. In 2000, Chino signed with Hollywood manager Stacey Castro to pursue an acting career. He found success, making guest appearances on multiple popular television series, indie films and

“

” by acclaimed director

. Castro and Chino executive produced ''

Poison Pen A poison pen letter (or poisoned pen letter) is a letter or note containing unpleasant, abusive, or malicious statements or accusations about the recipient or a third party. It is usually sent anonymously, often by employing the ransom note effe ...

'' his long-awaited 3rd studio album (2006). The album introduced the iconic classic “

Wordsmith Wordsmith may refer to: * A writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms ...

”, and featured appearances by

Proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a co ...

of D-12,

Killah Priest Walter Reed (born August 16, 1970), better known by his stage name Killah Priest, is an American rapper, a member of Sunz of Man, and a Wu-Tang Clan affiliate who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He is known for his intensely spiritual ...

and hip hop duo

The Beatnuts The Beatnuts is an American hip hop group and production duo from New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu (born Jerry Tineo on December 14, 1968) is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les (born Lester Fernandez ...

, all likewise managed by Castro at the time. In 2007, Chino signed a contract with the Universal Latino label

Machete Music Machete Music is an urban music label owned by Universal Music Group. The label was once largely associated with reggaeton music, but in recent years, it has also signed non-reggaeton artists such as Malverde, Mala Rodriguez and Chino XL. The l ...

. In 2009, Chino's fourth album ''RICANstruction'' was released via his own joint venture CPR/Universal. It featured appearances by

Immortal Technique Felipe Andres Coronel (born February 19, 1978), known artistically as Immortal Technique, is an American rapper, activist and songwriter. His lyrics are largely commentary on issues such as politics, religion, institutional racism, and govern ...

Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper and singer. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold ...

, and

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the Southern rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work wi ...

and was produced by

DJ Khalil Khalil Abdul-Rahman Hazzard (born October 16, 1974), professionally known as DJ Khalil, is an American music producer and disc jockey, DJ from Los Angeles. The son of National Basketball Association, NBA player Walt Hazzard, he signed with rapp ...

, with 5x Grammy winner Focus acting as executive producer. On August 19, 2011, a song titled "N.I.C.E.", produced by Nick Wiz, was released. On September 25, 2012, the album '' Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary'' was released as a double disc through

's Viper Records. It won the 2012 HHUG Album of the Year award On June 15, 2013, Shanghai :30 Entertainment booked a show with Chino XL for him to play alongside local, on-the-rise hip hop artists. In 2014, he formed a hip hop supergroup along with rappers

Vakill Donald Mason, also known as Vakill (Born in March 21, 1975) is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Vakill is known through his association with Chicago Hip Hop collective The Molemen, and has released three studio albums. Early years Ra ...

, Copywrite,

Tame One Rahem Ross Brown (March 20, 1970 – November 6, 2022), better known by his stage name Tame One, was an American hip hop recording artist and graffiti artist from New Jersey. He was a member of Artifacts, Leak Bros, and the hip-hop supergroup ...

and producer Stu Bangas called ''Verse 48''. They started working on an EP. In 2015, he was featured on UK singer/rapper RKZ's single 'They Don't Know Nothing'. In late 2019, Freemusicempire wrote that Chino XL is "The greatest name-checker in rap history" Dan-O wrote "Chino XL has a career full of jaw dropping name drops that don't benefit him at all. In 1996 he was clowning OJ Simpson, in 2012 he was making fun of Muhammed Ali's brain stem. If you are going to drop the name of someone important do 2 things for me A.) don't walk it back and apologize B.) make it heinous. Do it out of an unparalleled fearlessness. Shake the world up so the people who feel safe don't anymore….and when the consequences come take them like a seasoned criminal takes a sentence. Or don't do it at all." In December 2020, he released a joint extended play "''Chino vs. Balt''" with Balt Getty, under Purplehaus Records. In 2022, it was reported he was working on a new album, which would include a collaboration with R.A. the Rugged Man. In 2023, Chino XL reunited with Stu Bangas to release the LP ''God’s Carpenter'', a 12-song album featuring

Vinnie Paz Vincenzo Luviner ( Luvineri born October 5, 1977), better known as Vinnie Paz (formerly known as Ikon the Verbal Hologram), is an Italian-born American rapper and producer behind the Philadelphia underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. He ...

on the single "Murder Rhyme Kill". Additional singles included "AMBImonsterous" and the title track "God’s Carpenter". Shortly before his death, he, along with

KXNG Crooked Dominick Antron Wickliffe (born September 23, 1976), better known by his stage name Kxng Crooked, (stylised as KXNG Crooked and pronounced "King Crooked"; formerly Crooked I) is an American rapper from Long Beach, California. He formed the hip ho ...

Canibus Germaine Williams (born December 9, 1974), better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican-American rapper. First having gained recognition for his freestyling abilities, he signed with Universal Records to release his debut studio al ...

and

La the Darkman Lason Jackson (born July 23, 1979), better known as La the Darkman, is a Wu-Tang Clan affiliated rapper and MC. Biography Jackson was born in New York City, New York and grew up Crown Heights, Brooklyn with his brother William Jackson. He negoti ...

, contributed to

Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of Golden age hip-hop, golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: ''Paid in Full ...

's album ''G.O.Ds NETWORK: REB7RTH'' on the song "Pendulum Swing".

Death

Barbosa died at his home by suicide through ligature hanging on July 28, 2024. He was 50. Chino's first born daughter Chynna was appointed on March 20, 2025 as the Administrator and Personal Representative of The Estate of Derek Keith Barbosa. Chynna is also the namesake of 4Chynna Music, Chino XL's music publishing company throughout his entire career.

Discography

Solo albums

*''

'' (1996) *'' I Told You So'' (2001) *''

'' (2006) *'' Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary'' (2012) *''God’s Carpenter'' (with Stu Bangas) (2023)

Posthumous releases

*''Darkness and Other Colors'' (2024) *''Map of Bones'' (with DJ Fokus) (2025)

Collaboration albums

*'' Something Sacred'' (with Playalitical) (2008)

Extended plays

*''Chino vs. Balt'' (with Balt Getty) (2020)

Singles

* "No Slow Rollin'" (with Art of Origin) (1992) * "Un-Rational" (with Art of Origin) (1993) * "Purple Hands in the Air / Dark Night of the Bloodspiller" (1994) * "Kreep" (1996) * "No Complex / Waiting to Exhale" (1996) * "Thousands / Freestyle Rhymes" (1996) * "Deliver" (1996) * "Rise / Jesus" (1997) * "Let 'Em Live" (2000) * "Last Laugh" (2001) Vs (1998) * "What You Got / Let 'Em Live" (2001) * "Don't Run from Me / Warning" (2006) * "Poison Pen" (2006) * "Messiah" (2006) * "Jump Back" (2007) * "Lick Shots" (with

and

Crooked I Dominick Antron Wickliffe (born September 23, 1976), better known by his stage name Kxng Crooked, (stylised as KXNG Crooked and pronounced "King Crooked"; formerly Crooked I) is an American rapper from Long Beach, California. He formed the hip ho ...

) (2008) * "Chow Down" (with Playalitical) (2008) * "N.I.C.E." (2012) * "Arm Yourself" (with DV Alias Khrist,

Sick Jacken The Psycho Realm is a Mexican-American hip hop group started in 1989 by the brothers Sick Jacken and Big Duke both born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico raised in the Downtown neighborhood of Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. History The group st ...

and Immortal Technique) (2012) * "Kings" (with

Big Pun Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discover ...

) (2012) * "They Don't Know Nothing" (with RKZ) (2015) * "March of the Imperial" (with D.CrazE the Destroyer) (2016) * "Under the Bridge" (with Rama Duke) (2018) * "Ascending to Mytikas" (with Fuzzy Ed) (2022)

Notable guest appearances

* Tha Mexakinz - '' Tha Mexakinz'' * Main One - ''Bring the Drama'' 12" *

Saafir Reggie Gibson (August 23, 1970 – November 19, 2024), better known as Saafir, was an American rapper, producer, and actor. He was also a member of the rap group Golden State Project (formerly known as Golden State Warriors) with Ras Kass and Xzi ...

- ''Not fa Nothin 12" *

Sway & King Tech Sway & King Tech is an American hip hop duo from San Francisco, California, composed of Bay Area rapper Sway and DJ King Tech. Also known as Flynamic Force or Sway & Tech, they are the hosts of the nationally syndicated show, ''The Wake Up ...

- ''The Anthem'' * RA the Rugged Man - ''Slayer's Club'' * Immortal Technique - ''Lick Shots'' *

- ''Come See Me''

Filmography

*''Barrio Wars'' as Osirus (2002) *'' Vatos'' as Vargas (2002) *'' The Beat'' as Crazy 8 (2002) *'' Crime Partners'' as Finesse (2003) *''

'' as Tony / Flamenco Dancer #2 (2003) *'' Playas Ball'' as Tico (2003) *''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...

'' (TV series) as Buzz (2004) *''

'' (TV series) as Hymning Perp #3 (2004) *''Gang Warz'' as Ro Conner (2004) *'' CSI: Miami'' as Juan Carlos (2006) (Episode: " Death Pool 100") *''El show'' (TV Series) as Professor xl (2008) *''

Zane's Sex Chronicles ''Zane's Sex Chronicles'' is an American television series based on the urban erotica novels written by Zane. The series follows the friendships and relationship of five female friends who enjoy the steamy stories of erotic writer Zane. The serie ...

'' (TV series) as Syndicator (2010)

References

External links

Chino XL
on

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

Chino XL
on

ITunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

*
Chino XL: 'I'd S**t On Shakespeare by Han O'Connor (Allhiphop)
{{Authority control 1974 births 2024 deaths 2024 suicides African-American bodybuilders African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers Hispanic and Latino American rappers American male bodybuilders American actors of Puerto Rican descent Rappers from New Jersey Five percenters Underground rappers Mensans 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Male suicides