Rakim Hasheem Allen (December 9, 1991 – September 12, 2022), known professionally as PnB Rock, was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Allen signed with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

in 2015 and gained initial recognition for his 2016 single, "

Selfish Selfishness is being concerned excessively or exclusively for oneself or one's own advantage, pleasure, or welfare, regardless of others. Selfishness is the opposite of ''altruism'' or selflessness, and has also been contrasted (as by C. S. Lewis ...

". His first ''Billboard'' Hot 100 entry, it received

triple platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

certification by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) and served as lead single for his commercial mixtape '' GTTM: Goin Thru the Motions'' (2017), which entered the ''Billboard'' 200. His debut studio album, '' Catch These Vibes'' (2017) peaked at number 17 on the chart, while his second album, '' TrapStar Turnt PopStar'' (2019) peaked at number four. Allen also guest performed on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100-top 40 singles "

Cross Me "Cross Me" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran featuring American rappers Chance the Rapper and PnB Rock. It released on 24 May 2019 through Atlantic Records as the second single from the former's compilation album, ''No.6 Collabora ...

" by

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...

, "

Changes Changes may refer to: Books * '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo * ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Chan ...

" by

XXXTentacion Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...

, " Dangerous" by

Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...

, and "

Everyday We Lit "Everyday We Lit" is a song by American rapper YFN Lucci featuring fellow American rapper PnB Rock. It was released on December 16, 2016, as the first single from Lucci's debut EP '' Long Live Nut'' (2017), and written alongside producer June Jam ...

" by

YFN Lucci Rayshawn Lamar Bennett (born February 16, 1991), known professionally as YFN Lucci, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. In 2014, Bennett signed a record deal with Think It's A Game Entertainment and released his debut mixtape, ''Wish M ...

during his lifetime. He was chosen as part of the 2017 ''XXL'' Freshman Class. PnB Rock was shot and killed during a robbery at

Roscoe's House of Chicken 'N Waffles Roscoe's House of Chicken 'N Waffles is an American soul food restaurant chain that operates seven locations in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was founded by Herb Hudson in 1975. The ''Los Angeles Times'' ...

South Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of Downtown Los Angeles, downtown. It is de ...

on September 12, 2022, at the age of 30. Three suspects were arrested in connection to the killing, including Freddie Lee Trone and his 17-year-old son. In August 2024, Freddie Trone was found guilty on all counts of first-degree murder, robbery, and conspiracy.

Early life

Rakim Hasheem Allen was born on December 9, 1991, in the Germantown neighborhood of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, to a Muslim family. Allen's father was murdered when he was three years old. He was primarily raised by his single mother. In his teen years, he lived in

Northeast Philadelphia Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Great Northeast, and known colloquially as simply "the Northeast", is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 census, Northeast Philadelphia has a population of betw ...

. He grew up listening to artists such as rapper

2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

and R&B group

Jodeci Jodeci ( ) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Dalvin DeGrate, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and K-Ci & JoJo, JoJo. Formed in 1988 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci began as a duo of DeVanté Swing and JoJo ...

. At age 13, Allen was sent to a youth detention program for committing robberies and fighting in school. When he turned 19, he was sentenced to 33 months in prison for drug possession and other crimes. Allen was homeless for a short period after being released from prison. He never finished high school. Allen later adopted the stage name PnB Rock, which paid homage to Pastorius and Baynton, a street corner near where he grew up in Germantown.

Career

In June 2014, PnB Rock released his debut mixtape, ''Real N*gga Bangaz''. He wrote the mixtape while he was incarcerated. In 2015, PnB Rock signed a record deal with

, and his first project under the label was the release of his third mixtape ''RnB3''. In June 2016, he released the single "

", which peaked at number 51 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In October 2016, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' included him in their list of "10 New Artists You Need to Know". In January 2017, he released his second retail mixtape album, '' GTTM: Goin Thru the Motions'', through Atlantic Records and

Empire Distribution Empire Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. (stylized as EMPIRE) is an independent American record label, distribution and publishing company founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami. Based in San Francisco, EMPIRE has offices in New York, London, ...

. The album debuted at number 28 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart. In April 2017, he contributed to the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

of ''

The Fate of the Furious ''The Fate of the Furious'' (also known as ''F8'' or ''Fast & Furious 8'') is a 2017 action film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to '' Furious 7'' (2015) and the eighth installment in the ''Fast & Furiou ...

'' with two singles: " Gang Up" with

Young Thug Jeffery Lamar Williams II (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern hip hop music, hip hop and trap music ...

2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...

, and

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...

and "

Horses The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 milli ...

" with

Kodak Black Bill Kahan Kapri (born Dieuson Octave; June 11, 1997), known professionally as Kodak Black, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained initial recognition following the release of his 2014 songs " No Flockin" and " Skrt", both of ...

and

A Boogie wit da Hoodie Artist Julius Dubose (born December 6, 1995), known professionally as A Boogie wit da Hoodie or simply A Boogie, is an American rapper, and singer-songwriter. He released his debut studio album, '' The Bigger Artist'', via Atlantic Records in ...

. In June 2017, PnB Rock was named as one of the ten members of '' XXL'''s "2017 Freshman Class" along with A Boogie wit da Hoodie,

Playboi Carti Jordan Terrell Carter (born September 13, 1995, or 1996), known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern Hip hop music, hip hop a ...

Ugly God Royce Cornell Davison-Rodriguez (born September 19, 1996), better known by his stage name Ugly God, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 2016 single "Water", which peaked at number 80 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In June 2017, he w ...

, Kyle,

Aminé Adam Aminé Daniel (born April 18, 1994) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He first gained notability for his commercial debut single, " Caroline", which peaked at number 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Aminé released ...

MadeinTYO Malcolm Jamaal Davis (born April 12, 1992), better known by his stage name MadeinTYO (pronounced Made in Tokyo), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his 2016 single "Uber Everywhere," which peaked at number 51 on t ...

Kamaiyah Kamaiyah Jamesha Johnson (born March 13, 1992) is an American rapper and singer from Oakland, California. Her debut mixtape, ''A Good Night in the Ghetto'', was released in 2016 to critical acclaim. In 2017, Kamaiyah was named as one of the ten ...

Kap G George Ramirez (born July 31, 1994), better known by his stage name Kap G, is a Mexican-American rapper. He is best known for his 2016 single "Girlfriend (Kap G song), Girlfriend", which received RIAA certification, platinum certification by the ...

, and

. His debut album '' TrapStar Turnt PopStar'' was released in May 2019. PnB Rock and

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...

were featured on

's song "

" from Sheeran's album ''

No.6 Collaborations Project ''No.6 Collaborations Project'' is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 12 July 2019 by Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album includes guest appearances from Khalid, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Chance ...

''. In January 2020, PnB Rock released the track "Ordinary" featuring late rapper

Pop Smoke Bashar Barakah Jackson (July 20, 1999 – February 19, 2020), known professionally as Pop Smoke, was an American rapper. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, he rose to fame with the release of his 2019 singles "Welcome to the Party (P ...

. In January 2021, he featured for the late rapper

King Von Dayvon Daquan Bennett (August 9, 1994 – November 6, 2020), known professionally as King Von, was an American rapper and gangster from Chicago, Illinois, who was affiliated with the Black Disciples gang. He was considered a preeminent figure ...

, on a song titled "Rose Gold". In February 2022, PnB Rock released the mixtape ''SoundCloud Daze'' which featured various artists including Pasto Flocco,

Iayze Jace Lavoer Salter (born January 10, 2003), known professionally as Iayze (pronounced as "Jace") or Jace!, is an American rapper from Fort Worth, Texas. He is better known for his song "556 (Green Tip)" which received traction on TikTok due to it ...

and Yung Fazo. He independently released "Luv Me Again" in September 2022, which was the last single he released during his lifetime.

Death

On September 12, 2022, Allen was robbed and fatally shot at

near Main Street and

Manchester Avenue Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

. Three suspects were arrested in connection to the killing: an unnamed 17-year-old juvenile and his father Freddie Trone, plus 32-year-old Shauntel Trone, who was arrested for accessory to murder. Both the juvenile and Freddie Trone were charged with one count of

first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse ...

, two counts of second-degree robbery, and one count of

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

to commit robbery. In October 2023, new defendants Tremont Jones and Wynisha Evans appeared in court.PnB Rock Murder: Two New Suspects Charged
''Rolling Stone'', Nancy Dillon October 30, 2023 Authorities believe Jones alerted the alleged killers to Allen's location, not his girlfriend's

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

post. Prosecutors allege Evans drove Trone from Los Angeles to Las Vegas after the murder. Jones and Evans both pled not guilty. On August 7, 2024, Freddie Lee Trone was found guilty on all counts of first-degree murder, robbery, and conspiracy. Tremont Jones was also found guilty on all counts of robbery and conspiracy, and he was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison. In September 2024, Freddie Trone was sentenced to life imprisonment; he is required to serve at least 31 years of his sentence before he will be eligible for parole. At the time of Trone's sentencing, his juvenile son was still awaiting trial.

Discography

Studio albums *'' Catch These Vibes'' (2017) *'' TrapStar Turnt PopStar'' (2019)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:PnB Rock 1991 births 2022 deaths 2022 murders in the United States 21st-century African-American male singers 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American rappers African-American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers African-American male singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters African-American Muslims American contemporary R&B singers American hip-hop singers Atlantic Records artists Deaths by firearm in California Murdered African-American people Rappers from Philadelphia Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania Muslims from Pennsylvania

Early life

Career

Death

Discography

See also

References

External links