Tributes paid as rapper Chino XL dies, age 50: “One of the greatest to ever touch a mic”

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Reno 911! and the CBS show CSI: Miami, as well as a co-starring role alongside Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson in 2003’s Rob Reiner-directed Alex & Emma.

He also performed in many indie films, including Brandon Sonnier’s The Beat, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003.Among his biggest hits were ‘No Complex’, ‘Sickology 101’ featuring Tech N9ne, and ‘The Anthem’ featuring Sway and King Tech.A post shared by Chino XL (@chinoxl)Early on, Chino XL signed to Rick Rubin‘s American Recordings label and at 22 years old he released his debut album ‘Here to Save You All’.

It was met with widespread acclaim, and a year later he signed to Warner Bros. Records. However, his second album was subject to delays and he was eventually dropped by the label when their Black music department closed.‘I Told You So’, his long-awaited follow-up was eventually released in 2001, followed by ‘Poison Pen’ in 2006.

His final album ‘Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary’ was released in 2012, and was widely considered to be his best work.At the time of the record’s release, he told HIPHOP DX that it had come from a place of vulnerability, saying: “I just kind of felt like the pen was just kind of like going in its own direction and it was just kind of what I wanted to get out of my system like for good.”He continued: “When you connect with an artist on a level that you feel it’s your own personal reference, your own guide or your own inspiration and it feels like it helps you get you through your day without screaming, it’s magnanimous to you.”Many in the hip-hop community have shared tributes today, including Public Enemy‘s Chuck D who tweeted a sketch of the rapper and called him “my brother in rhyme and art”.