MUSIC
Rapper Julio Foolio shot to death celebrating his 26th birthday: what we know
The American artist was traveling from one party to another in the early hours of Sunday when he was ambushed. Three other people were injured.
The grim tide of violence plaguing the urban music scene in the United States has claimed another victim. Charles Jones, known professionally as Julio Foolio, one of the leading figures in the new wave of American rappers, was fatally shot early Sunday morning in Florida, just after celebrating his 26th birthday.
According to Lewis Fusco, the musician’s attorney, in a press statement obtained by Page Six, Foolio was “ambushed” in the parking lot of a hotel in Tampa. The attack occurred as he was leaving a party organized to mark his birthday, which the police had shut down earlier. Seeking to continue the celebration, he had moved to the hotel where the tragic incident unfolded.
How was Foolio murdered?
The images Foolio shared on social media during the celebrations have turned into a chilling chronicle of his final hours. His attorney, Lewis Fusco, revealed to News4JAX that several people planned to stay with him throughout his extended birthday celebration, which Foolio had publicized on his own Instagram account. In a story, he invited everyone who saw it to join the festivities, saying, “If you have the address, come over.” The rapper announced a pool party scheduled for 5 p.m.
In a subsequent video, Foolio was seen drinking with a group of people, holding the iconic red party cups. In the following clip, he thanked about twenty guests, all seated in the living room of the venue, for joining the celebration. The evening progressed without incident until the rapper posted on the same social network about the abrupt end to the festivities. “The police shut us down and kicked us out of the Airbnb. Crazy night.”
“Best birthday ever” ends tragically
The party, though, was supposed to continue. Foolio described it as “the best birthday ever,” expressing his gratitude to everyone who came by. “We went until we couldn’t anymore, now we have to head to the show. Everyone, come through,” he urged, planning to move to a new location to keep the party going. But things took a tragic turn.
The group headed to the Holiday Inn in Tampa, but they never made it inside. Police later identified Foolio’s body in the parking lot and reported that three other victims were injured and had been taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
Foolio’s rise to fame was swift, beginning with his debut album, 6toven, in 2018. His latest release, Resurrection, came out this past April. He gained significant recognition with hits like “When I See You,” which has amassed 46 million views on YouTube, and “List of Dead Opps,” with 19 million views. These tracks remain as part of his musical legacy, another mark of the relentless wave of violence sweeping the American urban music scene from coast to coast.