Durham rapper Billy Resio was gunned down in a drive-by capturing Sunday night time, chopping brief the lifetime of an artist who had simply signed with Wealthy Nation Leisure LLC, which has artists like Petey Pablo on the label.
The 30-year-old performer, whose actual title was Irease Jeffrey, died on the hospital after somebody in a passing car opened hearth on his automobile.
Police mentioned Jeffrey was driving his 2024 Chevrolet Malibu west on Hillsborough Street round 9 P.M. when a second car pulled alongside and commenced capturing. The assault occurred within the 3500 block of Hillsborough Street, the place Jeffrey misplaced management of his automobile earlier than it got here to relaxation in a close-by car parking zone.
A girl passenger in Jeffrey’s automobile suffered life-threatening accidents and was rushed to the hospital. Durham police haven’t launched her identification or present situation, and no arrests have been introduced in reference to the capturing.
Jeffrey carried out beneath the stage title Billy Resio and had just lately collaborated with NBA YoungBoy on the monitor “Labeled Me Prime Shotta.“ The music was distributed via Wealthy Nation Leisure LLC, the Miami-based label that had signed Jeffrey to develop his profession.
Wealthy Nation CEO Michael Mitchell mentioned Jeffrey was planning to relocate from Durham to Miami to deal with his music profession. Mitchell described the rapper as having pure expertise and mentioned that they had mentioned transferring Jeffrey away from the violence in Durham.
“He was only a pure, like he was born to do it,” Mitchell instructed WRAL Information. “Want I might have saved him as a result of we had talked about him transferring out of Durham and coming down right here to Miami.”
Jeffrey’s music catalog included tracks like “No Lie” and “Bonnie and Clyde,” showcasing his lyrical talents and emotional depth. Mitchell mentioned Jeffrey’s collaboration with NBA YoungBoy demonstrated Jeffrey’s potential for mainstream success.
The capturing provides to Durham’s ongoing wrestle with gun violence, which claimed a number of lives in the course of the vacation interval. Jeffrey leaves behind a one-year-old son, whom Mitchell mentioned was the middle of the rapper’s world.
“He needed to be to his son what his father was to him,” Mitchell mentioned, including that Jeffrey’s music would have taken off if given extra time to develop.
Durham police haven’t supplied details about potential suspects or whether or not the shooter and victims knew one another. The investigation stays energetic as detectives work to find out the motive behind the assault.
Mitchell posted tributes on social media calling Jeffrey “pure coronary heart, uncooked reality, starvation, and loyalty,” promising that his artist’s legacy can be protected. The CEO mentioned Jeffrey’s unreleased music would proceed to be promoted via Wealthy Nation Leisure.
The deadly capturing occurred throughout a violent begin to 2026 in Durham, the place gun violence has change into a persistent downside affecting the native music group. Jeffrey’s dying represents one other lack of younger expertise to avenue violence in North Carolina.
Police are asking anybody with details about the Hillsborough Street capturing to contact Durham investigators as they work to determine the suspects accountable for Jeffrey’s dying.
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