Trailblazing ’90s Puerto Rican rapper Hurricane G, Gloria Rodriguez, reportedly died on Sunday at 52.
The cause of death hasn’t been revealed, but her daughter, Lexus, announced via social media in May that Rodriguez was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, The Daily Beast reported.
“My mom has stage 4 lung cancer,” Lexus wrote. “I don’t know how many of you understand what that means, but even after 30 years of life, I’m still trying to process it myself. I have never cried so much in my life. I have never felt so disconnected from reality in my life.”
Members of the hip-hop community took to social media to express their condolences, including Erick Sermon of EMDP, with whom the rapper shared a daughter.
“My heart is hardened today,” Sermon wrote in an Instagram post. “One of my good friends…. my oldest daughter’s mother passed away today #HURRICANE GLORIA was also a legend in her own right in the Hip-hop community. One of the first Puerto Rican female rappers.”
Sermon’s post continued, “She rapped with me. @redmangilla she paved the way @keithmurray @diddy she was in all the Hip-hop magazines with all the top females at the time….hip hop, industry, Erick Sermon, Puerto Rican, album, Gloria Rodriguez, Hurricane G, rapper. Beautiful blessings. She was a beautiful person, a wonderful mother, as real as they come. We love u G.”
View this post on Instagram
The producer of Hurricane G’s 1997 solo record “All Woman,” Domingo Padilla, addressed the news of Rodriguez’s death on his Instagram.
“R.I.P to my good friend Hurricane G,” he wrote. “Really sad news to get. I was blessed to know her and produce her debut album. God Bless her family and daughter.”
View this post on Instagram
Before releasing her debut album in 1997, the Puerto-Rican rapper broke into the hip-hop industry as a Hit Squad member—Def Squad formed after the disbandment of Hit Squad. Many fans gravitated towards her style when she was in the intro of rapper Redman’s 1997 song “Tonight’s Da Night.” The two also worked together on the track “We Run N.Y.”
In addition to Redman, she collaborated with other well-known hip-hop icons like Diddy, Xzibit and Thirstin Howl III. Rodriguez’s song “Somebody Else” hit the Hot Rap song’s top 10 charts the same year “All Woman” was released, and she didn’t stop making music until her last album in 2013, “Mami & Papi,” with Howl III.
The pioneering New York rapper made her mark in the rap community as one of the first Puerto Rican women rap artists, making it possible for other Puerto Rican women rappers like Princess Nokia, Young M.A and Ivy Queen.
