Photo: Getty Images
The embattled rapper was rumored to be stabbed to death.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Dec 12, 2019
Is YNW Melly dead? The hip hop community would like to know the "real deal" behind this rumor since word got out that the "Murder On My Mind" rapper was stabbed to death in prison.
So, what's the real story — and is YNW Melly dead, or is it just a rumor?
When one reads a story on the Internet, one should check — and double-check — the story before sharing it on social media, or accepting an Internet rumor as fact. Such was the case with the reports of YNW Melly's unfortunate demise, which was reported on a so-called "hoax" website and spread like wildfire throughout the blog-osphere. Things got so bad, in fact, that YNW Melly's mother, Jamie King, had to step in and clarify the truth of the matter.
So let's look at what we know about the facts, and fictions, surrounding YNW Melly's death.
1. Is YNW Melly dead? The rumor started on a hoax website.
NSFNews.com bills itself as a "prank website." The outlet offers the opportunity for people to write fictional stories to "prank your family and friends" in good fun. Obviously, some people's idea of a "prank" involves starting a death rumor about someone, because someone (it's not clear who) wrote a story claiming that YNW Melly was stabbed in jail after encountering gang members, and that he was in "critical condition."
As of this writing, the prank/hoax story received nearly 30,000 shares on social sites.
2. Fans immediately took to social media to share their grief.
In the wake of the rapper Juice Wrld's death, the hip hop community is still raw and reeling. So when word got out that YNW Melly was dead after being stabbed in prison, fans of the hip hop genre took to Twitter to express their grief about what they thought was his passing.
3. There were a few things wrong, right off the bat, with the YNW Melly death claims.
It didn't take long for people to start to question whether the story about YNW Melly's death was true. One of the biggest "tells" that the story was a hoax was the fact that whoever wrote the story spelled YNW Melly's name wrong (his government name is Jamell Demons, not Jamall Demons).
What's more, while it quickly became one of the top trending stories in Google, it wasn't a story reported by a credible outlet (for example, People or TMZ).
4. His mother clarified the rumor.
Right after reports of YNW Melly's death began circulating on the Internet, Melly's mother, Jamie Demons-King, took to social media to share an update on her son's condition on Instagram live.
"Melly is fine — I talked to him this morning," she said. "He has not been injured whatsoever. He's fine. He's in great spirits — and he'll be home soon."
5. A similar update about YNW Melly was posted on his official Instagram page.
On the same day that YNW Melly was allegedly stabbed in prison, the rapper's official Instagram page posted a tribute to deceased rapper Juice Wrld. In the post, Melly can be seen singing "Suicidal," a new song of his from the Melly vs. Melvin debut studio album, released on November 22, 2019.
6. Even though YNW Melly isn't dead, he's still in a world of trouble.
YNW Melly is alive and well, which is great, but he's still looking at a world of trouble for his alleged role in the shooting deaths of his two compatriots, Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams, 21, and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr., 19.
Authorities say Melly committed these crimes with YNW Bortlen (real name: Cortlen Henry) and he remains in jail while awaiting trial. Just two weeks ago, the prosecutors in the murder trial released photos from what they are calling the "crime scene" which they say prove that YNW Melly was the one who pulled the trigger on his friends. The photos were initially presented during Cortlen Henry's bail hearing, and are now available to the public (trigger warning: gruesome violence).
Though YNW Melly has maintained his innocence, he could face the death penalty if convicted of all the charges.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.