Bushwick Bill, member of Legendary Texas Rap Group, “The Geto Boys” dead at age 52

Every rap group in the late 80s and 90s had a charismatic figure.

Whether it was Digital Underground who had the fictional character Humpty Hump or Shock G, Public Enemy had their hypeman/showman Flavor Flav.

And a hip hop group from Houston had Bushwick Bill.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica with Dwarfism in 1966, Bill stood only 3'8''.

He started as a dancer and then became the third member joining Willie D and Scarface forming one of the most influential hip hop groups of all time and one of the first from the South, The Geto Boys.

After a false report of his death that surfaced early Sunday Morning, it was confirmed by his rep Sunday night that Bushwick Bill died after being diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic cancer back in February.

You can't call yourself a true hip hop fan if you don't know his classic verse from The Geto Boys 1991 hit "Mind Playing Tricks On Me" by hard.

That same year while in a scuffle with his girlfriend Bushwick shot himself in the eye during an argument while high off alcohol and marijuana.

I would often see him out in clubs most recently at an after-hours spot in Killeen a year and a half ago.

I also interviewed him over the phone last year for his appearance at a local liquor store in Killeen.

He went on to record 8 albums with the Geto Boys and 5 solo albums and will always be a monumental figure in southern hip hop and hip hop history in general.

Bushwick Bill was 52.