South Carolina rapper 18veno was shot dead last night, the York County Coroner’s Office in South Carolina confirmed to Pitchfork. He was was pronounced dead at the Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill. An investigation by the York County Sheriff’s Department is ongoing. 18veno was 19 years old.
Born Paul Harts, 18veno grew up in Winnsboro, South Carolina after spending the first few years of his life in Washington, D.C. 18veno was inspired by the sounds of Southern trap; he’s cited rappers like Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, and Jeezy as early influences. He started rapping in fourth grade and began posting his work publicly a few years later.
The past year was a pivotal one in 18veno’s career; in 2020 he dropped the five-track R4z EP, as well as his debut project Pablo, both of which were issued by the South Carolina label BoyMeetSpace.
18veno often worked with artists native to South Carolina; Pablo includes a feature from fellow South Carolinian artist PG RA on “Cops & Robbers,” and his frequent collaborators jetsonmade and Neeko Baby both hail from his home state. “I still don’t think we have the respect we need,” he said of South Carolina artists in an interview with Lyrical Lemonade last summer. “We ain’t on like we’re supposed to be, yet. It’s up to us at this point—it’s up to the artists that SC has right now. I wanna be one of the ones that helps put us on at a worldwide level.”