South Carolina rapper 18veno was shot dead last night, York County Coroner’s Office in South Carolina confirmed to Pitchfork. He was pronounced dead at Piedmont Medical Center on Rock Hill. An investigation by the York County Sheriff’s Department is underway. The veneno was 19 years old.
Born Paul Harts, 18veno grew up in Winnsboro, South Carolina after spending the first years of his life in Washington, DC 18veno was inspired by the sounds of Southern trap; he cited rappers as Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti and Jeezy as early influences. He started rapping in the fourth grade and started posting his work publicly a few years later.
The past year has been pivotal in the Veneno career; in 2020 he left the five lanes R4z EP as well as his debut project Pablo, both issued by the South Carolina seal BoyMeetSpace.
18 veneno often worked with South Carolina native artists; Pablo includes a feature by fellow South Carolina artist PG RA in “Cops & Robbers,” and his frequent collaborators jetsonmade and Neeko Baby come 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 are not as we should be, yet. It depends on us right now – it depends on the artists that SC has now. I want to be one of those who help us to put ourselves on a world level. “