Popular US rapper Rich Homie Quan is dead

DeQuantes Devontay Lamar, 34, was one of Atlanta’s most recognizable artists.

According to reports, his girlfriend discovered him ‘unresponsive’ when she returned home and immediately called 911 after finding him ‘foaming at the mouth.’ The recorded audio of the call between the rapper’s girlfriend and officials has revealed chilling details about his death.

While a thorough investigation into Rich Homie Quan's death is underway, TMZ obtained a copy of the 911 call made by his girlfriend, Amber Williams. 

The couple reportedly has children, and according to the call, Williams left the home to pick up their son from school before finding Quan’s lifeless body on the couch.

Believing he was simply sleeping soundly, she covered him with a blanket and left to take her son to school. Upon returning home, she checked on Quan and was horrified to find that he had no pulse and wasn't breathing. “I don’t feel a heartbeat. I don’t see him breathing,” she said in tears.

She then detailed the moment she tried waking him up only to find his mouth foaming. “When I turned him over he kind of foamed at the mouth,” she said according to the audio call.

The 911 operator guided Williams through steps to help Quan breathe, instructing her to lay the rapper flat on his back. Paramedics arrived shortly after. The 34-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Page Six, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office has scheduled an autopsy for the rapper on Friday.

The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

Lamar grew up in DeKalb County, on Atlanta’s east side, and entered Atlanta’s evolving rap music scene in 2011 after a string of burglaries led to a stint in Georgia prison. 

His first hit, Type of Way, on his third mixtape led to deeper connections in Atlanta’s music circles, with connections to Gucci Mane and Birdman, and ultimately to the rapper Young Thug.

Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug struck gold in 2014 with the song Lifestyle, lifting both of them to the top of the charts, a place in XXL’s Freshman Class and serious success. But their musical partnership frayed shortly after that, which prosecutors believe led to a catastrophic falling-out between two factions of the Bloods street gang in Atlanta.

Prosecutors charged Jeffery Williams – Young Thug – in an expansive racketeering and gang case of the YSL street gang in 2022, a trial that has become the longest criminal case in Georgia history. Rich Homie Quan, Birdman and other rappers were named as potential witnesses in the trial.

Rich Homie Quan was notable for his distinct style, a melodic approach that acknowledged the trap sensibilities of Atlanta rap without surrendering to them. He was an ardent opponent of rap’s increasing lyrical focus on street life, crime and violence.

Acknowledgments of his passing and his impact have begun to flow from Atlanta’s musical community.

“Dam lil brother, we just spoke about shooting a video,” Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz said on Instagram. “Special prayer for you and your family, and pray for any and everybody that’s dealing with something. My condolences bru.”

Fellow Atlanta rapper Boosie BadAzz, whose real name is Torrence Ivy Hatch Jr., was one of the first to confirm the news, writing via X Thursday, “JUST TALKED TO YOU BRA 😓 #tipQUAN Never go forget yo smile n the way talked n of course yo music 💯.”

The “Wipe Me Down” rapper, 41, also appeared to reveal the suspected cause of death, sharing in a separate X post Thursday, “JUST GOT WORD @RichHomieQuan JUST OD ‼️”

Several other rappers, including Glorilla, Jacquees, Quavo and Playboi Carti have also shared their tributes.