Family, Friends, Collaborators Remember Rap Veteran

Rap veteran Chino XL died at his home on Sunday morning at the age of 50. In his lifetime, the artist born Derek Keith Barbosa connected closely with collaborators and friends who often considered him family. Fellow musicians Chuck D, Sage Francis, Czarface, and more are paying tribute to the prominent hip-hop figure in the wake of his death.

“This ones a tough one,” Chuck D wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “@CHINOXL was my brother in rhyme & art. He encouraged my graphics forward. We exchanged art books. He looked out to protect my lyric books better. He supported my events. We supported his music & [Art].” The musician published his tribute alongside a hand-drawn photo of himself with Barbosa.

Sage Francis, who founded the indie hip-hop label Strange Famous Records, remembered Barbosa in a thread of posts that traced back to the first time he heard Chino XL. “Here’s the song that introduced me to Chino XL when he was part of a group called Art of Origin,” he wrote on X. He shared a link to the song “No Slow Rollin’” from 1992, created with producer Kaoz who completed the duo with Barbosa.

“He was so active for so long…this is shocking and sudden to say the least. I was looking really forward to rocking with him again this year. Our condolences go to his family and friends,” Francis added. In another post, he shared a DM exchange with the late musician in which they discussed collaborating together. “Sadly, I decided not to pester Chino because I wasn’t in a rush for my next album,” he said. “It was great to share love and appreciation w/ him though.”

Long Beach rapper KXNG Crooked shared a similar anecdote about having just recently touched base with Barbosa. “We spoke on the phone the other day and laughed,” he recalled. “Our careers have been tied together since the Wake Up Show freestyles decades ago. I’m fucked up. Rest in Peace my brother Chino XL.”

Esoteric, one-third of the hip-hop group Czarface, paid tribute to Barbosa in a post speaking to the quality of his character. “As a person, he made you feel welcomed and worthy. As an emcee and physical presence, he scared the shit out of you,” he wrote. “You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who was so kind off the mic, yet so viciously meticulous on the mic. Truly one of a kind and will be missed.”

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Southern rap legend Bun B echoed this sentiment in his tribute, shared beneath a photo of Barbosa published on Instagram. “He was my brother. He was a man of the people. He was strong and proud. He was one of the greatest to ever write rhymes. Intimidation on two feet. But a heart of pure gold,” he shared. “I loved my brother and I will miss my brother. As many others will. My prayers for his soul, his family and friends and all who supported him. Hip-hop sheds a tear tonight. Long live Chino XL. Rest in paradise.”

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“Chino was a man who no matter what always had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was a family man tried and true and I think the world will find solace knowing he was an excellent father to his four daughters, a devoted artist who always put his fans first and one hell of a lyricist,” Matthew “M80” Markoff, who previously served as Chino’s A&R and manager, tells Rolling Stone. “God truly broke the mold when he gave us Derek Barbosa.”

Chino XL is survived by his four daughters, Chynna, Bella, Lyric, and Kiyana as well as his stepson Shawn; his five grandchildren Emmy, Emery, Chris, Luis, and Dyani; his mother, Carole; and his former longtime partner Stephanie, according to a family statement published to social media.