NEWS

Atlanta rapper Trouble has died, aged 34

Atlanta rapper Trouble (aka Mariel Semonte Orr) has died at age 34, it was confirmed over the weekend.

The artist’s death was shared in a social media post on June 5 by Def Jam Recordings. Alongside a photo of Orr – who was also known as Skoob – the label wrote: “A true voice for his city and an inspiration to the community he proudly represented. RIP Skoob.”

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According to the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office (per WSB-TV), Orr was shot around 3:20am on Sunday June 5, in the Atlanta suburb of Conyers. Deputies arrived to find Orr shot once in the chest, and he was pronounced dead on the scene. He’d performed just hours before the incident.

No arrests have been made, however, officers have obtained a warrant for a suspect, 33-year-old Jamichael Jones, charging him with alleged murder. Investigators said the two men didn’t know one another, but became involved in a “domestic situation” over a female friend of Orr’s that he was visiting at an apartment complex.

The day before his death, Trouble tweeted that he would be navigating the streets of his hometown cautiously. “Its toooooooo many 12 of for me tonight IM GOIN HOME!!” he tweeted. “Yall move smoove outchea.”

Orr was born in Atlanta on November 4, 1987, and began rapping in his teens. He cited DMX and Tupac among his influences, with local rapper Big Bank Black eventually signing Orr to Duct Tape Entertainment. With that label, Orr would release the vast majority of his discography.

Over the course over his decade-long career, Orr collaborated with Young Thug, Drake, The Weeknd, Gucci Mane, Quavo and many others.

Orr released his debut mixtape as Trouble, ‘December 17th’, in April 2011. The offering featured his breakout hit ‘Bussin’. Exposing the horrors of Atlanta’s Zone 6 (referring to the east side of the city), the single’s official music video saw a then 23-year-old Orr surround himself with men brandishing guns.

Following the success of that single, Orr went on to feature on a handful of tracks with prominent Atlanta artists, such as ‘Thief In The Night’ with Young Thug, and ‘Everyday’ and ‘You Don’t Deserve Dat’ with Gucci Mane.

Orr went on to release two studio albums: ‘Edgewood’ in 2018, and ‘Thug Luv’ in 2020. The latter featured the likes of 2 Chainz, Boosie Badazz and Scalez, among others, while ‘Edgewood’ saw Orr team up with Drake on ‘Bring It Back’ and The Weeknd on ‘Come Thru’.

Tributes from Orr’s collaborators and members of the hip-hop community have come in on social media following his passing.