A man, identified on his social media page as a Philly rapper who worked with hip hop star Meek Mill, was shot and killed outside of his home over the weekend, police said.
Police responded to a report of a person with a gun on Sunday, March 17, on the 1200 block of North Taney Street. When they arrived, they found the body of a man, later identified as 28-year-old Derrick Gant, on the street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Gant was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:30 p.m.
Gant was a hip hop artist who went by the stage name “Phat Geez,” according to his Facebook page. He recently released the song “No Gunzone” which called for peace in Philadelphia.
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Several listeners shared messages of condolences on Gant’s YouTube and Instagram pages. Philadelphia hip hop star Meek Mill – who collaborated with Phat Geez in the past – also released a statement on his death on X, formerly known as Twitter.
A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Gant’s murder.
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If you have any information on Gant’s death, please call the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or call or text the Philadelphia Police tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
As of Monday morning, there were 63 reported homicides in Philadelphia, which is down 30 percent from the same time last year, according to data from Philadelphia Police.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
