Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The hip-hop world is mourning the loss of one of its most promising young talents, James Dear, widely known by his stage name Luci4 or Axxturel.
The American rapper passed away on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at the young age of 23.
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The sad news was first confirmed by his manager, Kayla G, in a social media post.
To date, the official cause of Luci4's death has not been publicly released, adding to the mystery surrounding his passing.
Rapper Luci4's Mysterious Death
James Dear, or Luci4, was found dead at a friend's home in Los Angeles, California, USA, on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical call at approximately 11:40 a.m. local time, but Luci4 was already dead when officers arrived.
Police were immediately notified and established a crime scene, with an investigation currently underway to determine the exact cause of death.
Luci4's family, particularly his grandparents, have raised concerns about the circumstances of their grandson's death, noted that Luci4's wallet was found empty, and that they had previously warned him about associating with certain individuals as his fame grew.
These suspicions were furthered by visible bruising on Luci4's body, including a black eye and a swollen lip, which the grandparents said indicated a struggle before his death.
Although the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has confirmed the death, an official cause of death has not been released, as reported by Daily Mail.
Condolences from His Manager
Luci4's manager, Kayla G, confirmed the news through an emotional post on TikTok and Instagram Stories.
In her statement, Kayla G expressed her profound sadness, calling James Dear a "true leader, a king, a musician, and a genius."
“I am devastated to inform you that today, James, Luci4, Axxturel has passed away. He was truly a leader a king and a musician and a genius.”
She also added that there was no one like Luci4 and never will be, emphasizing the immense impact the rapper left on his life and the music world.
“There’s nobody like him and there will never be. We all loved him dearly. Rest Easy,” she wrote. “Please allow family and friends privacy and patience during this difficult time.”
Luci4's Brilliant Career
Born on August 2, 2002, in Los Angeles, California, USA, James Dear began his musical journey as a producer under the name '4jay.'
He is part of the BMB Deathrow collective, formed by SpaceGhostPurrp in 2015.
In addition to Luci4 and Axxturel, he is also known by various aliases such as Lucifer, prynce axxturel, 4jay, BMB 4jay, NoMercyLuci, mykelkill, plasdu, Skkkult3x, Axx, 4jay X Luci4, Noktifer, and Gebhuza.Luci4 is known as a pioneer of the internet microgenre 'sigilkore,' a style of music that combines elements of trap, electronic, and cloud rap.
The genre is characterized by layered DJ mixes and digital effects like bitcrushing and pitch shifting, often added after vocal recordings, along with bass-boosted 808s, wide, reverberating synths, and bitcrush effects.
His songs began gaining significant popularity on TikTok in 2021, which eventually led to his signing with Atlantic Records.
His debut single, "Bodypartz," went viral on TikTok and earned gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 24, 2024.
In addition to "Bodypartz," several other songs that helped propel him to fame include "All Eyez on Me," "Ave Domina Lilith," and "Kurxxed Emeraldz."