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Warning: this article discusses suicide and self-harm.
OG Maco, the rapper best known for his debut hit, “U Guessed It,” has died after being hospitalized from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The musician remained in critical condition for a little over two weeks before passing away on December 26th.
Benedict Chiajulam Ihesiba Jr., known to most as OG Maco passed away Thursday night according to TMZ. His family shared an emotional statement to the rapper’s Instagram account on December 27th confirming the tragic news. In it, they thanked Maco’s fans, friends, and supporters for standing by him and celebrating a “life that was extraordinary in every way.” An outpouring of support was shared in the comments underneath the statement, with those close to him reminiscing about memories they had shared.
“Thank you for all the love you showed me, my family, and especially my son…. You were a goat and although I knew you knew, I wish the world knew…,” fellow artist Rikki Blu commented. “A true pioneer in music,” said rapper Lil Xan.
OG Maco’s career and achievements
Born in 1992 in College Park, Georgia, Maco took an interest in music at an early age. In an interview with Fader from 2015, Maco explained that he used to be the lead singer and back up guitarist in a hardcore band known as Dr. Doctor. He claimed that his biggest inspirations included artists such as Black Sabbath, Kid Cudi, and Currensy.
As a musician, Maco started seeing major recognition in 2014 after his debut single, “U Guessed It” released to critical praise. The music video currently has over 74 million views on YouTube. The same year the single was released, Maco signed to a major record label. The rapper released two albums, both of which saw success and made the artist himself a pretty wealthy man.
OG Maco’s health issues
In 2019, Maco was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease which was the result of an improperly treated rash. Maco spoke about his battle with the disease where he shared how difficult it had been dealing with it and how it had left him wanting to die.
My friend told me the other day that maybe I should share what I’ve been going through instead of beating myself down for feeling how I felt about it, which I wanted to die a bunch of days.”
However, he did end his posts online with a more positive note, saying that it looked like he was on the mend, “Once I come out of this, better and more beautiful than ever, I want you guys to be ready… I’m gonna kick ass.”
On December 12th, 2024, the rapper was admitted to hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head which was deemed as an apparent suicide attempt. His family flew out to L.A. to be with him and shared an update three days later, informing fans that Maco was in a critical but stable condition. OG Maco remained in critical condition for 14 days before passing away on December 26th, 2024.