Grand Daddy I.U., a well-known rapper, died on December 13 at the age of 54. Although the cause of death has not been established, he is said to have died in his sleep. Raya, an I.U. spokeswoman, paid homage to him in a social media post, saying she was horrified to hear the news. She said, “I’ve always had a lot of love and respect for the artist,” adding:
“I don’t need to upload images or tales to express myself. “I wish for a smooth and pleasant transition.”
Grand Daddy I.U. was best known as a member of the Juice Crew hip-hop group. The rapper is survived by family members whose identities have not been revealed. Rapper LL Cool J paid his tribute to the late musician on Instagram, posting a photo of his pal with a poignant statement, announcing his death.
“King, rest in power. @granddaddy iu HipHop was in your blood. Thank you so much for your gift.”
Twitter users pay tribute
Despite releasing scant work, the late musician, also known as Ayub Bey, managed to acquire a large audience in recent years. When they learned of his untimely death, some netizens offered their respects on Twitter:
I was wondering earlier why one of my old tweets was resurfacing. Sad news to hear of his passing. RIP Grand Daddy I.U 🙏🏼 https://t.co/Y1611lqayb pic.twitter.com/yZymznbRPi
— Ninja Kitteh 🥷🐈⬛ (@_apocaloptimist) December 13, 2022
RIP Grand Daddy I.U. pic.twitter.com/SlQ6bewuWE
— Morgue Vanguard (@lord_kobra) December 13, 2022
Grand Daddy I.U.’s albums and hits were well-known.
Grand Daddy I.U. was born on August 23, 1968, and spent most of his youth in Hempstead, Long Island. He never divulged anything about his parents or educational history, therefore no detailed information is accessible. After being pushed by his brother Kay Cee, he made his music business debut in 1989 by signing with Cold Chillin’ Records. Despite his success as a hip-hop musician, he never reached the level of other artists affiliated with the record company. Since his career in the music business, the late 54-year-old has recorded four albums.
His debut album, Smooth Assassin, and its singles were well-received by the public. However, Grand Daddy I.U. began to have an unfavorable image of the music business when Biz Markie earned publishing credits for the hits despite the fact that I.U. and his brother Kay Cee did the majority of the work.
In June 1994, he released his second album, Lead Pipe. Despite being listed in the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, the album failed to replicate the popularity of I.U.’s initial release. There were 16 singles in all. The lack of marketing and the closure of Cold Chillin’ Records’ association with Warner Bros. Records were cited as reasons for the album’s failure.
Later, Grand Daddy I.U. took an extended pause from creating new music and shifted his concentration to composing songs for other musicians. He made guest appearances on various albums, and his third album, Stick to the Script, was published in 2007 by the record label Steady Flow after a lengthy hiatus. The album gained popularity due to guest performances by well-known musicians. He also collaborated with Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard on the album Still Hear. Grand Daddy I.U.’s most recent album, Essence, was released in 2020, and a single, Stay Fly, was released the following year.
