Hurricane G, a popular rapper, died on November 6 at the age of 52. Rapper Erick Sermon announced the news on Instagram with a photo of Hurricane captioned (in part):
“Today, my heart has hardened. One of my dear friends…. my eldest daughter’s mother died away today #HURRICANEGLORIA was also a Hip-hop icon in her own right. One of the first female rappers from Puerto Rico “She rapped beside me.”
The reason for Hurricane’s death is unclear. The Puerto Rican singer was well-known for her collaborations with artists like Redman, Puff Daddy, and others.
Hurricane G rose to prominence with her first album, All Woman.
Hurricane G was a Brooklyn-based rapper. She was of Puerto Rican origin and approached her music in a multilingual manner, with most of her songs written in both English and Spanish. When she offered Spanish lyrics, she rapped in the Newyorican accent, a kind of Spanish popular among Puerto Ricans. People who spoke Spanish had little trouble recognizing her as a Puerto Rican New Yorker. The rapper, whose actual name was Gloria Rodriguez, was the Def Squad’s first female member. Erick Sermon, Keith Murray, and Redman were the other members of the East Coast hip-hop ensemble.
Hurricane cited hip-hop trio EPMD as a major influence on her work. She, like them, adopted a straightforward and direct rapping style that does not overwhelm listeners with skill. She signed Capitol Records in 1994, but due to the record label’s downsizing, she did not achieve the fame she had hoped for.
Hurricane G did not have a record contract until 1997 when she rejoined New York-based H.O.L.A. Recordings. Her debut album, All Woman, was published under H.O.L.A., but it was not well received. In 2013, she partnered with Thirstin Howl III on Mami & Papi.
Twitter users pay tribute
Although the rapper wasn’t very well-known, she was well-known because of her ties to Def Squad. She also had some followers who were saddened when they learned of her passing and turned to Twitter to express their grief.
“Ayo Yo Redman… What the f**k, get off that smooth bullsh**….”
Hip Hop used to be full of memorable first appearances. #RIP Hurricane G 🙏🏾
— EL PREZ (@elprezdeLA) November 7, 2022
Hurricane G 🙏🏾🕊️ pic.twitter.com/EOsL0dbJiR
— 90’s Hip Hop Raised Me (@ilovehiphop_88) November 7, 2022
