Get To Know Famous Dex, Superstar Rapper Who Had A Seizure Onstage
He's definitely an interesting character.
Instagram He's a rapper that specializes in the Chicago drill style of hip hop. And though he's quickly climbing the charts, he recently made headlines for suffering a seizure onstage. Who is Famous Dex?
Born Dexter Tiewon Gore, Jr., in Chicago, the rapper who would become known as Famous Dex got his start with his 2015 mixtape, Never Seen It Coming. Like many of his contemporaries from the same scene, Famous Dex specializes in what's known as the Chicago drill rap style. This style of rap music is defined by beats that are dark and nihilistic — and lyrics that are much more violent than typical hip hop. Perhaps, then, this type of music is indicative of the violent life that permeates the South Side of Chicago.
But let's look at what else we know about Famous Dex.
1. Several of his singles have been certified platinum.
Even though the name Famous Dex doesn't ring any bells amongst casual hip hop fans, The Recording Industry Association of America has certified his singles as platinum or double-platinum. Since he debuted on the scene in 2015, "Japan" has been certified platinum, and "Pick It Up," which features A$AP Rocky, has been certified double-platinum.
2. Famous Dex is signed to Rich The Kid's record label.
In 2016, Famous Dex announced that he was signing to Rich The Kid's record label called Rich Forever Entertainment. The reasons for that choice, according to HipHopDX, were self-evident to him. "It's a way to take care of my family," he said, according to the outlet, who got their information from a now-deleted Instagram post. Young Thug & Migos are also signed to the label.
3. He has an issue with domestic violence.
Domestic violence is despicable, and there's literally no excuse for any of it. In 2018, Famous Dex was scheduled to perform at UC Irvine's Shocktoberfest Music Event, but his appearance was marred by the revelation that he'd been abusing his girlfriend. According to New University, a video taken two years prior to the Shocktoberfest event emerged where Famous Dex was seen chasing down his girlfriend and slapping her multiple times. Despite this, he was still able to play the Shocktoberfest event.
4. Famous Dex also recently made an anti-Indian slur to a Hindu cashier.
We're not going to repeat it here, and we're not going to post the accompanying video showing what he said to the Hindu cashier (who wore a talik, or a mark on his face where the third eye of Lord Shiva would be). We're just going to point you to Black Room Media to read about it there.
5. He suffered a seizure while performing onstage.
"The Los Angeles County Fire Department says they got a call about someone having a seizure at 2 a.m. and they arrived minutes later. It's unknown what led to this seizure, but Dex left many of his fans very concerned about his apparent battle with drug addiction after he passed out during an Instagram Live session last year. Dex himself has spoken on drinking lean, and lean is said to sometimes lead to seizures," reported XXL Magazine.
6. Just two days after suffering a seizure, Famous Dex's latest album was certified gold.
Hot New Hip Hop reports that just two days after suffering the seizure onstage, Famous Dex's latest album, Dex Meets Dexter, was certified gold. Because, y'know, of course it was.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.