Bishop Brigante, the influential Toronto artist best known for his work as a battle rapper, has died.
The rapper died on Sunday (March 30) of colorectal cancer, for which he became a fierce advocate to lower the screening age after he was diagnosed in October 2023. His son Carlito (a.k.a. Lito) confirmed the news, sharing a statement on Instagram.
UPDATE (4/2, 1:19 p.m. ET): A GoFundMe crowdsourcing campaign has been launched to help support Brigante's family, namely Lito, during this period of grieving and transition.
"The funds raised will be going directly into an account for [him] to use for school, or to start a business and help provide the opportunities his father can no longer give," the fundraiser's description reads. As of this writing, just shy of $2,500 CAD has been raised toward the $25,000 goal.
"I never thought the day would come where I'd be writing to the world about such a tragedy," Brigante's son wrote. "My father was many things, but at most he was a fighter. He overcame so many obstacles in his lifetime and not once said something was 'impossible.' I've spent the last 19 years learning from such an incredible man. An incredible man I'm so proud to call my father. Not only did he fight for himself, but he fought just as hard to make sure others wouldn't go through the same trials."
Brigante has had a storied career, and is widely thought to be a cornerstone of national battle rap. He had several hit songs, including the 2007 Nate Dogg collaboration "It's Fo Twenty" and 2018's "Trust Nobody," and was also an actor who appeared alongside Ray Liotta in the 2002 crime thriller Narc, as well as in the sci-fi TV series Orphan Black.
An outpouring of love from the hip-hop community has followed the news, with Drake and Royce da 5'9 both commenting on the Instagram post. Meanwhile, the Alchemist memorialized Brigante on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, remarking that this was a "huge loss."
Bolton, ON-hailing King of the Dot founder Organik reflected on looking up to the rapper in his early days in Toronto, noting that Brigante was the first Canadian to ever appear on the BET hip-hop and R&B music video show 106 & Park.
See Brigante's son's full statement about his father's passing below.