Big Sean,Vince Staples, and others have taken to social media to mourn the death of R&B singer August 08, who unexpectedly passed away on Monday (August 28).
The Los Angeles native’s passing was confirmed by his family, who shared a lengthy tribute on Instagram.
“As we all try to press through understand that we all come here to serve a soul purpose. I find comfort in knowing that my brother lived a full life of abundance,” read the statement, courtesy of August’s sister Blackie. “He was able to travel the world, and touch millions of people while fulfilling his soul purpose as a musician.
“I am proud to have a brother who lives on through music, and I encourage you all to keep streaming his records and telling everyone how great he is. 08/08 = infinity I give thanks to you all for the calls, text, and prayers. Please keep us uplifted.”
August’s mom, Mena, added: “It is with our deepest sorrow that we announce the death of our beloved son, brother, uncle, singer, songwriter, musician and mentor Ray Davon Jacobs, also [known] as August 08. He will continue to blossom and spread his love through music.”
August’s most recent Instagram post, shared three weeks ago, was a grateful thank you post to Jhené Aiko for letting him open for her during a recent performance. He noted that he experienced some technical difficulties during his set, but Aiko commented saying he “did great” and to not sweat the small stuff.
The post has since ushered in numerous comments from some of August’s rap contemporaries including Big Sean, Reason and Jeleel.
“Rest in paradise brother,” Jeleel wrote, while Sean Don left three heart emojis and Reason posted the same number of dove emojis.
Vince Staples took it one step further and shared the R&B singer’s song “ROLE MODELS” to his Instagram Story, along with the caption: “rest in peace.”
August 08 emerged as a key behind-the-scenes player in recent years, penning hits such as DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One” before dropping off his own music. He was a close affiliate of 88rising and eventually signed a deal with Def Jam, most recently dropping off his album Seasick last August, which featured appearances from ScHoolboy Q, Jhené Aiko and Joji.
HipHopDX sends its condolences to August 08’s family, friends and fans.
