Florida rapper Foolio was shot and killed outside of a Holiday Inn in Tampa, Fla.
Foolio Shot and Killed at Age 26
Florida rapper Foolio, who use to go by Julio Foolio, was shot and killed outside of a Holiday Inn in Tampa, Fla., early Sunday morning (June 23). He was 26.
Tampa Police Department has confirmed to XXL that Foolio, born Charles Jones, was among the four victims who were shot at during a shooting incident outside of the hotel.
“At approximately 4:40 am, Tampa Police received a 911 call for a shooting at 11606 McKinley Drive,” the TPD said in a statement. “A total of four people were injured in the shooting. One person was pronounced deceased, three other victims are being treated at the hospital. Their condition is listed as stable at this time.”
“Police are investigating what led up to the shooting and working to identify those involved. This is an active investigation. Additional information will be released when available,” the statement continued.
“Anyone with information related to this shooting incident is asked to contact Tampa PD by calling 813-231-6130 or share a tip via Tip411, which is accessible through the TampaPD app.,” the statement concluded.
Foolio’s Attorney Confirms Rapper Was Killed in an “Ambush”
According to a News4JAX report, published on Sunday, Foolio’s attorney, Lewis Fusco, confirmed with the news channel of the late rapper’s death.
Lewis told News4Jax that Foolio was celebrating his 26th birthday and was staying at an Airbnb. Apparently, Foolio was kicked out of the Airbnb for having too many people and went to another location. Across his social media channels, there were multiple posts revealing the location of the event.
Lewis told News4JAX that Foolio got a hotel room at a Holiday Inn hotel, where he was “basically ambushed.”
Who is Foolio?
Foolio was a rising star in the South Florida rap scene with an active social media presence. The late rapper had over one million followers on his Instagram page and 648,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel. Among Foolio’s hit songs include “Ain’t I,” “List of Dead Opps,” “Handle Business” and more.
Foolio also made headlines with his explosive feud with fellow Florida rapper Yungeen Ace. As reported in a 2021 article by First Coast News, the root of the rappers’ beef stems from a long-standing and violent rivalry between Ace’s crew, ATK, and Foolio’s crew, KTA.
While it’s been reported that the two warring factions had been at odds for years, things reached a bloody boiling point in 2017. In May of that year, Foolio’s cousin, 17-year-old Zion Brown, was shot and killed. Deantrae Thomas, a known associate of Yungeen Ace, was charged with murder shortly after.
In June 2018, a retaliatory drive-by shooting occurred, reportedly targeting Ace. Unfortunately, the incident resulted in the tragic deaths of his brother, Tre’von Bullard, and two other individuals. Yungeen was the lone survivor despite being shot eight times. Following the shooting, Foolio hit up social media with several posts in celebration of the killings.
In March 2021, Yungeen Ace, Spinabenz, Whoppa With Da Choppa, and FastMoney Goon collaborated on the song “Who I Smoke,” which sampled Vanessa Carlton’s 2002 pop hit, “A Thousand Miles.” The track’s chorus features Yungeen calling out the names of murdered members of his opposition, including Foolio’s close friend, Bibby.
One month later, the situation took an even darker and macabre turn when Foolio responded with his equally disrespectful song, titled “When I See You.” The track begins with audio of a news reporter covering the 2018 shooting death of Yungeen Ace’s brother. In the official music video for “When I See You,” Foolio is seen dancing around a cemetery along with a photo of Ace’s brother and his other deceased friends.
In the years since, both Yungeen Ace and Foolio have briefly spoken about their highly volatile conflict, but have avoided discussing the specific details of their bloody feud.
