Man Convicted of Sending Teen Son to Rob, Kill Rapper

The son is also charged with murder in the shooting of PnB Rock
By Mike L. Ford,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 13, 2022 4:03 PM CDT
Updated Aug 8, 2024 1:00 AM CDT
PnB Rock Fatally Shot in LA Robbery Attempt
FILE - Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock performs at the 2018 Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Del., on June 16, 2018. The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Allen, was fatally shot during a robbery in South Los Angeles on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. He is best known for his 2016 hit “Selfish.” He released his...   (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)
UPDATE Aug 8, 2024 1:00 AM CDT

A Los Angeles man was convicted Wednesday of sending his teenage son to kill rapper PnB Rock in 2022. Freddie Trone, 42, was found guilty of murder as well as robbery charges after his 17-year-old son allegedly walked into a Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in LA, shot the rapper, and robbed him of his jewelry. The teen is also charged with murder but is in the juvenile court system's custody, and was recently found not competent to stand trial, the AP reports. Another man, Tremont Jones, was also convicted Wednesday of robbery charges; surveillance video showed him fist-bumping the rapper, who was wearing pricey jewelry. Prosecutors say he then tipped off Trone to the valuable items.

Sep 13, 2022 4:03 PM CDT

Rapper PnB Rock was shot and killed during a robbery attempt Monday in Los Angeles. Per CNN, Rock was dining at a Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles when a gunman entered the restaurant, approaching the rapper directly and demanding "property," according to a witness. Following "a verbal exchange," police say the suspect shot Rock multiple times before fleeing to a getaway car. The witness was his girlfriend, model Steph Sibounheuang, according to TMZ, which posted graphic video from the scene purportedly showing Rock moving as paramedics rendered aid on the restaurant floor. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead at 1:59pm.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the gunman "demanded jewelry and other items." Police are investigating whether the suspect was motivated by a since-deleted Instagram post by Sibounheuang, which revealed Rock's location shortly before the attack. Police said they are reviewing surveillance videos but have not released additional information on the suspect. Rock, 30, was born Rakim Allen in Philadelphia. He gained prominence with the 2015 single "Fleek," followed by "Selfish" in 2016, which hit No. 51 in the Billboard Top 100. He was also known for collaborating with a wide range of big-name stars, including Chance the Rapper, Ed Sheeran, and Whiz Khalifa.

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Per the New York Times, Rock emerged as "part of a wave of rappers whose popularity and unique sound was partly built on their ability to effortlessly switch between singing and rapping." In a 2017 interview, he said he wasn't sure how to label himself. "People can't say I'm a rapper, but I don't feel like I'm a singer either. I'm not hitting super high notes and going crazy. I can't give you Chris Brown singing. I just got good melodies." Also per the Times, Rock said in a recent interview that he had never been robbed, unlike many other rappers, and he tried to keep a low public profile in LA. (More PnB Rock stories.)

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