[TRIBUTE] RIP. Killa Sha
This morning I got a call from friend and fellow MC Mr. SOS (@mr_sos) saying that he’d posted a tribute to the late Queens legend, Killa Sha. Last week Sha died from complications from diabetes.
Sha was one of the realest and most unique persons I’ve ever met. A friend of mine and fellow MC/ Producer Abeo Rzo connected us all for a show (Mr. SOS, Killa Sha, me and Abeo Rzo) in Kansas City in June of 2008. Before this show I had never met Sha. But it certainly felt like I knew him all of my life. He made me feel like a part of family.
During Sha’s stay in KC he gave me ample advice on my future in music. It was then where he told me “Phantom, dog, you can DO THIS. I see it man. Kansas City can be YOURS”. Being from New York, Sha saw Kansas City not as just another smaller city, but as a place that was dying for good music/art.
Sha, SOS, Rzo and I had gone to the studio (compliments of Alex Niedt) a few times during the two days. Sha took diabetes medicine to curb his body’s tendency to go into “episodes”. My father has diabetes so I knew a little something about what was going on. When we were at the studio once we were all writing to a beat and we all thought Sha had fallen asleep while listening to the beat. But we were mistaken. He’d gone into an episode. I’ll spare details but needless to say we didn’t know if Sha would make it past that moment. We tried to rush him to the hospital but he’d woken and told Rzo who was in the back seat of the car with him, not to go. Fortunately, shortly after he had returned back to normal. It was then, I knew that Sha was REALLY struggling with diabetes.
Sha had a daughter who he loved dearly and lived with his mother who he called his “nana”. He was the humblest, most-talented, kind spirits I’ve ever had the pleasure of coming across. Although I’d only met him once, he became and always will be my brother in spirit. He gave me a Metro Pass just in case I’d ever come to New York. He said he’d treat me like a king and we’d work with Large Pro, Trag and anyone he could. Although I couldn’t make it to see him once more. I want to tell him via this note, to save a place for me in heaven for we’ll kick it once more.
Click to listen to “Live from Studio B” ft. Killa Sha, thePhantom*, Abeo Rzo and Mr. SOS and to read Mr. SOS’s tribute to Killa Sha.
