Young Scooter Dies On 39th Birthday, Hip-Hop Community Reacts

Tragedy struck the Atlanta Hip-Hop scene as rapper Young Scooter tragically died on his 39th birthday reportedly following a confrontation with Atlanta police. The “Jugg King” artist, neé Kenneth Bailey, allegedly attempted to flee on foot when officers responded to reports of gunfire and alleged abuse against a woman on Friday (March 28).

Authorities stated that Scooter injured his leg while attempting to jump a fence. He was later transported to Grady Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The exact cause of death remains undisclosed, pending an autopsy conducted on Saturday (March 29), but during a press conference, Lieutenant Andrew Smith provided details on the incident. “Once officers arrived, they knocked on the door. A male opened the door and immediately shut the door on the officers. During [the officers’] process of [then] establishing the perimeter, two males fled out of the rear of the house,” he said.

He further explained, “One male returned back into the house. The other male jumped two fences as he was fleeing. When officers located him on the other side of the fence, he appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg. Officers rendered aid, and he was transported to Grady Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”

He also clarified that Scooter’s injury “was sustained not via the officers on scene” but occurred while he “was fleeing.”

As news of his untimely death spread, an outpouring of tributes from the Hip-Hop community highlighted Scooter’s deep influence on Atlanta’s rap culture. Playboi Carti took to Instagram, posting a photo of Scooter with the caption, “I GREW UP ON DIS SH*T SMH RIP,” as Quavo shared heartbreak emojis on X (formerly Twitter) alongside the words, “Ion understand.”

Meek Mill, who collaborated with Scooter on the 2017 track “Hustlin,” expressed his grief, writing, “RIP TO SCOOTER……. CRAZY TEARS FOR YOU!!!!!!!” He continued, “Rip young scooter a Atl generational leader that help keep a lot of energy pumping out and into Atl….. prayers to your kids family and the whole freebandz family! I love you and god bless your soul!!!”

Producer ATL Jacob also credited Scooter with inspiring his iconic producer tag, mourning his loss by saying, “Wtf not scooter man wtf. ATL Jacob ATL Jacob came from Young Scooter man brudda you forever Legendary.”

Boosie Badazz, Lloyd Banks, Sonny Digital, and many others also paid their respects on social media, reflecting on Scooter’s legacy as a musical force who helped shape Atlanta’s Hip-Hop sound.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding his passing remains ongoing.