Chino XL, the New York rapper known for 1990s hits like “No Complex” and “Kreep,” died at his home on Sunday morning (July 28), his family shared in a statement. “Our father had many titles — King of Punchlines, Puerto Rican Superhero — but the most important one was Girl Dad,” his daughters wrote on social media. “And what he gave us most in that role was his strength, straightforwardness, and ability to be super realistic. The main thing we are feeling now is that our Dad is at peace, and so we are at peace.” Chino XL was 50 years old.
Born Derek Emmanuel Barbosa in the Bronx, Chino XL was so drawn to hip-hop at a young age that he started his own group, Art of Origin, as a preteen with friend and future DJ Kerri Chandler. After catching the attention of Rick Rubin, a 16-year-old Chino XL was signed to American Recordings and rolled out his debut album, Here to Save You All, in 1996 with guest appearances from Kool Keith, Gravitation, and Ras Kass.
Here to Save You All’s lead singles, “No Complex” and “Kreep”—the latter of which is a nod to Radiohead’s “Creep” in title and composition, and earned frequently airplay on MTV—made Chino XL a rapper to watch nationwide. While the LP garnered critical acclaim, it also prompted controversy with bold lyrics about sexual bravado and eye-rolls over mainstream commercial rap. “Riiiot,” in particular, caught heat for a notorious line in its first verse (“I’m trying not to get fucked like 2Pac in jail”) that spawned an alleged feud with Tupac Shakur. (That following year, 2Pac took shots at Notorious B.I.G., Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Mobb Deep, among others, on the diss track “Hit ’Em Up.”)
In 1997, Chino XL signed to Warner Bros. to release his sophomore album, but numerous delays pushed its release back until, eventually, he was dropped by the label during the shuttering of its Black music department. I Told You So came out years later, in 2001, via Metro Records, and Chino XL followed it up with 2006’s Poison Pen and 2012’s Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary, the latter of which boasted collaborations with Immortal Technique, Tech N9ne, and Bun B.
“I never got into this music to get rich. When I first started, the music that I was influenced by, the people were not rich,” Chino XL once told Truth505. “I kind of enjoy being an artist that, you’re not my fan or my supporter by accident. You can’t find my records in half of the places.… So, I’m kinda happy to be able to say what I want and do what I want. It feels good.”
In recent years, Chino XL released the 2020 EP Chino vs. Balt and was purportedly working on a new full-length album. His most recent work was a collaboration with Stu Bangas on their joint album God’s Carpenter and a feature on Rakim’s recent song “Pendulum Swing,” also featuring Kxng Crooked, Canibus, and La the Darkman.
Outside of his music career, Chino XL also made a run of appearances in TV shows after signing with a talent manager, including guest star spots in The Walking Dead, Reno 911!, and CSI: Miami. He went on to land a handful of roles in feature films, too, acting opposite Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson in Rob Reiner’s 2003 movie Alex & Emma, as well as indie films like The Beat.
Tributes have poured in from the hip-hop community after news of Chino XL’s death spread, with Czarface, Sage Francis, Bun B, and other artists sharing memories in his honor. “This ones a tough one,” Chuck D posted on X. “@CHINOXL was my brother in rhyme & Art. He encouraged my graphics forward. We exchanged art books. He looked out to protect my lyric books better. He supported my events. We supported his music & 🙏🏿rt.”