(NewsNation) — Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan died earlier this week, but how he died remains unclear, and it could take months before more is known.
An autopsy was performed Friday by Georgia’s Fulton County medical examiner on Quan, whose legal name is Dequantes Devontay Lamar.
“The cause and manner of death are pending the completion of laboratory studies and microscopic examination of tissue slides,” the medical examiner said.
An official report with autopsy results can take months.
The rapper, who died at an Atlanta hospital on Sept. 5, was one of the biggest names in hip-hop in the mid-2010s with his popular songs “Type of Way” and “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh).”
What happened leading up to his death?
Quan was found unresponsive lying on a couch on Sept. 5 by his girlfriend, Amber Williams, with whom he shared a home, reported TMZ.
She immediately dialed 911 and told the dispatcher he “was not breathing” and had no pulse, according to an audio recording obtained by the outlet.
“I don’t feel a heartbeat. I don’t see him breathing,” she’s heard saying. She says he “foamed at the mouth” when she turned him over.
Williams also asks the dispatcher if she can “add his dad to the call,” but the dispatcher instructs her, “We need to help your boyfriend now.”
“He’s not waking up — quick!” she says before the dispatcher tells her help is on the way.
Williams took to social media days after Quan’s death saying, “I am traumatized from a moment that’ll forever be in my head,” according to a screenshot of her Instagram story posted on entertainment site The Blast.
She also said the “pain is unbearable,” that she is “heartbroken” but that she has received an “overflow” of love in the wake of the rapper’s death.
While the results of an autopsy are still pending, rapper Boosie Badazz has claimed in a social media post that Quan allegedly overdosed.
Who is Rich Homie Quan?
Quan was one of the biggest names in hip-hop in the mid-2010s.
He found success in 2013 with his song “Type of Way.” The song became such a success that several other rappers jumped on the remix, including Jeezy and Meek Mill.
The rapper has also appeared on a YG track with Jeezy and produced music through his Rich Gang rap collective that included Young Thug and Birdman.
Quan also teamed up with Young Thug for the Cash Money Records project “Rich Gang.” His success earned him a spot in New York Times Atlanta’s rising generation of hip-hop talent.
He followed up with “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” which became his highest charting solo single at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 2018, Quan debuted his first and only studio album “Rich as in Spirit,” which includes “Think About It,” with singer Rick Ross.
Quan had been listed as a possible witness in rapper Young Thug’s criminal proceeding, in which he’s facing eight criminal counts under a federal law originally enacted to fight organized crime.
Quavo, Lil Boosie and Playboi Carti are some of the music artists who paid tribute to Quan on social media.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.