Drill rapper Bloodhound Q50, whose real name is Mikquale Cooper, was killed early Sunday morning in a shooting at a Chicago gas station. The 22-year-old artist was in his Tesla, where his pregnant girlfriend was waiting, when attackers opened fire. Surveillance video captured the incident, showing assailants approaching the vehicle and firing numerous shots.
One witness described hearing over 100 shots, though police markings at the scene tallied around 80. According to reports, one of the attackers warned the rapper's girlfriend, "This is gonna be your man’s last night alive," before the shooting commenced. The girlfriend stated that Bloodhound Q50 was attempting to put the car in drive when the attack began, and she was able to exit the vehicle amid the gunfire.
Authorities have not made any arrests in connection with the shooting, and the motive remains under investigation. However, unconfirmed reports suggest some of the shooters may have bragged about the killing online, displaying weapons similar to those seen in the surveillance footage.
Bloodhound Q50, who had garnered over a million monthly listeners on Spotify, had spoken about the dangers of his lifestyle in the weeks leading up to his death. In a YouTube video, he told interviewer DJ Akademiks that he was aware of the risks, stating, "I’m not chasing death but I’m not running from it either. I know what I signed up for. One slip-up, you’re gone."
The rapper's death follows a pattern of violence affecting his associates. His cousin, Bloodhound Zmoney, was killed three years prior. In June 2024, fellow rapper Bloodhound Lil Jeff was fatally shot at age 21, and another associate, Lil Scoom 89, was killed the following month.
Bloodhound Q50 had prior legal encounters related to firearms. He received a one-year prison sentence in December 2024 after pleading guilty to a weapons charge. This stemmed from a September 2023 shooting incident where a firearm was discovered in his backpack while he was receiving treatment for an injury.
