8 Mile star and rapper Nashawn Breedlove 'dead aged 46' according to close pal
Rapper and actor Nashawn Breedlove has reportedly died at the age of 46 in his New Jersey home.
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Nashawn Breedlove, also known by his stage name OX, died on Sunday in his New Jersey home at the age of 46 as family members told TMZ.
The actor and musician was most well known for his iconic rap battle against Eminem in the semi-biographical 2002 movie 8 Mile.
Nashawn’s pal, fellow rapper Mickey Factz, was the first to break the news by sharing a tribute on Instagram.
Mickey posted a short clip of Nashawn’s final battle against Eminem’s character B-rabbit, writing beneath it: “RIP to one of the few emcee’s to beat Eminem… Lotto from 8 Mile. Who’s friends lovingly called him, OX.
“You will be missed for your tenacity and aggressiveness.” (sic)
Outside of acting, Nashawn made a memorable impact on the rap industry under his stagename, featuring alongside fellow musicians like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg in the 2001 movie The Wash.
News of his death quickly spread online with other rappers sharing heartfelt condolences in the comments section of Mickey’s post.
Battle rapper Daylyt jokingly shared a tribute, saying Nashawn’s character was also “the first mc who was ever robbed of his win in a rap battle! Rip lotto”.
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While other music veterans like Pete Rocky, Onyx and Grafh shared condolences, countless fans shared some memories of the late rapper too.
One recalled first meeting him while they were a teenager, when he was in a music group called The Now, which they described as the “illest group of emcees I've ever met in my friggin life”.
They highlighted that “Ox” was a “super good dude” and stood out for all the right reasons, ending their message with: “I had high hopes for that man. Sad to hear this news. May he RIP."
One commenter revealed Nashawn was his “best friend and brother” since they were 15-years-old and sent love to the Breedlove family.
Nashawn’s own social media channels have not yet confirmed the rapper’s passing and his potential cause of death at the young age of 46 is currently unknown.
Tragically, Nashawn isn’t the first of the 8 Mile cast and crew to have died in recent years with the movie’s director, Curtis Hanson, passing in 2016 and the rapper’s costars Proof, Brittany Murphy and De-Angelo Wilson have also died since the movie’s release.
