FOREST PARK, Ga. — After the city of Forest Park denied a permit for a vigil to honor the life of 24-year-old Atlanta rapper Lil Keed, vigil organizers must hit the reset button to pay tribute to a hometown hip-hop star.
Forest Park officials say the vigil, originally set to be held at Starr Park, isn’t possible due to conflicts with next week’s local elections, other events and safety concerns.
Lil Keed, whose name is Rahqid Render, according to his YSL Records bio, died May 13 in California due to health reasons, according to numerous reports.
In an interview with 11Alive in 2019, Lil Keed recounted how fellow Atlanta rapper and mentor Young Thug signed him because his mother highly recommended it to him.
“(Young Thug's) mother told him to sign me,” Lil Keed told 11Alive’s Neima Abdulahi on the red carpet of the BET Hip-Hop Awards, hosted in Atlanta.
The 24-year-old’s rise to stardom was fast-tracked in 2018 after signing with the Young Thug's YSL label. And as his brand grew from in and around Cleveland Avenue to nationwide, it seemed there was no limit for the young artist.
Now, plans to celebrate his life in Atlanta are being rearranged after the city of Forest Park denied the vigil permit. Fans reacted on social media with disappointment with that decision.
His mentor, who would have been in the front row at his funeral, is currently locked up. Young Thug, whose name is Jeffery Williams, along with 27 other co-defendants are facing RICO charges and accusations that the YSL label is linked to criminal gang activity.
Days before his death, Lil Keed posted on his Instagram stories that “YSL is not a street gang.”
As the case against Young Thug and the others begins to work its way through the court system, the tributes keep pouring in for Lil Keed: from Jermaine Dupri, Lil Yatchy -- the list goes on.
The label posted the following statement to the public: "A member of our family is gone. Lil Keed was one of the most genuine and heartfelt human beings. He was an artist who loved his fans more than anything else.”
Family of the 24-year-old has not released information to the public about a funeral.