The Dutch rapper Bigidagoe has been shot dead in a suspected gang hit in Amsterdam.
The 26-year-old, whose real name is Denzel Silos, was trying to flee when the Volkswagen Polo he was in was gunned down at 5.30am yesterday.
He was rushed to hospital with multiple gun wounds where he died.
The shooting happened near Amsterdam Sloterdijk station, a major transport hub.
Silos, a solo artist and member of hip-hop band Zone 6, was on trial at the time of his death.
He and seven others were accused of kidnapping rival rapper Kobus L in 2020, threatening him with guns and saying they would cut his fingers off.
Kobus L managed to escape and reported the gang to the police.
Hours before the shooting on Saturday night, Silos posted a snap for his 120,000 Instagram followers showing him in a studio.
He later went to One Night in Amsterdam, a party held at the Rhone event space less than a 10-minute walk from Amsterdam Sloterdijk station, the Amsterdam newspaper Het Parool reported.
The artist had survived a previous shooting in Amsterdam in August 2020. He showed off his injuries in a music video filmed in a hospital.
His mother’s house has also been the target of a raft of attacks, according to Silos, with one taking place just the following night.
She said at the time: ‘Danzel raps a bit of gangster music, and I always tell Danzel, everything you rap about comes true, be mindful of what you rap.’
According to local media, Silos had recently been trying to leave his criminal past behind.
A spokesman for Amsterdam Police said vehicles had been seized as part of their investigation into the young man’s death but no arrests had been made.
They appealed for witnesses of the shooting to come forward.
A lawyer representing the family of Silos said: ‘They are shocked by what happened.’
In one of his final posts on social media, Silos wrote: ‘You gotta enjoy life. Tomorrow is not promised.’
Several fans paid tribute to the rapper online.
One wrote: ‘Rest in peace. We’ve lost a legend.’
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