'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Florida rapper Charles Jones, better known as Foolio, was shot and killed outside of a Holiday Inn in Tampa, Florida, on June 23, just two days after he had celebrated his 26th birthday.
XXL reported that the Tampa Police Department is actively investigating Foolio's shooting, which left three other individuals hospitalized. The police department's representatives mentioned that additional information would be released when it became available.
Trending
"At approximately 4:40 am, Tampa Police received a 911 call for a shooting at 11606 McKinley Drive. A total of four people were injured in the shooting. One person was pronounced deceased, three other victims are being treated at the hospital. Their condition is listed as stable at this time," Tampa Police Department's statement regarding Jones' shooting.
Foolio's attorney, Lewis Fusco, confirmed the rapper's passing as well as the events that led up to the shooting. Lewis recounted Charles celebrating his birthday at an Airbnb, which later asked the rapper to leave after too many people showed up.
Jones and his associates had allegedly revealed the location of their new party at a Holiday Inn across their social media channels, which supposedly led to Foolio and his crew getting "abushed" at the event.
Why and who did Foolio diss on the tracks When I See You - Remix and List of Dead Opps?
Although Foolio has had a successful career, releasing a number of singles that led to the rapper gaining popularity in the Florida rap community and garnering over a million followers on his Instagram, it was his diss tracks When I See You and List of Dead Opps that skyrocketed the attention surrounding his name.
These two tracks were dropped amidst a violent and longstanding beef with fellow Florida rapper Yungeen Ace (Keyanta Tyrone Bullard). According to a 2021 feature covered by First Coast News, their beef stems from a persistent rivalry between Charles' crew, KTA, and Ace's crew, ATK.
Both rappers suffered major personal losses due to this rivalry, with Charles' cousin, 17-year-old Zion Brown, being shot and killed in 2017 by one of Yungeen Ace's known associates, Deantrae Thomas.
A year later, a retaliatory drive-by shooting targeting Ace resulted in the deaths of Keyanta's brother, Tre'von Bullard, and two other members, with Yungeen being the lone survivor after getting shot eight times.
Disclaimer: Lyrics and Instances referenced here are rated explicit. Reader's discretion is advised.
Breaking down Foolio's When I See You - Remix
On April 23, 2021, Charles released the single When I See You - Remix as a response to Spinabenz, Yungeen Ace, and FastMoney Goon, who called out several of Foolio's deceased associates on their collaboration Who I Smoke, which was released a month prior.
Foolio spends a significant portion of When I See You - Remix referencing the 2018 shooting and the deaths of Tre'von Bullard, Royale "23" Smith, and Jercoby Groover. The intro to the song samples live news report coverage of the shooting, where the News4Jax reporter states:
"A family friend of Keyanta and Trevon Bullard tells News4Jax that the two brothers were out with Royale Smith and Jercoby Groover Tuesday night, were celebrating Smith's birthday. The celebration turned to tragedy, police say the men were all riding together in this car on Town Center Parkway, when people in another car, that pulled up beside them, started shooting at them"
The rapper then utilizes his first verse, seemingly taking shots at Spinabenz and FastMoney Goon, before directing his verbal assault at Yungeen Ace. The rapper suggests how the deaths of Tre'von Bullard, Royale Smith, and Jercoby Groover have taken a toll on Ace's mental health.
In the music video, Foolio is seen rapping and performing at a cemetery while holding up a poster of Tre'von, Royale, and Jercoby. Toward the end of the music video, the rapper pours a bottle of Ruffino Prosecco champagne over this poster.
The pre-chorus and chorus find Charles adopting an R&B flow as he recounts the entire 2018 incident, from Ace and his associates celebrating Smith's birthday to getting shot later the same day.
"Went out to eat on his birthday (Six) / Four shot, three dead in the worst way (Damn) / He kept dissin' on me (What happened?) / Now we smokin' 23 (Haha)" - Chris raps on the pre-chorus for 'When I See You - Remix'
Breaking down Foolio's List Of Dead Opps
A year later, Charles released the heated List of Dead Opps, which, like its title, lists out over 20 individuals who lost their lives to shootouts, with the Florida rapper disrespecting their passing for the entire duration of the 3:39-minute track.
Foolio teamed up with producers STG Beats and Niki Defre to assist with the track's composition. The highly energetic trap beat, matched with the rapper's cadence and performance, resulted in List Of Dead Opps' music video garnering close to 20 million views on YouTube.
Here's a list of deceased individuals that Charles Jones dissed, in order, on his 2021 record List Of Dead Opps.
- 14-year-old James Thomas (Shot in 2014)
- 16-year-old Devron Crowden (Shot in 2014)
- 17-year-old Jaquan Reeves aka "Quan" (Shot in 2015)
- 21-year-old Ja'Colby L Donaldson aka "Cososa" (Shot in 2013)
- 22-year-old Rashard Hamilton (Shot in 2015)
- 26-year-old Lenford Smith (Shot in 2015)
- 21-year-old Shawnell Nathanial Mahone-Spann (Kidnapped and identified as deceased two days later in 2019)
- AMP and Bando (Shot in 2015)
- 16-year-old Ja’Quan Lutrell Walker aka Ackafool (Shot in 2019)
- 21 year old Nathaniel Grier Jr. aka Nate (Shot in 2019)
- 19-year-old Avery Malcolmb McKnight Jr aka Shug (Shot in 2015)
- 16-year-old Michael Johnson aka Mike (Shot in 2016)
- 18-year-old Malcolm Tyrod Belt (Shot in 2016)
- 18-year-old Corbin Odell Johnson (Kidnapped in 2018 and identified as deceased a year later)
- 23-year-old Eldridge A. Beauford aka Lil Rap (Shot in 2017)
- 25-year-old Willie Addison aka Boss Goon (Shot in 2019)
- Tre'von Bullard, Royale Smith, and Jercoby Groover (Shot in 2018)
- 30-year-old Jeremy Alexander Brookins aka Ralo (Shot in 2019)
- 19-year-old Curtis Lamont Booker Jr. (Shot in 2017)
- 25-year-old Darien Sulph aka Meechy (Shot in 2021)
- 17-year-old Prosper Natron Johnson and 20-year-old Deanta Holsey aka "Tay" (Shot in 2014)
- 25-year-old Kim Varner Jr. aka "Desi" (Shot in 2015)
- 30-year-old Freddy Patterson aka “Kraker Boy” (Shot in 2019)
- 17-year-old Marquis Luis Marquez (Shot in 2017)
- 27-year-old Paul Gillins aka Booman (Shot in 2017)
Foolio also shades the passing of Ace's friends and brother during his verse, suggesting that Yungeen surviving the shooting was an act of blessing when he raps:
"Can't forget 23, Quan, and 4 in the backseat / Ayy, Ace only one survived, see, that n---a blessed, if you ask me (If you ask me) / Uh, and he still tryna beef, remember, you lost three"
A few hours after Charles Jones' murder was announced, Yungeen Ace, dropped a new single titled Do It.
The single was dropped alongside a music video that features Ace performing alongside several masked men recreating a parking lot shooting that bears an uncanny resemblance to the shootout that cost Foolio his life on June 23, 2024.
