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Family and friends gathered together to celebrate the life of the late rapper and producer BeatKing, born Justin Riley. The service was on August 29, 2024, at the Bayou City Event Center in Houston. His eldest daughter, Jayla, delivered the eulogy and introduced herself as the "eldest and favorite daughter." During her speech, she playfully poked fun at her father, saying,
"I know all of us here are very devastated with his passing. But I just know personally nobody could be more upset than Whataburger. Without him, Whataburger will be going bankrupt, probably. The cheeseburger-eating, chocolate shake-drinking person has unfortunately passed and is in a better place now. And he's with all of us spiritually."
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She also shared that while she expected to be overcome with grief, her father's memory and infectious spirit helped her stay afloat. With her sister Kayla by her side wiping away her tears, she said,
"When I talk about my dad, a lot of people expect me to start crying, but he was way too goofy, too annoying to just cry over. He would not want to cry over him. So, I always make sure I keep a smile on my face at all times because I know that's what he would want me to do."
Jayla also spoke of the deep father-daughter bond she had with him.
City dubs August 29 official BeatKing Day in Houston
The service played host to a balloon release with over 50 black balloons, coupled with his sneakers and a plaque for his hit song Then Leave being put on display. Photos from the event show his family and friends clad in black, with many other than Jayla taking turns to speak about the deceased. This includes Bun B, Kiotti Brown, and DJ Csharp.
Before his death, BeatKing made his wishes known in a tweet from November 2011:
"I don’t want anybody sad, Just loud music, drinks, and females dancing!"
BeatKing affectionately referred to his daughters, Jayla and Kayla, as Thing 1 and Thing 2 on social media. The city honored their father's passing by, naming August 29 as the official BeatKing Day in Houston, complete with a new mural.
BeatKing's girlfriend Talmeshia breaks silence, says "this is the hardest thing" she's ever had to do
On August 21, 2024, BeatKing's girlfriend Talmeshia took to Instagram and shared her feelings on the rapper's death,
"Idk if this makes it real. Idk if this helps or hurts me. Idk what version of him everyone got. But I know I got to love laugh and live with the best version of him. Over everything, he's my bestest friend. My biggest supporter. He called me his Superstar. We prayed. We pranked each other. Literally was just too big a*s kids."
She then spoke of how she's been coping, saying she hadn't been sleeping or eating.
"I'm crying because I know he was ready. He was happy. He was loved. This has to be the hardest thing l've ever had to do. Was watch you leave me. I fought and fought but GOD wasn't letting up. I know you're with your Mom, and finally moonwalking with our favorite, Michael Jackson."
BeatKing died on August 15, 2024, because of a pulmonary embolism. He was 39, and his manager, Tasha Felder, intimated his death. He leaves behind his two daughters, Jayla and Kayla, and a girlfriend, Talameshia.
