Biography
Gustav Elijah Åhr, known as Lil Peep, was born on November 1, 1996, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and raised on Long Island, New York. He took his stage name from a nickname his mother gave him as a baby.[1]
He began releasing music on SoundCloud in 2013, broke out in 2015 with "Star Shopping", and moved to Los Angeles in 2016, where he became part of the GothBoiClique circle. The mixtapes Crybaby and Hellboy made him a leading figure of emo rap, a blend of trap production with pop-punk and alternative rock melodies.[1]
His lyrics dealt openly with depression, anxiety and drug use, and he cited David Bowie, Frank Ocean and Kurt Cobain among his heroes.[2] His debut studio album, Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 1, arrived in August 2017.[1]
He died on November 15, 2017, at age 21, from an accidental overdose of fentanyl and alprazolam while on tour in Tucson, Arizona.[1] His estate has since continued to release material from his archive, including the posthumous Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2 and a steady stream of singles.[1]
References
- Lil Peep (Wikipedia) — Biography, career timeline, death and posthumous releases.
- Lil Peep: the story of the late 21-year-old dubbed lo-fi rap's Kurt Cobain (NME) — Obituary covering influences and mental health themes.