Atlanta rapper Young Scooter has died tragically on his 39th birthday.
The artist - whose real name was Kenneth Edward Bailey - passed away at Grady Marcus Trauma Center in Atlanta on Friday (March 28).
He had sustained a severe leg injury while jumping fences to escape a police perimeter, officials have confirmed. Officers with the Atlanta Police Department had been responding to a domestic disturbance call and were dispatched to a residence in the southeast part of the city.
There had been reports of gunshots and a woman being dragged back inside the home as she tried to flee, according to Lt. Andrew Smith.
When police arrived, a man opened the front door and immediately slammed it shut, as reported by the New York Post.
Two men then attempted to flee through the back of the home. One man returned, but the second — identified by multiple reports as Bailey — jumped two fences in his escape attempt.
“When officers located him on the other side of the fence, he appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg,” Lt. Smith said during a press conference Friday night.
Emergency medical services transported Bailey to the trauma center, where he later died, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office, via TMZ.
The exact cause and manner of his death are still under investigation by the Atlanta Medical Examiner’s Office, which has confirmed that Bailey was not shot by police.
“Just to be very clear, the injury that was sustained was not via the officers on scene. It was when the male was fleeing,” Smith clarified.
TMZ was the first to report the news of Bailey’s death. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and Bailey’s death remains ongoing.
Bailey was born in South Carolina and moved to Atlanta with his family at age nine. He broke into the music scene with his regional hit 'Colombia' in 2012 and quickly gained traction after signing to fellow Atlanta rapper Future’s Freebandz label.
Known for his gritty style and streetwise lyricism, Bailey collaborated with major names in the hip-hop industry, including Future, Gucci Mane, Young Thug, Juicy J, Quavo, and Offset.
In 2013, he joined forces with Gucci Mane on the mixtape Free Bricks 2 and followed it up with more collaborative projects. His 2016 appearance on Young Thug’s 'Guwop' alongside Migos members Quavo and Offset further solidified his presence in the rap scene.
Bailey’s biggest commercial success came in 2018 with 'Jet Lag', featuring Future and the late Juice WRLD. The track entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 72.
He remained a fixture in Atlanta’s rap community, performing as recently as January 2023 during Future’s One Big Party Tour at State Farm Arena.
Following the news of his death, tributes poured in from fans and fellow artists.
Playboi Carti posted a photo on Instagram Stories with the caption “SMFH", while Migos rapper Quavo shared two heartbroken emojis and wrote, “ion understand.”
"RIP Young Scooter man I remember when I used to play that Trippple Cross album nonstop," one fan wrote on X.
Another added: "Columbia had me in a chokehold back in the day. RIP Young Scooter."
Bailey is remembered for his raw talent, loyalty to Atlanta’s music scene, and collaborations that shaped a chapter in Southern hip-hop.