Magnolia Shorty was a rap artist from New Orleans who was a pioneer in the tradition of “bounce” music. She was discovered and signed by the rapper Birdman and collaborated with many Cash Money artists, including Juvenile and Lil Wayne. She released her debut album, Monkey on the Dick, in 1997, and it was heralded as an instant classic. She was working on her second album on the Cash Money/Young Money label in 2010, when she was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting.
The Fatal Shooting
On December 20, 2010, Magnolia Shorty was going back to her apartment to get something before heading to Miami, Florida to perform at a festival. When she pulled in through the gate, another car came in behind her car and circled around her and blocked her in. Two men got out of the car and started shooting through the windows. She was hit with 26 bullets and was killed in the car with Jerome Hampton, a 25-year-old man who was also a victim of the attack. Police described the crime as a drive-by shooting and said it was possibly gang-related.
According to Rolling Stone, Magnolia Shorty and Hampton were ruled to have died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body. Her funeral was held on December 30, 2010, at the Fifth African Baptist Church in her hometown of New Orleans. Lil Wayne, B.G., Juvenile, Mack Maine and Birdman were among the more than 100 mourners at the funeral. She was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in New Orleans.
The Gang Connection
In August 2014, an Orleans Parish grand jury indicted four suspected gang members on murder charges in the slaying of Magnolia Shorty and Hampton. The indictment came as a result of a federal investigation by the New Orleans FBI’s Gang Task Force. The suspects were allegedly part of a violent gang called the “39ers”, which was formed by members of two rival gangs, the G-Strip and the 3-N-G. The gang was accused of being involved in a series of murders, shootings, robberies and drug trafficking in New Orleans and other states.
On February 22, 2017, the jury in the federal trial of ten men accused of being part of the “39ers” gang found all ten guilty of a racketeering charge. At least seven of the defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to use firearms to further drug trafficking crimes and crimes of violence. Two of the defendants, McCoy “Rat” Walker and Terrioues “T-Red” Owney, were found guilty of the murder of Magnolia Shorty and Hampton.
According to Wikipedia, Walker and Owney were sentenced to life imprisonment without parole on June 27, 2017. The other defendants also received lengthy prison sentences ranging from 30 years to life.
The Legacy
Magnolia Shorty’s death shocked and saddened the rap community and her fans. She was widely regarded as one of the best female rappers in New Orleans and a legend of bounce music. Bounce music is a subgenre of hip hop that originated in New Orleans in the late 1980s and is characterized by call-and-response chants, dance beats and heavy bass. Magnolia Shorty’s music exemplified “the eccentric New Orleans elements of sexuality, comedy and hard edged dance rhythms”, as Offbeat magazine put it.
Magnolia Shorty’s influence can be seen in many contemporary artists who have sampled or paid tribute to her songs. For example, Fort Worth rapper Bone’s hit “Homegurl” sampled Magnolia Shorty’s voice; Drake’s song “In My Feelings” featured a sample of her song “Smoking Gun”; and Chris Brown’s song “Wobble Up” sampled her song “Monkey on the Dick”. Her music has also been featured in documentaries, films and TV shows about New Orleans culture.
Magnolia Shorty’s life and career were cut short by senseless violence, but her legacy lives on through her music and her fans. She will always be remembered as the Queen of Bounce who brought joy and energy to the rap scene.
