Martell Derouen, a rapper who performed as Kardone, was shot to death this week in San Antonio, Texas. He was 34.
Derouen – who has been described as a cousin of Beyoncé – is at least the third rapper to be fatally shot in the past two weeks.
Police found Derouen’s body inside his apartment while conducting a welfare check.
"He didn’t deserve this,” Derouen’s wife Joia said in a statement, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
KSAT reported that investigators have named Sasha Skare, a 21-year-old aspiring rapper as a suspect in his murder. She released a single last April that was produced by Derouen.
As Kardone, Derouen released the album Truck Bang in 2016 and followed with several singles.
Rapper Big CEO was shot to death on Jan. 19 in Tennessee at age 20 and rising rapper 18veno was fatally shot Jan. 23 in South Carolina at 19.