Young Curt Dead, Bay Area Rapper Reportedly Killed In Early Morning Car Crash

Rapper Young Curt is reportedly dead at 27.

Reports indicated that the Bay Area rapper, whose real name is Curtis Denton, died in a car crash in Contra Costa County in Northern California.

Young Curt Reportedly Killed In Rollover Crash

Reports indicated that Young Curt died in a crash that took place in the early morning hours on Monday. As Mercury News reported, a man identified as 27-year-old Curtis Denton of Antioch was killed when his vehicle rolled over on a highway in Contra Costa County.

The report noted that police responded to the scene to find a “mangled” vehicle, with the victim being rushed to a hospital. When a tow truck arrived to remove the wreckage, the car was missing parts of its roof, front bumper, and some wheels.

“California Highway Patrol officers arrived on the scene on Byron Highway just south of Brentwood around 2 a.m., and found an overturned vehicle with a man on the side of the road,” the report noted.

“Officers called in medical support from East Contra Costa Fire, which landed a medical helicopter at the scene to transport the victim to a nearby hospital.”

The report noted that Denton’s car was believed to be speeding down Byron Highway, south of Brentwood, when he apparently lost control traveling around a bend, sending the car into an embankment. The car flipped several times, throwing Denton through the car’s sunroof and onto a dirt shoulder. The California Highway Patrol said in a statement that it was believed Denton was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.

First responders reportedly found Denton with serious injuries, and he was transported to a nearby hospital in a medical helicopter. Denton was pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital, the report added.

The report noted that the deceased man had been identified as the rapper, noting that his death led to an outpouring of love on social media.

Fans Mourn Young Curt’s Passing

As news of Young Curt’s reported passing reached social media, many offered messages of condolences and expressed shock at his passing. A number of other musicians mourned his early passing.

Others noted the important place he held in the Bay Area rap scene.

“Rest In Peace Young Curt, a pillar in the Bay Area rap scene… Sending our condolences to his loved ones,” noted Empire, the rapper’s record distribution company, in a tweet.

Others joined in remembering Young Curt, sharing just how important he was in developing the unique rap scene in the California Bay Area in recent years.

RIP YOUNG CURT ???

— Symba (@TheRealSymba) June 29, 2020

Rest In Peace to Young Curt a Bay Area legend ??

— ill yaya (@kamaiyah) June 29, 2020

Ben Dandridge-Lemco, a senior editor at The Fader, said on an episode of the New York Times podcast Popcast that Young Curt was a major force in popularizing a rap style that helped Los Angeles rapper Blueface score a top-10 hit in the song “Thotiana.”

“This is a sound that, to me, as soon as I heard Blueface, I was just like, ‘Oh it’s just another LA rapper copying the Bay sound,’ ” Dandridge-Lemco said.

“I’m going to say another name that I’m positive hasn’t been said on a podcast: Young Curt. I guess it was during the hyphy movement and during the post-hyphy movement. He was putting all his music on MySpace. That’s where this whole sound comes from.”