Rapper Young Scooter, known for his collaborations with Future and Gucci Mane, has died on his 39th birthday. The hip hop star, born Kenneth Edward Bailey, passed away on Friday after a mystery hospitalization, as per TMZ. He was brought to the Grady Marcus Trauma Center in Atlanta by Emergency Medical Services, where he was pronounced dead on Friday, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Medical Examiner’s Office stated that Young Scooter’s cause and manner of death are under investigation, and an autopsy will be conducted.  The hospitalization may have been prompted by a leg wound, according to Billboard. Late Friday night, Atlanta Police Lt. Andrew Smith held a news conference to provide details regarding Scooter’s death.

Rapper Young Scooter, known for his collaborations with Future and Gucci Mane, has died on his 39th birthday; pictured in October 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Smith stated that officers responded to a call about a dispute with a weapon at a residence, and after a man closed the door on them, they established a perimeter. Two men then fled the rear of the house; one returned, while the other jumped two fences.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Scooter was the man who jumped the fences. Smith said, ‘When officers located him on the other side of the fence, he appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg.’ Smith denied rumors that Scooter had been fatally shot by Atlanta PD officers. ‘Just to be very clear, the injury that was sustained was not via the officers on scene. It was when the male was fleeing.’ Young Scooter’s career gained momentum in 2012 when he signed with Future’s Freebandz label.

The following year, he released the Free Bricks 2 mixtape with Gucci Mane, and a separate mixtape featuring guest appearances from Gucci, Future, WG, and Lil Boosie.  Hours before the news broke, Scooter’s Instagram account was actively reposting birthday wishes from friends and fans to his Stories.  Playboi Carti honored the late rapper on Instagram, writing, ‘I GREW UP ON DIS SH*T SMH RIP.’  Migos rapper Quavo shared two heartbroken emojis writing ‘ion understand.’  Lloyd Banks wrote ‘Rest in Peace Young Scooter’ on X.  DJ Akademiks also used X to share the news, posting a ‘rest in peace’ tribute.

The hip hop star, born Kenneth Edward Bailey, passed away on Friday, after a mystery hospitalization as per TMZ; seen with Future (L) in 2018

He was brought to the Grady Marcus Trauma Center in Atlanta by Emergency Medical Services, where he was pronounced dead on Friday, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office; seen in 2018

The Medical Examiner’s Office stated that Young Scooter’s cause and manner of death are under investigation, and an autopsy will be conducted; seen in 2017 with T.I.

The hospitalization may have been prompted by a leg wound sustained during a police chase, according to Billboard. Atlanta Police Lt. Andrew Smith denied rumors that Scooter had been fatally shot by Atlanta PD officers; he is seen in 2020

Playboi Carti honored the late rapper on Instagram

Migos rapper Quavo also shared a post in honor of Scooter

DJ Akademiks also used X to share the news, posting a ‘rest in peace’ tribute

Hours before the news broke, Scooter’s Instagram account was actively reposting birthday wishes from friends and fans to his Stories

Young Scooter’s career gained momentum in 2012 when he signed with Future’s Freebandz label

The following year, he released the Free Bricks 2 mixtape with Gucci Mane, and a separate mixtape featuring guest appearances from Gucci, Future, WG, and Lil Boosie

In 2018, Scooter contributed to ‘Jet Lag’ with Future and Juice Wrld, a song that charted in the Billboard Top 100.  Scooter was born in Walterboro, South Carolina, on March 28, 1986. When he was nine, his family relocated to Atlanta, where he befriended rapper Future. Like Gucci Mane, Scooter was known for his freestyle rapping style, delivering lyrics without writing them down.