PnB Rock
Quick Facts
Biography
Rakim Hasheem Allen (December 9, 1991 – September 12, 2022), better known by his stage name PnB Rock, was an American rapper and singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was best known for his single "Selfish" (2016), which peaked at number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He also provided uncredited vocals on XXXTentacion's hit single "Changes", which reached the top 20 on the same chart. He released two studio albums, Catch These Vibes (2017) and TrapStar Turnt PopStar (2019). Allen was chosen as part of the 2017 XXL Freshman Class.
Early life
Rakim Hasheem Allen was born on December 9, 1991, in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Allen's father was murdered when he was three years old, so he was primarily raised by his mother. In his teen years, he lived in Northeast Philadelphia. He grew up listening to rapper 2Pac and R&B group Jodeci. At the age of 13, Allen was sent to a youth detention program for committing robberies and fighting in school. When he turned 19, he was sentenced to 33 months in prison for drug possession and other crimes. Allen was homeless for a short period after being released from prison. He never finished high school. Allen later adopted the stage name PnB Rock, which paid homage to Pastorius and Baynton, a street corner near where he grew up in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Germantown.
Career
On June 24, 2014, PnB Rock released his debut mixtape, Real N*gga Bangaz. He wrote the mixtape while he was incarcerated. In 2015, PnB Rock signed a record deal with Atlantic Records, and under the label, he released his first project with Atlantic titled RnB3 which is his third mixtape. In June 2016, he released the hit single, "Selfish". The song peaked at number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In October 2016, Rolling Stone included him in their list of "10 New Artists You Need to Know".
On January 10, 2017, he released his second retail mixtape album, GTTM: Goin Thru the Motions through Atlantic Records and Empire Distribution. The album debuted at number 28 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Subsequently, in April 2017, he participated in the soundtrack of The Fate of the Furious with two singles: "Gang Up" with Young Thug, 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa and "Horses" with Kodak Black and A Boogie wit da Hoodie. In June 2017, PnB Rock was named as one of the ten of XXL's "2017 Freshman Class" along with A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Playboi Carti, Ugly God, Kyle, Aminé, MadeinTYO, Kamaiyah, Kap G, and XXXTentacion.
His debut album TrapStar Turnt PopStar was released in May 2019. PnB Rock was featured on Ed Sheeran's "Cross Me", which is a part of Sheeran's album No.6 Collaborations Project, along with Chance the Rapper.. Pnb Rock released a single featuring Pop Smoke titled "Backseat"
In January 2020, PnB Rock released a track titled "Ordinary" featuring late rapper Pop Smoke and also went on to feature another late rapper in January 2021, King Von, in a song titled "Rose Gold".
In February 2022, PnB Rock released new Mixtape "SoundCloud Daze" feature various artists including Pasto Flocco, Yung Fazo and more. Later on that year, he would independently release"Luv Me Again" on September 2, 2022, which would become the last single he released during his lifetime.
Personal life and death
PnB Rock had two daughters, born in 2013 and 2020, the latter born to Stephanie Sibounheuang.
On September 12, 2022, PnB Rock was robbed and fatally shot at Roscoe's House of Chicken 'N Waffles near Main Street and Manchester Avenue in Los Angeles.
Discography
Studio albums
- Catch These Vibes (2017)
- TrapStar Turnt PopStar (2019)