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Houston Chronicle a écrit:
Big Hawk, a Houston rapper whose 2001 album reached No. 45 on Billboard's rap chart, was shot to death, police said today.

Hawk, whose real name was John Edward Hawkins, was a member of the late DJ Screw's rap collective the Screwed Up Click and brother to rapper Fat Pat, who was killed in 1998.

Hawk had planned to meet a friend Monday night but apparently arrived before the friend and walked to the side of the house where he was shot several times, police said. He died at the scene.

Police do not have a suspect and their only lead involves a witness who saw a white compact car with tinted windows nearby shortly after the shooting, HPD spokesman John Cannon said.

Hawk, 36, scored a regional hit with 2002's "You Already Know'' and was recently featured on the popular single "Swang'' by Trae that included a posthumous contribution from Hawk's brother. His 2001 self-titled album reached No. 45 on Billboard's list of top R&B and rap albums.

Hawk's verse on "Swang'' includes a tribute to Fat Pat and DJ Screw, which says in part:

"I'm a swang, and a swang, and a swang to the left, pop my trunk for Fat Pat's death. I would give my last breath if I could bring you back, bring Screw back, a matter of fact bring the whole crew back.''

Hawk was respected in the Houston underground rap scene and appeared on numerous mixtapes from artists such as Paul Wall, Lil' Flip, Z-Ro, E.S.G, Lil' Keke and Big Pokey.

DJ Screw, who died in 2000, and the Screwed Up Click popularized Houston's hypnotic, slowed-down style of rap called screw music.

XXoduz a écrit:http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/3836484.html
May 2, 2006, 10:29PM
Few clues in killing of Houston rapper
Known as Big Hawk, the hip-hop artist was a mentor to local talent


By MICHAEL D. CLARK
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

John Edward Hawkins — the Houston rapper known as Big Hawk, a central figure in the city's hip-hop scene — was shot and killed near a friend's home in south Houston late Monday night. He was 36.

Hawkins never received the national recognition that Houston hip-hop stars such as Mike Jones, Slim Thug and Chamillionaire did last year. But he was admired and adored as a mentor, collaborator and big brother to local talent from the late DJ Screw to Paul Wall.

Friends and family gathered early Tuesday near his home, about 10 miles north of the crime scene. The narrow, tree-lined street where Hawkins lived is dotted with single-family houses in a neighborhood adjacent to the campus of Texas Southern University. He lived there with his wife, Meshah Henderson Hawkins, and their two young sons.

The violence that is documented in hip-hop's lyrics has brought the premature death of some of the music style's most promising artists including Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. But those close to Big Hawk said he was removed from a gun-glamorizing lifestyle.

"It's got to either be a case of mistaken identity or an attempted robbery by somebody who didn't realize who they were robbing," says Wall. "Hawk was all about positivity and bringing people together.


'No beefs with anybody'
Bun B. of the Port Arthur duo UGK knew Hawkins since 1994.

"There were no chinks in this man's moral armor," he says. "Because he was a rapper there will be people who will take his death the wrong way, but he was a peaceful guy and a family man who had no beefs with anybody."

Hawkins' warm reputation makes his death a difficult mystery to solve.

Police say they have few clues in their investigation.

"This is an incident where you've got a victim shot multiple times, possibly by more than one suspect," said Houston Police spokesman John Cannon.

Hawkins was gunned down about 10:45 p.m. when he went to play dominoes at a friend's home in the 12000 block of Redfern in southeast Houston.

His friend wasn't there when Hawkins arrived.

HPD officials said Hawkins went to the side of the house, where he was shot multiple times.

The motive for the fatal shooting remains unclear.

"We have no indication that it was a robbery. His vehicle was still at the scene," Cannon said. "Investigators spoke with numerous family members who really couldn't think of anybody who would want to harm or kill him."

Several people in the area told officers they heard several gunshots that night, but detectives haven't found anyone who actually saw the fatal shooting.

"The only thing we have to go on is a witnesses who saw a small, white compact vehicle leaving the area right after the shooting," Cannon said.

The slaying is the second gun-related tragedy to befall the Hawkins family. His brother and Dead End Alliance groupmate Fat Pat (aka Patrick Hawkins) was shot and killed Feb. 3, 1998.

Hawkins' friends and peers recalled his leadership during a volatile time when Houston's rap scene was divided into two antagonistic factions: Hip-hop pioneer DJ Screw's Screwed Up Click and DJ Michael Watts' Swishahouse crew.

Recently, the two rap communities ended the feud.

Hawk had been actively performing and recording prior to his death. He's featured on the new album Restless by rapper Trae (in stores this week), and last week he performed at Club Blue.

Rapper Scooby, 23, of the GRIT Boys, spoke to him recently while Hawk was recording at MJ Studios.

"My father wasn't around much when I was younger, but Hawk always told us that we were all his little brothers," says Scooby. "There was time when I was getting out of hand and he brought me back down.

"That's who Big Hawk was."

tosin a écrit:rest in peace my nig...