Ervin McKinness; Rapper Tweets 'YOLO' Before Fatal Car Crash
Tragedy strikes the music world yet again with the passing of aspiring rapper Ervin McKinness.
McKinness, a 21-year old southern California rapper known also as "Jew'elz" and "Inkyy", posted his final message on Twitter before getting into a fatal car accident in Ontario, California.
On September 2, Mckinness posted a tweet at 1:19am that he was drunk driving and speeding: "Drunk af going 120 drifting corners #F***It YOLO," he wrote.
The last Twitter post stated: "Driving tweeting sipping the cup f*** yolo I'm turning it up." The tweet was later deleted.
According to the "San Bernardino County Sun", McKinness's 2005 Nissan Sentra ran a red light at Creekside Drive and Haven Avenue where the car skidded out of control. The vehicle then crashed into a wall and ended up in a private backyard.
Other casualties of the crash included Marquell Bogan, 23, Dylan George, 20, both from Ontario; Jonathan Watson, 21, of San Bernardino; and JaJuan Bennett, 23, of Rancho Cucamonga. CBS News reported that all passengers were pronounced dead with the exception of Bogan who died later after being taken to a nearby hospital.
The term "YOLO" used in the tweet refers to the acronym for "You Only Live Once", a phrase made popular by singer Drake, who used it in his song "The Motto."
The police have reported that McKinness was not behind the wheel when the accident occurred and that Watson was the one driving.
Ontario police officer Sgt. David McBride gave a statement to the San Bernardino County Sun. "They're certainly looking at that because it will be a vital part of the investigation, but it's too early to give an opinion as to whether it (drunken driving) was a cause or contributed to the crash," Ontario police Sgt. David McBride told the publication.
According to McKinness' friends, he was in the process of being signed by a major record label. His YouTube video "Dreams" has gotten more than 23,000 views since being first uploaded last April.
