Halifax-area rapper Pat Stay identified as victim in fatal stabbing

HALIFAX — Tributes for a prominent Nova Scotia rapper who was a victim of a homicide over the weekend poured in over social media even before Halifax police officially confirmed his death on Monday.

Renowned battle rapper Pat Stay from Dartmouth, N.S. died after he was stabbed early Sunday morning in downtown Halifax, city police said in a statement. The force said an autopsy confirmed his death was a homicide.

American battle rapper performing under the name Rosenburg Raw likened Stay’s passing to the death of Elvis Presley in terms of what it means to the genre.

“everybody loved Pat Stay,” he wrote on Twitter. “We lost a BR (battle rap) icon.”

A number of hip-hop luminaries also took time to offer condolences and tributes to the slain rapper.

Canadian rapper Drake posted a rest in peace message to Stay on Instagram. In the post, Drake called him one of his “fave rappers ever.”

Eminem wrote in a tweet that hip hop lost “one of the nest battlers of all time.”

A memorial GoFundMe campaign for Stay’s family, created on Sunday, had raised about $110,000 by Monday afternoon. 

The campaign’s description says the fund is to raise money “for our fallen brother’s family” and says “many will be devastated forever” by the loss.

One commenter on the campaign described Stay’s death as an “absolute tragic loss for his family, friends and fans around the world.” 

The 36-year-old rapper had a large social media following and had released a new song on YouTube Friday before his death.

The Sept. 2 music video had amassed more than 270,000 views by Monday afternoon.

Police have not released any details of a possible suspect.

Officers responded to a weapons call and reports of a man who had suffered stab injuries just before 1 a.m. Sunday.

Stay was taken to hospital in ambulance, where he died from his injuries.

Police are asking for anyone with information to come forward and reach out to them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2022. 

—

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press