US rapper Beanie Sigel, 40, a one-time protege of Jay Z, has been seriously wounded after he was shot in the stomach, according to a Sky news reports.
Sigel had initially been close with Jay Z, who promoted him when the hip hop tycoon ran Roc-A-Fella Records but the two had a falling out, with Sigel accusing Jay Z of not visiting him in prison and not promoting his work.
The relationship deteriorated to the point that Sigel in 2009 released a song criticising Jay Z called What You Talking Bout? (I Ain’t Ya Average Cat).
Sigel, whose real name is Dwight Grant, was shot during an apparent argument at a home in Pleasantville, New Jersey, that left another person injured.
He received surgery for potentially life-threatening injuries and was then put under sedation, The Press of Atlantic City reported.
The motive of the shooting remains unclear.
Sigel created the State Property rap collective of which two members, known as Young Gunz, scored a mainstream hit and Grammy nomination with Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.
He repeatedly got involved in fights and brushes with the law. He was sentenced in 2004 to one year in prison on weapons charges.
More recently, Sigel served a two-year prison sentence for tax evasion. He was freed in August and was supposed to be on probation at an undisclosed house.
