King County sheriff’s deputies continue to investigate the fatal shooting of Ronald Moore, a Los Angeles rapper known as Gonzoe, in White Center last week.
Moore, 45, was in the 2800 block of Southwest Roxbury Street, near Roxhill Park and a Safeway, on Thursday when he was shot in the chest, according to the King County sheriff’s and medical examiner’s offices.
He was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and died overnight, the sheriff’s office said.
According to celebrity and music media outlets and social media posts from people in the music community, Gonzoe was a member of rap groups Kausion and The Regime in the 1990s.
Kausion eventually signed with Lench Mob records — the label owned by L.A. rapper and actor Ice Cube — and released its only album, “South Central Los Skanless,” in 1995.
Moore later signed with Death Row Records — founded by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C. and Dick Griffey — and made his solo debut in 1998 with his album “If I Live and Nothing Happens,” according to his Spotify biography.
According to pop culture and music magazine NME, Moore became close with rapper Tupac Shakur after signing with Death Row Records. The two later collaborated on on several songs, including “Die” and “Life I Lead” before Shakur’s 1996 death.
After Moore’s death, friends and other rappers shared tributes and their condolences.
“I hate to see the repeated cycle of killing those that finally have made a change in their life for the better,” rapper C-Bo, another former Shakur collaborator, wrote in an Instagram post over the weekend. “I wish the family and kids the best !!!!”
Oakland rapper Yukmouth, who founded The Regime, also dedicated several Instagram posts to his old friend.
“I wish this was a BAD NIGHTMARE, but it’s a SAD REALITY,” he wrote. “(You) didn’t deserve that, a father, business man, a hip-hop legend.”
According to entertainment magazine Complex, Moore had recently started a boxing league. He faced off against rapper Boskoe100 in April, a fight for which rapper Snoop Dogg provided commentary.
In a recent one-hour interview with VladTV, Moore said he started the boxing league, “Gloves Up Guns Down,” to spread awareness about gun violence and safety.
“It’s a great project for the culture,” Moore said in the interview.
He added that his plan was to line up more celebrity boxing matches in the near future.
“We’re just trying to stop the killing in hip-hop,” Moore said then.
Investigators have released few details about what led to Moore’s fatal shooting. No arrests had been made as of Tuesday.