West Coast hip-hop would not be what it is today without Freestyle Fellowship and the work of the late great P.E.A.C.E. The Los Angeles MC, real name Mtulazaji Davis, recently passed away according to a statement from the group's official Instagram page, and no cause of death has been revealed at press time.
"Rest well brother P.E.A.C.E," the group's statement read. "You had a great heart and you were authentic. One of West coast Hiphop royal treasures. You will be surely missed my friend." Our condolences go out to all of Davis' loved ones amid this difficult time.
Like many other young and artistically-minded people in late 1980s South Central L.A., he developed his hip-hop skills at The Good Life Cafe. This led P.E.A.C.E. to meet Myka 9, Aceyalone, and eventually Self Jupiter to form the fellowship. Their tender, lyrically dense, creative, and grounded sound helped shape alternative hip-hop of the time, and you can hear their influence in groups like The Pharcyde. Davis lives on in fans' memories as arguably the best pen out of the quartet.
Beyond records like 1991's To Whom It May Concern... and 1993's Innercity Griots from Freestyle Fellowship, P.E.A.C.E. also released the solo albums Southern Fry’d Chicken in 2000 and Megabite in 2004. His legacy with the Fellowship also endures via the Project Blowed collective, one of hip-hop's longest-running open mic workshops.
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RIP P.E.A.C.E.
Furthermore, hip-hop kept this impact at the forefront of their tributes to Davis. One of these came from frequent Myka 9 collaborator and underground L.A. gem, Blu. "P.E.A.C.E. is the illest emcee from the most infamous Freestyle Fellowship," he shared on Instagram. "Volume 10 had an ODB fatherless style thing going on before ODB even came out, and ODB is my favorite from Wu Tang. Some people never get their credit or just due like they should. P.E.A.C.E. was uncanny, P.E.A.C.E. is the God. Wish I got a chance to tell him. There will never be another. Peace P.E.A.C.E., rest in power & paradise."
Other tributes poured in from Exile, Open Mike Eagle, Kenny Segal, Saul Williams, Aesop Rock, and many more. RIP P.E.A.C.E.
