Los Angeles-based MC P.E.A.C.E., who was a part of the Freestyle Fellowship with Myka 9, Self Jupiter, and Aceyalone, has passed away. The news broke on Saturday, October 26, with a surge of tributes appearing on social media. A message was shared via the official Instagram account of Freestyle Fellowship, stating, “Rest well brother P.E.A.C.E. You had a great heart and you were authentic.
One of West coast Hiphop royal treasures. You will be surely missed my friend.” Various figures from the Los Angeles Hip-Hop community, including Daddy Kev, Exile, the Visionaries, and DJ Rhettmatic, expressed their condolences through posts on social media. At this time, the cause of death has not been disclosed. P.E.A.C.E., who spent most of his life in Los Angeles, began his rapping career during his high school years after experimenting with musical instruments such as the accordion and double bass.
Like his fellow group members, he refined his skills at The Good Life Cafe, an open-mic venue located in South Central L.A. Freestyle Fellowship released their debut album, To Whom It May Concern…, in 1991, which showcased their distinct rhyming styles. Their second album, Innercity Griots, is recognized as an underground masterpiece. P.E.A.C.E. launched his solo career with the release of Southern Fry’d Chicken in 2000, followed by Megabite in 2004. In 2008, P.E.A.C.E. was featured in the award-winning documentary This Is the Life, which explored the influence of The Good Life Cafe on the underground West Coast Hip-Hop scene. P.E.A.C.E., along with his Freestyle Fellowship colleagues, played an instrumental role in shaping the sound of West Coast underground Hip-Hop. They helped shift the focus of L.A. rap from gangsta narratives to a more experimental, lyrical, and jazz-infused style. Their albums helped establish the framework for West Coast alternative rap, influencing artists such as The Pharcyde, Hieroglyphics, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony with their innovative cadences and harmonized flows.
During a period dominated by G-funk and commercial gangsta rap, Freestyle Fellowship contributed significantly to the development of L.A.’s underground Hip-Hop community, which was later embodied by the Project Blowed collective. Project Blowed, which was their artistic home, is one of the longest-running open mic workshops in the history of the genre.
