Charles Andrew Jones II[4] (June 21, 1998 – June 23, 2024), known professionally as Foolio (or Julio Foolio), was an American rapper from Jacksonville, Florida. He was associated with the city's rap scene and was involved in high-profile feuds with other rappers.[5] Jones was also linked to local gang activity, with his music often addressing these affiliations. On June 23, 2024, Jones was fatally shot in a hotel parking lot in Tampa, Florida.[6]
Foolio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Charles Andrew Jones II June 21, 1998 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | June 23, 2024 (aged 26) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Homicide (gunshot wounds) |
| Other names | Julio Foolio, Lil 6 |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Years active | 2015–2024 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | Create Music Group |
Early life
editCharles Andrew Jones II was born on June 21, 1998, in Jacksonville, Florida, where he grew up in the Moncrief neighborhood and was a member of the "6-Block" set of the street gang KTA ("Kill Them All").[4][7] His father, Charles Andrew Jones, was murdered in a 2011 shooting in Jacksonville.[8]
Career
editVulture described Foolio's 2019 mixtape Never Wanted Fame as "preoccupied with death and jail visits, ailing family members and creeping paranoia."[9] Foolio released his debut album, Life of Me, in 2022. Two more albums, Final Destination (2023) and Resurrection (2024), followed before his death.
In 2017, Foolio's 18-year-old cousin, Zion Malik Brown, was shot and killed in his home.[10] This is believed to have started the deadly gang war in Jacksonville, as rapper Yungeen Ace was wounded and three men killed in a 2018 retaliatory shooting,[11] and Foolio posted derogatory content about the victims on social media.[12]
Foolio was shot and wounded in July 2020 in Houston, Texas, and claimed in a November 2021 interview that he "shot back in self-defense. My gun is registered."[13] On October 7, 2023, he was shot in the foot while driving in Jacksonville.[14] In 2023, a former security guard for rapper NBA Youngboy stated during an interview that his client had an incident where Foolio and his group confronted him.[15] According to Foolio in a 2021 DJ Vlad interview, unreleased Youngboy tracks were leaked online with the hashtag "#FOOLIODISS".[16] In an April 2024 post to his Instagram account, Foolio commented on the "tragic [...] multiple attempts on my life."[4]
Death
editOn June 23, 2024, in the late night after his 26th birthday, Jones was fatally shot and three other men were wounded after three people armed with a pistol and two rifles opened fire on them in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn in Tampa, Florida. The assailant armed with the pistol had an extended High-capacity magazine and fired more than 30 times, meanwhile the other two assailants both had Brass catchers on their rifles.[17] Another two armed men involved in the attack did not open fire. Jones had been attempting to book a room in the hotel after he was asked to leave an Airbnb by authorities for exceeding occupancy limits.[18] Kamiyah, 16, Rasheed Brown Jr., 18, Keith Hopskins, 17, and Damari James, 18, were arrested in Jacksonville for their suspected involvement in the murder. Davion Murphy, 27, has a warrant out for his arrest due to his suspected involvement. According to Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, Jones was murdered as part of a retaliation by rival gang members.[19][20]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Life of Me |
|
| Final Destination |
|
| Resurrection |
|
Singles
edit| Year | Single |
|---|---|
| 2018 | "Voodoo"[21] |
| 2020 | "Shoot It Out (Sit Down Remix)"[21] |
| "Play With Me" | |
| 2021 | "BeatBox Remix/Bibby Flow" (featuring Cojack) |
| "When I See You Remix" | |
| "List of Dead Opps"[21] | |
| "I Hate You I Love You"[21] |
As featured artist
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Bridge This Gap" (Natalac featuring Julio Foolio) |
2018 | Pimp of the Nation |
See also
editExternal links
editReferences
edit- ^ "A Deadly Feud Between Jacksonville Drill Rappers Yungeen Ace & Julio Foolio Is Being Fueled by Viral Videos". Digital Music News. May 10, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
- ^ "Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio shot, killed in Tampa 'ambush': attorney". WJXT. June 23, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
- ^ "Julio Foolio's Mother Blames Rapping for his Death: 'We will have justice'". Newsweek. July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c Bridges, C.A. (June 24, 2024). "Jacksonville rapper shot, killed in Florida, attorney says. Who is Julio Foolio?". Florida Times-Union. USA Today. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ Wells, Eric (June 3, 2021). "The Explosive Rise of Jacksonville Rap". Complex. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ FitzGerald, James (24 June 2024). "Rapper Julio Foolio shot dead in Florida, lawyer says". BBC. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ Peel, Corley (2022-07-08). "Attorneys for Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio challenging how client's traffic stop was handled". WJXT. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ Scanlan, Dan (May 12, 2011). "Jacksonville man arrested in slaying after argument 'went bad'". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Paul (January 17, 2019). "This Week in Rap: Big K.R.I.T. Gets Emotional, Tree and Vic Spencer Release a Tour De Force, More". Vulture. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ Avanier, Erik (May 29, 2017). "Teen hurt in triple shooting: Gunman 'had no remorse for us'". News4Jax. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ Goodridge, Harold (April 26, 2021). "Rival Jacksonville gangs locked in deadly battle glorified in new viral rap music videos". FirstCoastNews. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ Harvey, Malcolm (June 25, 2024). "'They know who they are': Jacksonville sheriff keeping eye on 'clashing' groups after Foolio's death". First Coast News. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ Goodridge, Harold (November 15, 2021). "'Y'all miss a whole 100 shots literally' Jacksonville rapper Foolio survives another shooting". FirstCoastNews. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Schindler, Anne (October 7, 2023). "Jacksonville rapper Foolio shot". FirstCoastNews. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Alexandria, Lavender (September 11, 2023). "NBA Youngboy's Security Guard Explains Why He Didn't Stop Foolio". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "Exclusive: Foolio on NBA YoungBoy Dissing Him, Confronting Him at Jacksonville Hotel(Flashback)". VladTV. September 19, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ "Court records detail gang feud, ambush murder of rapper Julio Foolio". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ Yang, Angela (June 23, 2024). "Rapper Foolio killed in Tampa shooting". NBC News. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Vargas, Ramon Antonio (2024-07-30). "Four arrested in shooting death of Florida rapper Julio Foolio". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Herrera, Alexa (July 29, 2024). "3 arrests, 2 with a warrant in connection with shooting that killed rapper Julio Foolio in Tampa". WTSP. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Cho, Regina (June 25, 2024). "5 Essential Julio Foolio Songs You Should Know". vibe. Retrieved June 29, 2024.