Just days after celebrating the release of an acclaimed new mixtape, Brooklyn MC Joey Bada$ and his Pro Era crew are mourning the loss of one of their prominent members. Capital Steez, who spit a fiery verse on Joey's breakthrough viral hit, "Survival Tactics," passed away on Christmas Eve at the age of 19.
Joey addressed Capital's tragic death on Twitter. "This unfortunate xmas eve [I] lost a best friend, a brother, a pro, a partner. RIP CAPITAL STEEZ," he wrote in a series of messages. "Letting go is never easy. May ur soul rest in peace Jamal. SICK TO MY STOMACH. [I] just haven’t been the same since my homies death. Part of me still doesn’t believe this."
The details of Capital's passing are still unclear, but his last tweet is prompting many to believe that the promising rapper took his own life. "The end," the Brooklyn native wrote on Dec. 23.
Capital released his debut mixtape, AmeriKKKan Korruption, in April and was featured on several songs on PEEP: The aPROcalyspe, the mixtape that Joey's Pro Era crew dropped on Friday. Yesterday, the collective released a new version of one of the project's tracks, "Like Water," tribute to their fallen friend. Renamed "Like Water (R.I.P. Capital STEEZ)," the song is a touching tribute to a promising life and career cut short. 
"F--k the fame and the money," Joey tweeted yesterday after thanking supporters for their condolences. "I'd give it all back 4 my [friend] in a heartbeat."
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(Photo: Facebook/CapitalSTEEZ)