Young Greatness is dead after being shot in the back in an early morning shooting outside of a Waffle House in New Orleans on October 29. He was 35 years old. CBS New Orleans reports that Greatness, whose real name was Theodore Jones, died at around 1:35 a.m. after suffering from a single gunshot wound. Responding emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. NOLA.com reports that Greatness was shot in the back. The NOLA report mentions that police are looking for two suspects who have not been identified yet.
Officials believe that Greatness’ car was stolen from the scene. The Waffle House is located in the 2900 block of Elysian Fields Avenue. Police are looking for a silver Nissan Altima with a Florida license plate in connection with the killing.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Greatness’ Mother Said Her Son Was Not Violent & Never Carried a Gun
Greatness’ mother, Jeanine Rose, said in an interview with WDSU that her son was in town for a funeral when he was shot. Rose added that her son was facetiming with his manager when he was shot dead. Greatness was supposed to have gone to Atlanta on the day he was shot, his mother said. She said that her son was never violent and did not carry a gun.
In a separate interview with WDSU’s Kweilyn Murphy, Rose said about gun violence in New Orleans, “It’s too many mothers making slow walks to sad tombs.”
2. One of the Founders of Cash Money Records Said that Greatness Was ‘The Sound of the Future’
Greatness was a native of New Orleans but moved to Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In 2017, Greatness signed with Cash Money Records, his first single, “Moolah,” had dropped in 2015. Greatness was a 2002 graduate of John F. Kennedy Senior High School in New Orleans. In an interview with the Fader in March 2016, Greatness spoke about growing up in New Orleans, “[I was] born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana—a product of the St. Bernard project. Growing up in New Orleans there’s so much poverty and so much murder, so you only have two choices if you’re a young black man: it’s either get killed or go to jail. I didn’t want to get killed, I didn’t want to go to jail. Unfortunately, I went to jail.” Greatness went on to say that he had just begun rapping in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit. Greatness said that he “ran into a little trouble, went to prison for a few years.” After his stint in prison, Greatness said his resolve was strengthened. He said his jail time “gave me the hunger, the passion, and that, “I’m not taking no for an answer you, heard me?”
Birdman, one of the founders of Cash Money, told XXL Magazine in October 2017, “The first time I heard him, I knew he was going to be big. He’s got a grasp on melody that few artists have. It’s the sound of the future.” Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2016, Young Greatness commented on his use of melody saying, “I always was melodic because that’s how I came up – second line music, we sing. That was already instilled in me. We used to go so much to where I was the child in my household that started rebelling on going to the second line. Every Sunday, I gotta get a hair cut, get new clothes. You’re walking for like 15 miles through the whole New Orleans. So if it’s cold, you’re gonna freeze. If it’s hot you’re gonna sweat. It’s just a party on feet. The Saints win the Super Bowl, they’re gonna have a second line. The Pelicans win a game, they’re gonna have a second line. “Moolah” go platinum, they damn sure gonna have a second line!”
3. Greatness Hated His Most Famous Song When He Heard it for the First Time
Greatness said in a 2016 interview with XXL that he didn’t like his most successful single, “Moolah,” when he first heard it. The rapper said, “To be honest with you, I didn’t like it. I made it and I was like, “Ah man, it’s bull****.” When I made it, we all loved the record instantly, but once I went on promo and was performing it, it didn’t feel right to me because at first people didn’t understand it. But it’s a rhythmic record, so those kind of records, you have to work them on people so they can understand it, and once people really took the time to listen to the song and the message, that’s when the song really caught on and that’s when it started feeling right to me, like yeah…this the one.”
4. One of Greatness’ Final Instagram Post Saw Him Pay a Beautiful Tribute to His Daughter
One of Greatness’ final Instagram post saw him pay tribute to his daughter. The rapper wrote, “Happy Birthday To My Beautiful Daughter T’yah My Headache, My Inspiration, My Motivation Happy 14th Birthday Daddy Baby And Yes Iam Going To The Prom With You.” A witness to the shooting told CBS New Orleans, “You wouldn’t expect that coming happening with him. Dude wasn’t into nothing but his music and his daughter… Wasn’t into nothing else man.”
5. Fans & Fellow Rappers Have Been Paying Tribute to Greatness on Twitter
Fellow rappers and fans of Young Greatness have taken to Twitter to mourn the New Orleans star. Here are some of the most poignant messages:
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