Pretty Ricky member Baby Blue poses for photos at Pretty Ricky's Artist Portrait Session at JR Studio July 25, 2006 in New York City.
Ray Tamarra/Getty ImagesPretty Ricky member Baby Blue is in critical condition after being shot during an attempted robbery at a south Florida bowling alley on Monday night.
In a graphic video circulating on social media, the rapper, born Diamond Blue Smith, is seen lying still on the floor, his body bloodied, near the entrance of the bowling alley while a friend frantically screams out for help. After a few seconds, two other men rushed to help the rapper who soon became responsive and rolled onto his side.
According to the Davie Police Department, two suspects approached Baby Blue and another victim in the parking lot and fled the scene prior to police arrival. The police department is actively seeking information regarding the suspects.
Pretty Ricky -- made up of Baby Blue, Spectacular, Slick Em and Pleasure P -- saw widespread success in the early '00s with the Billboard Hot 100 hits "Grind With Me," "Your Body" and "On the Hotline." Their 2007 album Late Night Special topped the Billboard 200 and was gold-certified that same year. Shortly after the shooting on Wednesday (April 21), the rapper's new single, "Jerry Rice," premiered on YouTube and his personal Instagram account.
At the BTS concert in Tokyo on Friday (April 17), j-hope opened up to ARMY with heartbreaking news. His grandmother, who played a major role in raising him and had always been proud of his journey with the group, has passed away.
Speaking to the packed crowd at the Tokyo Dome, the K-pop star chose to be open with fans about what he was going through. “Honestly, this might be a bit of a heavy thing to share, but I really wanted to express how I’m feeling today,” he said, translated from Korean into English. “Right after we arrived in Japan, I got the news that my maternal grandmother, the one who raised me from when I was little, had passed away.”
“I felt completely stunned and did not really know how to process it at first, but being around the members, sitting down together for meals, and focusing on rehearsals helped me more than I thought it would,” j-hope went on. “My grandmother was always incredibly proud, not just of me but of all the members. She truly believed in what we do. So I feel like if she was watching from above today, she would have loved every second of it.”
He closed by thanking the audience for making his first performance after the loss feel meaningful and full of support.
BTS are currently touring in support of their new album ARIRANG, which has just earned a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Following three opening shows in Goyang, South Korea, the group is set to perform twice at the Tokyo Dome before heading abroad for the North American leg. Before the tour wraps in March next year, they will also visit Latin America, Europe, Australia, and several other regions across Asia.
On the same day as the first Tokyo concert, j-hope’s solo interview with Rolling Stone was released. During the conversation, he spoke about stepping into a leadership presence within the group. “I think that’s my role on the team,” he shared. “It just comes naturally. It feels strange to even call it a role, but I just try to handle things as they come and support the other members in any way I can.”
Additional reporting from Billboard Korea.
