‘We had a special bond:’ Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan’s dad proud of son’s success beyond music

ATLANTA — Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan’s father said he and his family are grateful for the prayers and messages from the community as they continue to grieve their loved one’s death.

In an exclusive interview Corey Lamar got emotional as he talked about the impact his son, whose real name was Dequantes Lamar, made on hip-hop, especially Atlanta’s trap music scene.

“He was a trendsetter,” said Lamar, who worked as his son’s manager and business partner. “I used to tell him that it’s a difference in making songs and making hits; he made hits and I know that his music will live on forever.”

The rapper, 34, died on Thursday after his girlfriend discovered him unresponsive inside his southwest Atlanta home. Paramedics rushed him to Grady Memorial Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. As of Saturday morning, the cause and manner of his death were still pending, but investigators don’t suspect foul play.

Beloved by millions, Rich Homie Quan gained mainstream success through trap hits, like “Type of Way,” “Flex” and “Lifestyle.” Quan was one of the biggest names in hip-hop in the mid-2010s. But before he was selling out concert venues across the country, Quan was a talented athlete who fell in love with the game of baseball at an early age.

“He grew up playing his ball over on Old National,” his dad remembered. “He went to McNair High School and was starting on the varsity team as a freshman.”

Lamar added that by the time his son was a senior, he had earned a scholarship offer to play baseball at Fort Valley State University.

“He got there and got homesick and came home,” he said. “He told me he wanted to be a rapper. I told him that it’s a slippery slope and encouraged him to go to engineering school. But he made it clear that he was going to pursue a career as a rapper and he stuck to it.”

Working as his manager and business partner, Lamar said he was thankful to get a front-row seat to all of his son’s success, but his favorite memory of his was getting the privilege to watch Quan mature into a loving and caring father of five.

“We just had a conversation, and he told me, ‘Dad, you know, I’m getting this parenting thing down now,’” said Lamar as he fought back tears. “It’s crazy because this past summer , he had all of his with him for an extended period of time and he was so happy.”

Lamar said his son was his best friend and the two spoke every day.

“We spoke several times a day,” he said. “The day before he passed, I looked at my phone and we spoke like 11 times. We had a special bond. I grew up without my father, so I knew if I were going to have kids, I was going to be in their lives.”

Before his death, Quan had been putting the finishing touches on his next projects.

“We had just completed a 20- or 25-song project and we were in the process of scheduling two video shoots off our project,” he added. “He also had two shows planned for this weekend in Miami.”

Lamar said that he and his family are still finalizing the funeral plans, but they plan on having a huge public memorial.

“I’m like everybody else,” he said when asked about the details surrounding his son’s death. “I have to wait and see. I don’t want to speculate.”

Lamar said his son was inspired by other Atlanta artists Jeezy, T.I. and OutKast.

Journalist Jewel Wicker, an Atlanta-based culture and entertainment reporter who has written for Billboard, GQ and The New York Times, explained how Quan had a significant impact on Atlanta’s trap scene.

“He had these really hyper-local lyrics, but these melodies and these hooks that were really accessible and really pop friendly and mainstream friendly,” said Wicker. “I think when we think about those 2014 years for Atlanta rap, he was a really integral part of Atlanta sound and the way that it kind of took the global stage.”

“I think he should be remembered as sort of a cultural architect in the rap scene here in Atlanta,” she said. “He was someone who not just had those mainstream big hits that were known outside of Atlanta, but someone who was deeply rooted in Atlanta’s community.”