Bishop Brigante, a cornerstone of Canada’s Hip-Hop and battle rap scenes, died on Sunday (March 30) following a struggle with most cancers at age 41.
His son, Lito, confirmed the information of his passing on Instagram, revealing that Brigante died peacefully and vowed to hold on his father’s legacy.
“My father was many issues, however at most he was a fighter,” Brigante’s son Lito shared. “He overcame so many obstacles in his lifetime and never as soon as stated one thing was ‘unattainable.’”
He added, “I’ve spent the final 19 years studying from such an unbelievable man. An unbelievable man I’m so proud to name my father. Not solely did he struggle for himself, however he fought simply as arduous to ensure others wouldn’t undergo the identical trials.”
View this put up on Instagram A put up shared by Bishop Brigante 🔚 (@bishopbrigante)
Tributes poured in from throughout the Hip-Hop and battle rap worlds, many quoting Brigante’s well-known slogan: “Take that f###### mirror down.”
Drake, Royce da 5’9″, Sy Ari Da Child, Preme and lots of others expressed condolences within the feedback of Lito’s put up.
The Alchemist joined the tributes, tweeting, “RIP Bishop Brigante. Enormous loss smh.”
“Take that mirror down… NOW!”
RIP Bishop Brigante . Enormous loss smh.— Alchemist Sort Beat (@Alchemist) March 30, 2025
KOTD Founder Remembers Bishop Brigante
King of the Dot founder Organik paid homage to Bishop Brigante in a heartfelt Instagram put up.
“Bishop wore his coronary heart on his sleeve shamelessly. He would trip or die for anybody he beloved,” he wrote. “This one is hard and might be robust.”
View this put up on Instagram A put up shared by Organik (@organikhiphop)
The Toronto native, born and raised within the metropolis’s west finish, turned the primary Canadian to win three straight weeks on BET’s “Freestyle Friday,” a feat that cemented his identify in battle rap historical past.
He later transitioned into music, releasing singles together with “That’s the Approach,” “Shorty Grindin’,” and “It’s Fo’ Twenty,” which earned main airplay throughout Canadian radio.
Brigante’s affect stretched past the mic. He collaborated with Hip-Hop heavyweights together with Drake, Nate Dogg, MC Lyte and Sticky Fingaz, and hit the street with acts like Busta Rhymes and G-Unit. His debut album, Legacy, served as each a private memoir and a tribute to Canadian Hip-Hop.
He additionally appeared on display screen, with roles within the 2002 crime drama Narc alongside Ray Liotta and Jason Patric and the 2003 tv collection Platinum. He even took the stage in a manufacturing of A Clockwork Orange.
Brigante performed a key position in Canada’s premier battle rap league, King of the Dot, serving to to raise the platform and mentor up-and-coming expertise.
In October 2023, Brigante revealed he had been recognized with colorectal most cancers.
The next month, Joe Budden spotlighted Brigante’s well being battle on The Joe Budden Podcast, urging listeners to help his GoFundMe marketing campaign. Budden pledged monetary assist and adopted by with a large donation.
Brigante later stated Budden’s contribution was “extra useful than I might’ve ever imagined” and credited Budden’s supervisor, Ian Schwartzman and the Joe Budden Community for stepping in when he wanted it most. “It got here at a time after I was at my worst,” Brigante stated.
