Richard Stephen Shaw, known professionally as rapper Bushwick Bill from the rap trio Geto Boys, died Sunday night of pancreatic cancer. He was 52.
There were incorrect reports that he passed away Sunday morning, but a statement from his publicist said he died that evening.
“Bushwick Bill passed away peacefully this evening at 9:35 p.m. He was surrounded by his immediate family,” the statement read. “We are looking into doing a public memorial at a later date. His family appreciates all of the prayers and support and are asking for privacy at this time.”
Shaw recently announced his battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
“‘We see a mass on your pancreas and we can’t understand it. It’s not alcohol, it’s not sugar, it’s not diabetes,” Shaw said in an interview with TMZ “They went through all kinds of stuff. And finally, by February 8th, they said it was stage 4 [pancreatic] cancer.”
He was born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Brooklyn, NY. But his career as a rapper came through Houston rap group Geto Boys –originally joining the group in the late 1980s as a backup dancer.
