Kevin Fret, the Puerto Rican rapper who referred to himself as the first openly gay Latin trap artist, was shot and killed today in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was only 24 years old and had just begun his career in music, releasing two songs in 2018.
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CBS News reports that Fret was shot while riding his motorcycle early in the morning in Santurce, one of the busiest neighborhoods in San Juan, and was pronounced dead after being taken to the Río Piedras Medical Center.
Fret's manager, Eduardo Rodriguez, confirmed Fret's tragic death and shared his thoughts in a press release:
"Kevin was an artistic soul, a big-hearted dreamer. His passion was music, and still had a lot to do. This violence must stop. There are no words that describe the feeling we have and the pain that causes us to know that a person with so many dreams has to go. We must all unite in these difficult times, and ask for much peace for our beloved Puerto Rico."
Fret released his first single, "Soy Asi," in April 2018, followed by his feature on fellow Puerto Rican trap artist Mike Duran's "Diferente" in July. Both videos feature Fret with full makeup and dressed in vibrant gender-nonconforming outfits. At the time this article was published, "Diferente" had over 1.8 million views on YouTube.
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In an April interview with Paper Magazine, Fret highlighted his desire to serve as a role model for other young LQBTQ+ individuals:
"I'm a person that doesn't care what anybody has to say," he said. "[Now I see] young gay guys or young lesbians that are looking at me now like a role model, like wow, if he did it, and he don't care what anybody else has to say, I can do it."
