Gay rapper Kevin Fret was shot dead
Thursday as he rode a motorbike in Puerto Rico.
According to Noticentro.tv, the
24-year-old Fret was shot eight times, including in the head, as he
rode through the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan around 5:20 in the
morning.
Fret was known as the first openly gay
artist in the Latin trap subgenre, which originated in Puerto Rico.
In a Facebook post, Puerto Rico Trans
Youth Coalition said that Fret's murder “could be described as a
hate crime.”
“With his colorful and empowered
show, Fret disobeyed many of the expectations of hegemonic
masculinity that dominate the trap genre," the group wrote.
"Kevin broke many barriers and
served as a necessary representation, denouncing without filter the
homophobia of colleagues in artistic scenes notorious for their
machismo and misogyny."
Noticentro.tv reported that a war
between drug gangs has resulted in an increase in violent crime.
Eduardo Rodriguez, Fret's manager, said
in a statement: "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."