Chinx Drugz Death Update: Was Rapper Lionel Pickens’ Shooting Related To Stack Bundles’ Murder In 2007?

The shooting death of rapper Chinx Drugz, real name Lionel Pickens, was in many ways similar to the death of Rayquan Elliott, a.k.a. Stack Bundles, who was slain in 2007 near his apartment building in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York. Elliott was Pickens’ mentor and was also an up-and-coming rapper, leading some to believe there may be a link between the killings, according to the New York Daily News.

“They were friends, Stack Bundles and Chinx,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told Daily News. “We’re looking at all hip-hop angles.” Both men were about to release new music when they were killed and had connections with bigger performers. The crimes also occurred shortly after both victims had finished local performances.

Pickens was shot dead Sunday morning at age 31 in a drive-by shooting in Queens. He had made an appearance at Club Red Wolf in Brooklyn earlier in the night and had just performed on stage just a few hours before.

Witnesses told police Pickens was sitting in a silver Porsche with another man on Queens Boulevard when a car pulled up alongside them and someone in it opened fire. Pickens was hit multiple times and died from his injuries. His companion, Antar Alziadi, 27, suffered gunshot wounds to his back and was taken to a hospital.

Pickens’ began rapping in Far Rockaway while he was in middle school. His career took off in 2012 with his song “I’m a Coke Boy,” recorded with his mentor, American rapper French Montana. "Chinx was one of the most talented, professional and determined rappers this industry had to offer," publicist Chanel Rae said in a statement confirming his death, according to Agence France-Presse.

Elliott was killed on June 11, 2007, at the age of 24 after spending the night with friends at a Manhattan nightclub. No arrests were ever made.