MC Supreme Dead: ‘Black In America’ Rapper, Dewayne Lawrence Coleman, Killed In Pacific Coast Highway Car Crash

MC Supreme, the rapper best known for his 1990 hit “Black in America,” died in Malibu, California, after his parked Honda Civic was struck by a pickup truck in a suspected drunk-driving accident, authorities said. He was 47.

Supreme, whose real name was Dewayne Lawrence Coleman, was parked early Saturday along Pacific Coast Highway with a woman passenger when a pickup truck slammed into his vehicle, ABC News reported. The driver of the pickup truck was identified as Philip Torres II, 34. Torres suffered minor injuries and was arrested for vehicular manslaughter and suspicion of driving under the influence.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Coleman was pronounced dead at the scene while the woman he was with was transported to a nearby hospital for undisclosed injuries.

“Black in America” was part of a compilation album called “We’re All in the Same Gang,” which preached a message of anti-violence. The song was released at the dawn of the 1990s hip-hop era and rose to prominence with help from airplay on the MTV video program “Yo! MTV Raps,” which aired from the late 1980s through the mid-'90s.

The Associated Press reported Coleman’s sister, Irene, said the rapper worked with young people to steer them away from gangs.

A number of fans posted messages on social media and YouTube Sunday, thanking the rapper for his music. Coleman was 47.

Christopher Zara is a senior writer who covers media and culture. News tips? Email me here. Follow me on Twitter @christopherzara.