A member of Nelly’s rap crew died of gunshot wounds Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri last week- eleven days after being gunned down.
Up-and-coming rapper Ortega Henderson, 25, was known on the streets and in the game as “Tega.” In addition to his affiliation with Nelly’s St. Lunatics crew and rapper Murphy Lee, Henderson was set to release an album with St. Louis-based crew Da Camp. Little is known as of yet about the May 16th shooting, but fellow St. Lunatics rapper Kyjuan Cleveland spoke to press regarding Henderson’s struggle to escape the streets and rise above his past. Cleveland said:
“He got mixed up in the streets, but he was so talented, we thought we could pull him out of it. He was on the right path for a minute, but times are hard and he started getting around the wrong people.”
Tega’s past brushes with the law include weapons charges and felony vehicle tampering. A memorial for friends and family was held last week, and funeral services are planned for Thursday, June 4th. Details of the upcoming service have not been released to the public.