Nigerian reggae icon, Ras Kimono, has died, sources close to the musician confirmed to Qed.ng.
He was said to have taken ill on Saturday on his way to the US a few weeks after celebrating his 60th birthday.
Friends rushed him to a hospital in Ikeja from where he was transferred to Lagoon Hospital in Ikoyi.
He died on Sunday morning.
Tony Okoroji and other members of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) were on their way to the hospital as at the time of filing this report.
Born Ekeleke Onwubuya, Kimono started out his career, firstly as a student of Gbenoba Secondary School, Agbor in Delta State and later as a member of the legendary Jastix Reggae Ital alongside Majek Fashek, Amos McRoy Jegg and Black Rice Osagie.
His music, tagged rub-a-dub, was greatly influenced by the poverty, inequality and hardship he witnessed in his early life.
He released his solo debut album Under Pressure on the Premier Music label in 1989, which propelled him to instant continental stardom.
The album had hits like ‘Under pressure’, ‘Rasta Get Jail’ and the massive hit ‘Rhumba style’.
He later released a string of hit albums, touring all over Africa, Europe and the USA promoting his brand of reggae music.
