News of May 15, 2001
Prince Ital Joe Dies in a Car Accident in Arizona
In mid-May 2001, reggae rapper Prince Ital Joe died in an accident. He had recorded with 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, and Daz. He was 38 years old.
Reggae rapper Prince Ital Joe is dead. As AllHipHop reported in mid-May 2001, he was killed in an accident on a highway in Arizona on his way home to Los Angeles. He was 38 years old. After a tire blowout, he was thrown from the vehicle, and according to the police report, he was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver remained unhurt, while another passenger was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
From Dominica to Hollywood
Prince Ital Joe was originally from the Caribbean island of Dominica and lived as a devout Rastafarian in Los Angeles. For more than ten years, he ran the cultural shop Jah Juice at the corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga Boulevard. His first single Poverty Sucks reached number 1 on the British reggae charts in 1986, and his album with Marky Mark reached the top spot in Germany in 1994. In the studio, he recorded with 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, and Coolio, among others. An album on the Status Records label had been announced for June, featuring guest appearances by Coolio, Daz, and Yo-Yo.
Prominent figures from the entertainment industry attended the memorial service at Forest Lawn cemetery, including Steven Seagal, alongside whom he had acted in Marked for Death. Dr. Dre called him the “true Rasta reggae rapper”.