BloodHound Q50 Killed At 22 As Chicago Drill Loses Another Rising Voice

Chicago’s drill scene has lost another young artist at a time when his career was beginning to gain wider attention.

BloodHound Q50, born Mikquale Cooper, was fatally shot in the early hours of Sunday, September 13, 2026, in Chicago’s Fuller Park neighborhood. He was 22.

According to the preliminary police account, Q50 was sitting in the driver’s seat of a white Tesla at a BP gas station in the 4200 block of South Wentworth Avenue shortly before 4 a.m. when two vehicles pulled alongside him. Multiple gunmen then opened fire.

Q50 suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and shoulder and was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been announced, and a motive has not been publicly established.

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More Than Another Chicago Drill Rapper

Q50 had become part of the newer generation pushing Chicago drill forward.

He began taking music seriously around 2023 and developed a gritty sound built around street narratives, loyalty, loss and retaliation. His connection to the BloodHound movement also became an important part of his identity.

That connection was closely tied to Bloodhound Lil Jeff, who was killed in Chicago in 2024.

Following Lil Jeff’s death, Q50 released music that kept his name and legacy present within his own work. The two were also connected musically, with Lil Jeff appearing alongside Q50 on “Lemon Lime.”

For Q50, the music became part of how he represented his circle and the people he had lost.

“Get Back Or Die Trying” Was Released Weeks Before His Death

One of the most striking parts of Q50’s final chapter is how recently he released his latest album.

Get Back Or Die Trying arrived on August 6, 2026, just weeks before his death. The project contains nine tracks and runs for roughly 18 minutes. It was released through Signal Records under an exclusive license from Grade A Productions.

The album features tracks including “Hall of Fame,” “Top Shotta,” “Out the Dodge,” “Bloody Storm,” “Hobby,” “Lemon Lime,” “50 Did It,” “Too Stuck” and “Don’t Wanna Talk.”

The title now carries an unavoidable weight in hindsight.

Still, it would be wrong to treat the title as some kind of prediction. It was the name of a project released while Q50 was alive and actively building his career.

His Career Was Moving Quickly

Q50’s rise had accelerated considerably.

He had already released multiple projects and singles while developing a following outside Chicago. His music had also begun reaching a wider audience through collaborations and appearances connected to the national hip-hop scene.

He appeared on music connected to artists such as Mozzy and EST Gee and had also performed at Rolling Loud Orlando.

By the time of his death, Q50 had built a substantial streaming audience. His Spotify profile had more than one million monthly listeners, showing how quickly his music had moved beyond a strictly local audience.

The VonOff1700 Fallout

Q50 also had a public history of collaborations and conflict with fellow Chicago rapper VonOff1700.

The two had previously worked together, including on “3 Headed Savage,” alongside Big Opp. Their relationship later became strained, with public online exchanges and accusations surrounding the fallout.

As tensions became more visible online, fans began paying closer attention to their respective posts, songs and responses.

That history is relevant when discussing Q50’s final period, but it is important not to turn online speculation into fact.

There is currently no verified evidence that the dispute with VonOff1700 was connected to Q50’s killing, and authorities have not publicly identified a motive.

What Happened At The Gas Station

The shooting happened just before 4 a.m. at the BP gas station on South Wentworth Avenue.

Preliminary police information indicates that two vehicles pulled alongside Q50’s Tesla. Multiple shooters then exited the vehicles and opened fire.

A preliminary report cited by local reporting says six gunmen fired more than 50 rounds during the ambush.

Q50 was struck in the chest and shoulder. Chicago Fire Department personnel responded, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The attackers fled the area, and detectives from Chicago Police Department Area 1 are investigating.

A firearm was reportedly recovered from inside the Tesla. However, that detail does not establish what happened inside the vehicle before or during the shooting.

His Final Hours

The timing of Q50’s death has also drawn attention because he was active on social media only hours before the shooting.

His final Instagram Story began circulating after news of his death, with fans looking back at his final posts and trying to understand what happened.

But social media posts made before a killing do not establish a motive or prove that the victim knew an attack was coming.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Another Loss For Chicago Drill

Q50’s death adds to a long list of young Chicago artists whose lives have been cut short by violence.

For the city’s drill scene, that cycle has become painfully familiar.

The music often reflects the environment these artists come from, including grief, conflict, loyalty and survival. At the same time, the success of artists like Q50 shows how Chicago drill continues to influence audiences far beyond the city.

His career was still developing.

His latest album had only been out for a little over a month.

And at 22, Q50’s story ended just as his music was beginning to reach a much larger audience.

The Investigation Continues

Chicago police have not announced any arrests in connection with the shooting, and authorities have not publicly established a motive.

As investigators work to identify the shooters and determine what led to the attack, online theories surrounding Q50’s death should be treated carefully.

For now, what is known is that Mikquale Cooper, known professionally as BloodHound Q50, was 22 years old when he was fatally shot in Fuller Park.

His latest project, Get Back Or Die Trying, now stands as one of the final releases from a young Chicago rapper whose career was still on the rise.