Jamaican dancehall artist and actor Louie Rankin was killed in a car crash on Monday in Ontario, Canada.
Rankin is probably best known for his role as Ox in the 1998 film “Belly,” starring Nas and DMX, where he played a big-time drug dealer.
TMZ reports that Rankin’s vehicle collided with a truck on Highway 89, and there was another vehicle involved as well. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and a photo of the collision showed Rankin’s vehicle completely mangled. But the driver of the truck didn’t suffer any injuries.
Nas acknowledged Rankin’s death on Monday night and posted a photo of themselves standing with DJ Khaled. The shot is from Rankin’s appearance in the video for the New York rapper’s song “Nas Album Done,” off Khaled’s 2016 “Major Key” album.
“Louie Rankin. Great working with this man,” wrote Nas. “A legend. In Belly you stole the show. “You Wana Rump with bombaclot me??!” In @djkhaled video Nas Album Done, your presence was super live wire much needed. RIP Don Dada.”
Meanwhile, Khaled posted a series of Rankin photos to his Instagram page and said the two were longtime friends.
“Bless up my brother @louie_Rankin,” wrote Khaled on Monday. “Friends over 20 years friendship. From shottas and forever ! Love and prayers for your family.”
Born in Jamaica as Leonard Forbes, Rankin scored a dancehall hit in 1992 with the song “Typewriter.” And besides “Belly,” he appeared in the 2002 film “Shottas,” as well as 2014’s “We Run These Streets.” And he often referred to himself as the “Original Don Dada.”
“I was hoping this was all bullshit,” wrote someone under Nas’ post about the news of Rankin’s death.
In the last post Rankin shared, which was on Monday, the actor stated he was in Canada to shoot a film.
