Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana rapper Young Bleed, a pioneering voice in Southern hip-hop and an early collaborator of Master P’s No Limit Records, has died at the age of 51. His death, confirmed by his eldest son Ty’Gee Ramon Clifton on social media, follows a week-long battle after suffering a brain aneurysm.
“RIP to the biggest legend I know… Young Bleed!!! Love u Dad so much and will definitely miss u,” Clifton wrote in an emotional Instagram post. “I’mma carry the torch from here. I got u.”
A Sudden Loss After a Career-Defining Comeback
According to Clifton, the Baton Rouge-born artist — born Glenn Clifton Jr. — collapsed after performing at the Cash Money vs. No Limit Verzuz event at ComplexCon in Las Vegas in late October. The performance marked a reunion of Louisiana’s most influential rap figures, a nostalgic nod to the state’s golden era of hip-hop in the late 1990s.
Clifton said his father was placed on a ventilator and spent several days in intensive care before passing away on Saturday, November 1. He also confirmed the legitimacy of a GoFundMe page set up to assist with medical and funeral costs, urging fans to “keep his legacy alive.”
While Young Bleed had no major health complications, Clifton mentioned he had long managed high blood pressure, which may have contributed to the aneurysm.
From “How Ya Do Dat” to Hip-Hop History
Young Bleed rose to national fame in 1997 when his breakout track “How Ya Do Dat,” originally a collaboration with C-Loc, was remixed by Master P and featured on the soundtrack to I’m Bout It. The song became a Southern anthem, catapulting him to mainstream recognition and cementing Baton Rouge’s place in the national rap conversation.
Master P later helped him sign a major deal with Priority Records, where he released his debut album My Balls & My Word in 1998. The record debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and is still hailed as a Southern rap classic for its raw lyricism and soulful storytelling.
Throughout his career, Young Bleed released nine studio albums, collaborating with artists from Too $hort to Tech N9ne, and later launching his own independent label to nurture young Southern talent.
A Legacy Rooted in Baton Rouge
Fans and fellow artists have taken to social media to pay tribute to the late rapper. “Young Bleed was the blueprint,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Before Baton Rouge had Boosie or Kevin Gates, it had Bleed — smooth flow, deep stories, pure Louisiana soul.”
Music journalist Travis Nichols, who has chronicled Southern rap for The Source, called Young Bleed “a bridge between street authenticity and poetic consciousness — his sound defined a generation of Baton Rouge hip-hop.”
Carrying the Torch
As his son promised to continue his father’s legacy, the Baton Rouge community is reflecting on how Young Bleed’s music — grounded in local pride and lyrical grit — helped shape the sound and spirit of Southern rap.
“He went out in style,” Clifton said, adding that his father’s final performance was “exactly how he would have wanted it — surrounded by his people, doing what he loved.”
Young Bleed is survived by his children, including Ty’Gee Ramon Clifton and a 10-year-old son, and by countless fans who saw in him a storyteller of the South — one whose music, much like his name, will never fade.
