Hip-hop fans have reluctantly witnessed many of the genre's gifted rappers leave the game in an untimely way. For rap enthusiasts, the death of their favorite emcee marks a sad day in the scope of their fandom. Murder, health problems and car accidents have altered the hip-hop world, taking the lives of one of its own and, many times, leaving fans with unanswered questions.

Tragedy has struck more often than not since hip-hop was born in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1973. West Coast icon Tupac Shakur, TLC's rhyming member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and the "Overweight Lover" Heavy D immediately come to mind when looking back on tragic deaths in hip-hop. Find out the details on how 10 rap figures have passed away unexpectedly, leaving fans yearning just to hear them spit one more verse. R.I.P.

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