Freddie Gibbs, Bun B, Alchemist and several others have paid tribute to fashion icon Chris “Spanto” Printup, who has passed away at the age of 42.
On Wednesday (June 28), Alex “2Tone” Erdmann, who co-founded Born X Raised with Spanto, shared the following statement on Instagram: “Spanto was in a car accident on June 25. He passed away at 7:56am local time, June 28 in Albuquerque.
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“He leaves behind his wife Anna and three children Marilyn, Carter and David, a sister, three brothers, his mother, step mother, and step father, his beloved grandparents, his family at Born X Raised, his extended native family, the city of Los Angeles that he loved and championed, and an extensive network of true friends.”
You can read Erdmann’s statement below:
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Spanto became a beloved figure in Los Angeles over the past decade. After Born X Raised was launched in 2013, the streetwear brand quickly became a staple of local culture and has been closely associated with the metropolis and its distinct style ever since.
“I grew up in Los Angeles in the ’80s and ’90s, when the way you dressed was a very loud statement,” Spanto told Vogue earlier this month. “We wore our clothing like a suit of armor and a badge of courage. I keep and carry the same energy with me when I design my collections.”
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Following his untimely death, a number of public figures have expressed their grief and gratitude on social media.
Freddie Gibbs, who modeled for Born X Raised, wrote on Instagram: “One day Imma see u again I don’t know when but imma fuck the earth up until I do. #RIP #SPANTO.”
Bun B was in disbelief, writing: “Damn. Thought it was true. Then wasn’t. Now I know for sure. We lost a real one. Long Live Spanto. @bornxraised for life. Rest easy homie.”
Similarly, Alchemist expressed his struggles with Spanto’s passing, writing on Twitter: “I’ll never accept this. RIP Spanto. I love you.”
HipHopDX sends its condolences to Spanto’s family and friends.
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I’ll never accept this. RIP Spanto. I love you .
— Alchemist Type Beat (@Alchemist) June 28, 2023
In a recent collaboration with Levis, the Venice native paid tribute to his late father, who also died in a car accident in early 2023. Spanto often used his platform to elevate and honor those who helped shape him over his short lifetime.
“Growing up poor, you have to have an identity,” he said during an interview with Fuse last year. “You have to have something that you can call your own, because you don’t have material items.
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“What do you think of when you think of starving artists? My family was always in a constant state of transition. We grew up not with a lot of money, but we grew up surrounded by a lot of deep, rich culture in terms of music, art, food.”
Check out more reactions to Spanto’s tragic passing below:
Spanto I watched you grow from a kid to a legend. There’s a giant hole in every one of our lives now. Know that I’m here for your kids and your family the way you were for mine. They will always be loved and protected and their Uncle Machete will always be a phone call away.… pic.twitter.com/vlSOjb0QBP
— Danny Trejo (@officialDannyT) June 28, 2023
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RIP TO THE HOMIE SPANTO! 💔🙏🏽😔 pic.twitter.com/2JhcA0hLT1
— BEN BALLER™ (@BENBALLER) June 28, 2023
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RIP SPANTO
— kennybeats (@kennybeats) June 28, 2023
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RIP Spanto. I got the privilege to interview him in 2017 about the Cortez in LA and it's one of my favorite convos ever. I saw him at ComplexCon that year and wanted to go up and say hi, but this was early in my career and felt nervous and didn't. Gonna regret it forever. pic.twitter.com/Samoyg5uZa
— Matthew Welty (@MatthewJWelty) June 28, 2023
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