Tenessee rapper Brikks was killed on Saturday after three men invaded his home and shot him to death. A friend that he was with, Josquin Jackson, also sustained gun wounds and lies in critical condition at Erlanger Hospital.
Thirty-three year-old Brikks, whose real name was Henry Brown, IV, was sitting in his living room with Jackson when another man, Dexter Talley, showed up, presumably to visit. According to Jackson, Talley left minutes later to “get his cell phone” from the car. Talley came back with two other armed men and proceeded to duct tape Brown and Jackson’s wrists. The two were robbed of their jewelry, wallets, and keys.
From the hospital bed, Jackson told police that one of the men “became agitated” during the robbery and shot Brikks in the chest. Jackson got into a scuffle with one of the men and was shot three times. He told police that he laid still on the floor so that the intruders would think he was dead, and they left without shooting him again. Jackson then went outside to get help. By the time the police arrived, Brikks was already dead.
Brikks was one half of the duo, Pinney Woods, which also included partner Travis Moore, also known as Mobb. Signed to Black Ice Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, the group was successful in their endeavors, even sharing the stage with other groups such as Outkast, 8Ball & MJG, and the YoungBloodZ.
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The local rap community in Tennessee said that the duo was bound for stardom.
“It doesn’t help that it happened to this guy, who was doing particularly well with his career and was on the brink of making it,” said local rapper J-Hubb to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. “They actually were past the point of trying to make it. They had just walked in the door so to speak.”
Local artist Madd Dreams said that the killing was probably a product of jealousy over the success of Brikks. He plans to write a tribute song about the murder.
“I feel like somebody had a grudge against them because they were on. Because they were doing better than somebody else,” he said.
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Police have found and arrested 28 year-old Dexter Talley, who is now facing charges of felony murder, aggravated robbery, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated assault in connection with Saturday night’s shooting.
