Celebrity News

The Jacka Dead, Bay Area Rapper Killed In Oakland Shooting

The Jacka

The Jacka, whose real name is Dominic Newton, was killed in a shooting which took place last night in East Oakland.

The 37-year-old Bay Area rapper’s death was confirmed by KPIX 5 reporter Christin Ayers, CBS 5KPIX reported on February 2, 2015. The report indicated that no suspects have been identified.

Witnesses indicated that they had heard several shots fired around 8:15 p.m. PST on MacArthur Boulevard near 94th Avenue.

Newton, who was born in Pittsburg, California, began his rap career in the late 1990s as a member of Bay Area hip-hop group Mob Figaz, CBS Local San Francisco reported.

SF Station reports that Jacka curated a loyal Bay Area following with his grimey street rhymes, mix tapes, album releases and features on numerous tracks by other artists. The late rapper released a hit in 2009 titled “Glamorous Lifestyle” which featured Fillmore’s Andre Nickatina; the track was produced by Traxamillion.

Earl Stevens, a Bay Area legend in the rap game who is better known by his stage name E-40, tweeted about the late rapper from his Twitter account as he said that the Bay had lost a “humble & talented” rapper.

Oakland’s very own 33-year-old Stanley Petey Cox, who is better known by his stage name Mistah F.A.B., discussed The Jacka’s death with KTVU FOX 2 in an interview which was published on YouTube. Mr. Cox and the recently deceased had been friends for seventeen years, according to the KTVU video report.

FAB tweeted about his interview in which he said that he was “speaking on my brother THE JACK” to his more than 114,000 Twitter followers.

The Jacka converted to Islam at a young age and subsequently changed his name to Shaheed Akbar, according to his page on Wikipedia. The late musician owned his own label, The Artist Records, and was associated with labels including Mob Figaz LLC and SMC Recordings. He’s associated with acts including the likes of Mac Dre, San Quinn, Andre Nickatina, Messy Marv, Spice-1, Baby Bash, Paul Wall, E-40 and others. His page on Wikipedia classifies his genre of music as gangsta rap, west coast hip-hop, and mobb music.

Oakland homicide Lt. Roland Holmgren indicated that the rapper was in a group of several people near a minivan when one or more individuals opened fire, shooting Newton in the head, SF Gate reported. The report indicated that local law enforcement had made no immediate arrests and the motive in the slaying was still unknown.

Back in 2005, Jacka told the Contra Costa Times that his father was locked up behind bars for 15 years and that he himself had served time in prison for grand theft and armed robbery. His rap alias, The Jacka, is a reference to his charges of carjacking. In the interview, he said that growing up poor was “really nothing because it’s a way of life, and you get used to it. Will you make it is the question.”

Investigators indicated that they were trying to determine whether Newton was a target or an unintended victim.

The city of Oakland is third on Forbes’ list of the top 10 most dangerous cities in the United States. Forbes cites high levels of poverty and proximity to drug corridors as variables contributing to a high level of violence in the city across the Bay from San Francisco. The city ranks first in the nation for violent robberies.

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