Nearly a month on from his passing, a coroner in the US state of Arizona has determined that upcoming rapper Lil’ Peep died of an accidental overdose of the pain-relief drug fentanyl and anti-anxiety medication Xanax.
Lil’ Peep, real name Gustav Åhr, was found dead on his tour bus on November 15, at the age of 21. At the time, authorities declared his death to be “suspicious”, on the basis that he was too young to die of natural causes, and there were drugs in his system.
Sergeant Pete Dugan of the Tuscon Police Department told Rolling Stone that investigators were “looking into … allegations that somebody was linked to his death,” adding that their conclusion would “really boil down to what was in his system.”
According to the official toxicology report, released this week by the Pima County Medical Examiner, Peep also tested positive for “marijuana, cocaine, Tramadol and a number of other powerful prescription opiates”, but no alcohol was fount in his system
Lil’ Peep was the son of Harvard-educated parents, and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17 to establish a career as a performer. His music was a fusion of emo and hip-hop, and his lyrics often dealt explicitly with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
He released an album, Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt I, in August of this year, and its lead track ‘Awful Things‘ charted for the first time two weeks after his death. In his final interview, published by Paper Magazine after his death, he said:
“People get me … People understand my message is positive and at the end of the day, I’m just here to make music that I enjoy and that other people enjoy. I think that’s why I have such a loyal fan base.”
If you or someone you know is dealing with a mental illness, call BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636. If you are in distress, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
