Squeak, the Pivot Gang producer who helped define Chicago’s new out-West sound, has died at 26.
Representatives of Squeak have confirmed the news to Consequence. The Triibe reports that he died in a shooting.
Alongside daedae and Daoud, Squeak, aka squeakPIVOT, provided in-house production for Pivot Gang projects such as the 2019 album You Can’t Sit with Us. Earlier this summer he collaborated with MfnMelo on the En Route EP.
Squeak found inspiration in Chicago hip-hop from the 1990s, especially artists who grew up in the artistically vibrant but often overlooked West Side of the city. “I grew up listening to a lot of Crucial Conflict, Do or Die, and Twista,” he said in a 2017 interview. “You know, all that West Side shit. I low-key I realized I had a West Side sound when I was listening to old Twista tapes, I listened to the high-hats in his songs. I started to realize all of his hits had a certain rhythm to them, and it was just like something I studied and once I kind of perfected it, I realized, ‘Ok, this is how people will know I’m from out West.’ When I play people my music they be like ‘Oh you can really tell it’s you.’ They don’t know how to explain it, but they feel that West Side vibe.”
Many artists took to social media to mourn his passing. “God bless squeak and every one that loves him,” Chance the Rapper wrote. “Great man.”
The Chicago producer Thelonious Martin added, “Rest in power Squeak. Love to all of Pivot Gang.” Joey Purp said, “Pivot Gang my whole heart witchu family.”
Check out some of the tributes, and stream the En Route EP, below.
God bless squeak and every one that loves him Great man 🕊
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) August 17, 2021
Rest in power Squeak.
Love to all of Pivot Gang.
— Thelonious Martin (@KingThelonious) August 17, 2021
Rest in Heaven Squeak. Pivot Gang my whole heart witchu family
— Young Purple 🏁 (@JoeyPurps) August 17, 2021
