Christian Hip-Hop Artist Tyler Smith (tylerhateslife) Dies in Motorcycle Accident

Christian hip-hop star Tyler Smith, better known as tylerhateslife, died in a motorcycle crash after hitting a deer Tuesday morning in Salem. Tyler was 28 years old, had three sons, five siblings, and a new fiance, Savannah. 

Tyler was a local artist, worship leader and mental health advocate. Loved ones say he lived each day based on a bible verse in the book of John. The mother of his sons says he will be truly missed.

"Thank you for giving me the best gift that I could ever have in these boys," said Mallory Smith, ex-wife of the victim.

During the final weeks of Tyler's life, he was out on the street filming videos while ministering to strangers and playing his music. He frequently dove into subjects that resonated with people of faith and outside it. That's how he garnered over half a million social media followers and half a million monthly listeners a month. His biggest track, "mental health." is closing in on 9 million plays on Spotify alone.

Tyler was signed to Rapzilla Records and Justin Sarachik of the site and label wrote this in his eulogy: "Knowing Tyler and talking to him, was like trying to catch energy with your bare hands. That's why you can classify his music and artistry as lightning in a bottle. Tyler wasn't quite a rapper, wasn't just a singer, wasn't necessarily just a songwriter - he was everything all at once. He was genreless. He didn't particularly care if you liked what he was doing, he knew, that whatever he was working on would reach the person it was supposed to." 

"Hundreds and thousands of comments have been pouring in on social media since the news broke," continued Justin. "Every single one is talking about how his music brought them out of a tough time or how a personal interaction with him turned their situations around. That is impact. It's the kind of impact we can hope and dream of leaving on this Earth. He's gone, but his music, his impact, and his legacy live on forever."

 

 

 

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