As the cliché goes, a star that shines twice as bright burns out twice as fast. Sadly, that was certainly the case with 21-year-old Atlanta rapper Chase Amick, better known by his stage name 6 Dogs.
On Jan. 26, 6 Dogs was found dead in Atlanta. While the cause of death is still unconfirmed, the No Jumper podcast, a show dedicated to underground rappers, reported that the cause of death was suicide.
6 Dogs had struggled with his mental health for quite a long time, and said on multiple occasions that music was the only reason that he was still alive.
“It’s just getting everything out there. I had a therapist at one point and that’s nice, being able to tell things to someone, but when you tell things to literally everyone on the internet, it’s amazing,” 6 Dogs said during an interview with Masked Gorilla. “It’s like having a million therapists.”
His music often referenced suicide, depression and other dark topics that shed light on his personal struggles. While his death was undoubtedly an avoidable tragedy, for many it didn’t come as a shock.
6 Dogs’ roots were different than most rappers, which may be the reason why his music is so unique. He grew up listening almost exclusively to Christian music and wasn’t exposed to more mainstream rap until he began creating his own tracks.
While he was mostly unknown to the mainstream, 6 Dogs was recognized as a rising star with unlimited potential by the underground rap community. Big names such as Benny Blanco and Lil Skies praised his talent, and he was able to secure a record deal at 18 years old from Interscope Records.
His music, which draws heavily from trap beats and instrumentals, was known for the unique way it stood out among a saturated genre of sad trap and was undoubtedly on the come up.
The mix of emotion, instrumentals and his tone of voice created something outside the mainstream sad trap genre that hit home with many listeners.
“Faygo Dreams,” 6 Dogs’ most popular song, now has over 100 million plays on Spotify. His next two most popular songs, “Off The Gas” and “Buttcheeks,” each have 25 million plays on Spotify.
What makes 6 Dogs’ music so unique is the fact that, while he admitted that even he often didn’t know what the words were about, his low-fi-esque soundtracks and hypnotic voice allow the listener to fill in their own meaning. 6 Dogs’ music makes the perfect soundtrack for a long drive on a rainy day.
After his passing, fellow musicians took to Twitter to pay their respects.
“Rip 6 dogs. real underground legend. made it all the way to benny blanco off of some internet rap songs. forever the goat,” Lil Aaron tweeted.
“He may have been ur favorite rapper 6dogs,” Benny Blanco tweeted. “but to me he was one of the kindest, toe painting, star gazing, art making, day dreaming, thoughtful, warmest souls i had ever met.”
If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
