Gustav Elijah Åhr, known globally as Lil Peep, tragically passed away on November 15, 2017, shortly after his 21st birthday. His death, attributed to an accidental overdose, sent shockwaves through the music industry and his devoted fanbase. Lil Peep, an artist who rose to fame through Soundcloud, embodied the angst and vulnerability of a generation, making his untimely demise even more poignant. This article delves into the details surrounding how Lil Peep died, exploring the events leading up to his overdose and the lasting impact of his loss.
Lil Peep’s journey began as Gustav Åhr in Pennsylvania before moving to Long Island, New York. Born to two Harvard graduate parents who worked in education, his upbringing was far from the troubled persona he later adopted in his music. Despite familial support, Peep struggled with conventional schooling, ultimately graduating early at 17 in January 2014, thanks to the encouragement of a supportive teacher, according to his official website managed by his mother, Liza Womack. He then embraced the moniker Lil Peep, a childhood nickname given by his mother, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his burgeoning music career. His initial years in LA were marked by periods of homelessness as he navigated the challenging music scene. His breakthrough came when he connected with fellow rappers, forming the collective Schemaposse. This collaboration led to his first mixtape, Lil Peep Part One, released on Soundcloud in 2015. Within a year, Lil Peep’s popularity surged, marked by his first live performance in Tucson, Arizona, in March 2016. Tragically, his final tour concluded in the same city, Tucson, Arizona, where he was found dead in his tour bus.
Despite his short career, Lil Peep harbored ambitious dreams. As revealed in the documentary Lil Peep: Everybody’s Everything, Sarah Stenatt, CEO of First Access Entertainment (FAE), recalled a conversation where she questioned his aspirations. “I said ‘How big do you want to be? How far do you want to go?’ I said, ‘Do you want to play stadiums?’” Peep’s response was a resounding yes, indicating his desire for stadium-level success. The documentary further paints a picture of Peep as an incredibly generous individual, often offering his possessions, money, and even drugs to those around him, sometimes to his own detriment. His music resonated deeply with a young audience by tackling difficult subjects such as depression, anxiety, addiction, suicide, and heartbreak. In an interview with NME, Lil Peep’s genre was described as ‘emo rap or punk pop’, and he cited David Bowie as a major influence, expressing his ambition to become “the new Kurt Cobain.”
Lil Peep’s final tour, promoting his album Come Over When You’re Sober Pt. 1, spanned two months across the U.S., culminating in a scheduled performance in Arizona. Lil Peep: Everybody’s Everything highlights crucial details about the tour’s organization, including a complete change of the tour bus crew just days before it commenced. Adding to the unsettling premonitions, Peep posted a poignant message on Instagram the night before his death. The caption read, “I just wana be everybody’s everything I want too much from people but then I don’t want anything from them at the same time u feel me I don’t let people help me but I need help but not when I have my pills but that’s temporary one day maybe I’ll be happy? What is happy I always have happiness for like 10 seconds and then it’s gone. I’m getting so tired of this.” This post offered a chilling glimpse into his internal struggles and foreshadowed the tragedy to come.
The morning of November 15, 2017, a 911 call was placed from Lil Peep’s tour bus. The caller, a member of his entourage, reported, “I work with an artist, and he’s just completely out of it. He’s cold. He’s just knocked out. I don’t know what he’s taken.” When the dispatcher inquired about his breathing, the response was a concerning, “Not really, no.” Emergency responders guided the caller through CPR instructions until paramedics arrived, but tragically, Lil Peep was pronounced dead at the scene. The documentary Lil Peep: Everybody’s Everything includes a disturbing video clip from the tour bus, time-stamped and revealing. The footage begins during daylight, showing Peep slumped in his seat, neck at an unnatural angle. The video continues into the night, with Peep remaining in the same position. Disturbingly, five hours elapsed between these timestamps and the 911 call. This delay in seeking help raises serious questions about the circumstances surrounding his death and whether earlier intervention could have saved his life. Acquaintances interviewed in the documentary described the night as a ‘blur,’ further fueling suspicions about the events leading up to the overdose.
In the aftermath of his son’s death, Liza Womack, Lil Peep’s mother, initiated lawsuits against FAE, citing negligence and a disregard for Peep’s wellbeing, alleging they contributed to his drug use and failed to provide a safe environment. These legal battles are ongoing, reflecting the unresolved questions and grief surrounding his passing. While the lawsuits seek accountability, for many fans and loved ones, the answers remain elusive, deepening the tragedy of Lil Peep’s death.
Lil Peep’s meteoric rise and sudden fall within two short years left an undeniable void. His music, however, continues to resonate deeply with listeners worldwide. Even after his death, his songs offer solace and understanding to countless fans, speaking to their struggles and experiences with remarkable authenticity. Lil Peep’s legacy persists, not only through his music but also as a stark reminder of the pressures faced by young artists and the importance of mental health awareness within the music industry and beyond.
