Rapper OG Maco, whose real name is Benedict Chiajulam Ihesiba Jr., is no more. He died on December 27, 2024, aged 32. The rapper, best known for his 2014 bubbling hit “U Guessed It,” had just returned home from a two-week stay at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. He was taken to the hospital after shooting himself in the head. Shortly after release, it emerged that though he was initially considered stabilized, his condition started deteriorating until he breathed his last with his family in attendance. His death has marked the end of a life shadowed by creativity, resilience, and deep struggles.
The case of his hospitalization was just so shocking and tragic: On the evening of December 12, neighbors dialed emergency services after hearing a gunshot from Maco’s home. When authorities arrived, they found him unresponsive, lying with a firearm next to him. Very soon, it was clear that the wound was self-inflicted. Doctors fought for his life, but his injuries were just too grievous.
I can only imagine that this must have read to his followers, anyone following his career and personal journey, a cruel punctuation on a life riddled with challenges. In 2019, Maco revealed he had been fighting necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacterial infection which grotesquely scarred his face and scalp. What started off as an uncared-for rash spiraled out of control into a possibly life-threatening condition.
Maco has spoken candidly about what he has gone through- both physically and emotionally. He admitted that the recovery process, in one way or another, seemed to alienate him, with visible scars always seeming to be more newsworthy than his work at hand.
But his battles didn’t stop with health. Maco’s breakout success with “U Guessed It” proved both a blessing and a curse. Overnight, it seemed, the track was everywhere, thanks to a viral sensation, yet as the buzz had died away, the heavy need for follow-ups from the industry put him into feeling stifled and misunderstood. He often discussed how constraining being box-included into just one genre was, let alone with no support from either the label or the whole industry.
Maco was never content with fitting neatly into hip-hop’s expectations: he wanted to experiment, push the boundaries of what the genre could create, and make art that danced beyond the constraints of trends. “He was ahead of his time,” another artist wrote on Instagram, reflecting on the singular energy that Maco brought to his work. Maco wasn’t afraid to take risks, and that’s what made him so special. He challenged the rules.
In a touching family statement, Maco is remembered as “a son, a brother and a fighter” who created and cared. “If you’re inclined,” they said, ” please take some time today to remember Maco’s creative drive and the beautiful gift he left behind for the entire world to enjoy. We encourage you all to speak of him and his talents on and offline.” Tributes then poured in all over social media, with hashtags such as #RIPOGMaco trending as fans and those within the peer circle shared in expressing their grief.
Many among them said his openness about his struggles with mental health and physical challenges gave them strength in their own battles.
OG Maco’s death serves as a reality check regarding the pressures which artists face. Behind every fame and showbiz mask are real human beings with real problems and a lot of pain. In his case, health issues, professional setbacks, and public judgment proved to be too heavy to bear. His passing reignites the call for mental health discussions in the entertainment industry and demands for better support mechanisms for artists.
OG Maco really left a legacy through the years of struggles: one of audacity and genuineness. Never did he grow afraid to show the unpolished and raw parts of himself through the music he put out or candid, introspective contemplation about his life.
