Joshua Ribera
Depzman aka Depz | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joshua Ribera |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | 10 August 1995 Birmingham, England |
| Died | 21 September 2013 (aged 18) Birmingham, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2010–2013 |
Joshua Ribera (10 August 1995 – 21 September 2013), performing as Depzman, was a British rapper, considered by some "a leading artist on the UK grime scene." Joshua featured on some of the largest music channels on YouTube that showcase grime music all across the UK, from JDZMedia, P110 and, the largest out of them all, SB.TV.[1] Ribera was stabbed in the heart outside of a Birmingham nightclub by Armani Mitchell. He was 18 years old.[2]
Life
Ribera was born in Solihull on 10 August 1995, to Alison Cope and Anselm Ribera, who was convicted of murder in 2009.[3] He became serious about music after being sentenced to a young offender institution, gaining a name for himself in the grime genre.[3] In 2012 he took part in the "Lord of the Mics" battle-rap competition in London.[4] His only album, 2 Real, was released in July 2013, and reached number 1 on the iTunes hip hop chart.[3]
Death
On 20 September 2013, Ribera attended a memorial tribute at a Selly Oak nightclub held for a friend, Shamz, who had died exactly 1 year earlier after being stabbed in the leg. Ribera himself was stabbed at the event. He died on 21 September 2013 after being stabbed in the heart. In March 2014, his killer, Armani Mitchell, was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 18 years.[5]
Discography
- 2 Real (2013)
References
- ^ "Selly Oak murder: Depzman album tops iTunes hip hop chart after death". Birmingham Mail. 22 September 2013.
- ^ "Rapper Depzman stabbed to death after Kyle Sheehan tribute". BBC. 21 September 2013.
- ^ a b c "'He said I love you. The next time I saw him, he was dead'". The Guardian. 12 August 2017.
- ^ Depzman vs Kdot (full clash), Levi Mills YouTube Channel, posted 22 March 2015, accessed 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Armani Mitchell found guilty of murdering Joshua Ribera". Birmingham Mail. 27 March 2014.