A rising star within the Latin music community has passed away at the age of 24. Kevin Fret, who was regarded as the first openly gay artist within the Latin trap music genre, was shot and killed in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the early hours of Thursday, Jan. 10. According to Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día, Fret was shot and killed while riding his motorcycle at approximately 5:30 a.m. local time. Authorities are investigating the incident, El Nuevo Día reports. In a statement issued by his manager and obtained by E! News, Eduardo Rodriguez shared, "Kevin was an artistic soul, a big-hearted dreamer. His passion was music, and still had a lot to do. This violence must stop. There are no words that describe the feeling we have and the pain that causes us to know that a person with so many dreams has to go. We must all unite in these difficult times, and ask for much peace for our beloved Puerto Rico."<doc-sep>Puerto Rican rapper Kevin Fret was a rising star in the Latin trap scene. (CNN) — Rapper and LGBT activist Kevin Fret was shot to death Thursday as he rode a motorbike in Puerto Rico, CNN affiliate Noticentro.tv reported. The 24-year-old Puerto Rican was renowned as the first openly gay artist in the Latin trap genre. Novicentro.tv reported local police as saying he was killed as he rode through the capital, San Juan. Fret’s death is part of a wave of violence affecting the island of an estimated 3.3 million people, the broadcaster said, with 24 murders so far this year. Fret was killed in the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan around 5.20 am, it said. The artist regularly addressed fans through his Facebook page and was outspoken on issues affecting the LGBT community. His most recent video, Soy Así, has more than 700,000 views on YouTube. Defined as a sub-genre of Spanish-language hip hop, Latin trap has become a hugely popular musical genre in Latin America, the US and Spain. It has come in for criticism from some quarters for its misogynistic and macho attitudes. Fret had previously complained of abuse and harassment that he claimed were due to his sexuality. In the aftermath of his death, the Puerto Rico Trans Youth Coalition said in a Facebook post that Fret’s murder “could be described as a hate crime.” “With his colorful and empowered show, Fret disobeyed many of the expectations of hegemonic masculinity that dominate the trap genre,” the post continues. “Kevin broke many barriers and served as a necessary representation, denouncing without filter the homophobia of colleagues in artistic scenes notorious for their machismo and misogyny.” The alleged link between Fret’s death and homophobia may be symptomatic of a wider issue in Puerto Rico. “Homophobia is deeply rooted in our country and represents a formidable factor of discrimination, marginality and exclusion,” wrote researcher Palmira N. Ríos González in the preface to a book on homophobia published by the Puerto Rican Civil Rights Commission. “In fact, it appears that homophobia persists as a socially acceptable prejudice.” Puerto Rico police are worried about an evolution in criminal behavior, according to a report by Noticentro.tv, with many killings occurring in public places during daylight hours, posing a greater threat to members of the public. Novicentro.tv reports that the killings are part of a war between drug gangs. CNN has so far been unable to reach the Puerto Rico police for comment on Fret’s death.<doc-sep>Kevin Fret, known as the first openly gay Latin trap artist, was shot and killed in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico Thursday morning. He was 24 years old. El Nuevo Dia reported that Fret was shot multiple times while riding a motorcycle around 5:30 a.m. local time. He died at the Medical Center of Río Piedras. His death is currently under investigation. The Puerto Rican artist gained popularity after releasing his single “Soy Asi” on April 7, 2018. He was also featured on Mike Duran’s song “Diferente” on July 18, 2018. The music videos have received more than 900,000 and 2 million views on YouTube, respectively. Fret was popular on social media and the LGBTQ community for his music and unabashed gender-variant style. His fierce personality and vibrant fashion matched his powerfully infectious trap lyrics. In a statement to Remezcla, Fret’s manager, Eduardo Rodriguez, said “Kevin was an artistic soul, a dreamer with a big heart. His passion was music, and he still had a lot left to do. This violence should stop. There are no words to describe our emotions and the pain that it causes us to know that a person with so many dreams has to go. We should all unite in these difficult times, and ask for lots of peace for our beloved Puerto Rico.”<doc-sep>Kevin Fret, known by many as the first openly gay Latin trap artist, was shot and killed in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Billboard has confirmed. He was 24 years old. El Nuevo Dia reports Fret was shot on his motorcycle around 5:30 a.m. local time and later died at the Medical Center of Río Piedras. In an official press statement, Fret's manager, Eduardo Rodriguez states: "Kevin was an artistic soul, a big-hearted dreamer. His passion was music, and still had a lot to do. This violence must stop. There are no words that describe the feeling we have and the pain that causes us to know that a person with so many dreams has to go. We must all unite in these difficult times, and ask for much peace for our beloved Puerto Rico."<doc-sep>
Kevin Fret, a Puerto Rican-born trap artist, died Thursday, local reports and police said. He was 24. The singer was shot while riding on a motorcycle in Santurce, a district of San Juan, The New York Times reported. Police are searching for another man who fled the scene. CBS News correspondent David Begnaud tweeted the singer was the “22nd person to die this year in gun violence on the island.” Police did not release the name of the man shot but his manager, Eduardo Rodriguez, confirmed Fret's death to Billboard. “Kevin was an artistic soul, a big-hearted dreamer. His passion was music, and still had a lot to do," Rodriguez said in a statement. "This violence must stop. There are no words that describe the feeling we have and the pain that causes us to know that a person with so many dreams has to go. We must all unite in these difficult times, and ask for much peace for our beloved Puerto Rico.” Fret gained popularity in Puerto Rico and dubbed himself the first openly gay Latin trap artist. “I’m going to act like I don’t give a d--- about what anybody has to say, with my blonde hair, my black nails, showing my stomach, glittery from head to toe,” Fret told Paper magazine in an interview published in April. “Young gay guys or young lesbians … are looking at me now like a role model, like wow, if he did it, and he don’t care what anybody else has to say, I can do it.” The singer rose to popularity with his 2018 single “Soy Asi.” In June, he was charged with battery after he allegedly got into a fight with a man in Miami, NBC Miami reported. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fret's death comes as after the island's top FBI official, Special Agent in Charge Douglas Leff, said Puerto Rico was facing a "crisis of violence," CBS News reported.