The Life of Lil Peep

Gustav Elijah Åhr, also known as Lil Peep, was an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and model. He was born November 1st 1996, considered one of the most popular members of GothBoiClique (an emo rap collective). He started releasing music in 2014 on SoundCloud, and was known for his emo pop music, meaningful lyrics, and was an inspiration to outcasts and many prominent artists. 

Lil Peep was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and raised in Long Island, New York. Peep lived with his mom and older brother growing up. His dad was in and out of his life. When Peep started going to school, he didn’t talk to others much; he preferred being alone. After his parents divorced when he was 14, he started getting into trouble at school. Shortly after, he got expelled for bad behavior and bad academic performance. Peep admitted that his childhood was rough, he struggled with depression, and he expressed it in most of his songs. 

    As a teen, Peep listened to GothBoiClique a lot, and looked up to the group’s artists. He never thought he would ever join them. Peep officially started his career in 2015, releasing his first mix-tape called “Lil Peep: Part 1.”  It caught a lot of attention. Soon his videos would have millions of views on YouTube. After seeing all the positive feedback, he quickly got to work and released his second ever mix-tape in December that same year titled “Live Forever.” In less than 9 months he would release 4 more mix-tapes. 

On September 25, 2016, it was announced that Lil Peep was officially a part of GothBoiClique. GothBoiClique was formed in 2013 by artists Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Cold Heart, and Horse head. The group contained ten members but currently has eight now, because of Lil Peeps passing and Horse Head leaving in 2020. 

On June 25, 2016 , the group released a debut collective mixtape called, “Yeah It’s True.” Lil Peep was very close with an artist in the group called Lil Tracy. He released many mixtapes and songs in collaboration with him. Although he had a good relationship with everyone in the group, it was rumored that Peep would leave GothBoiClique after his tour ended in November 2017. 

Peep talked about his darkest thoughts in his music, lines like, “I got a feelin’ that I’m not gonna be here for next year,” and “I don’t want to die alone right now, but I admit I do sometimes.” These are just two examples of things he said in his songs. His lyrics resonated with sad teens that found joy in his music. Peep never hid his feelings. He rapped about his depression and his thoughts about life. His music helped fans know they were not alone if they felt the way he did. 

Lil Peep died on November 15th, 2017, at age 21 in Tucson, Arizona, because of an accidental drug overdose. He was set to perform that night, but was found dead in his tour bus. He was taken to the hospital by his friends, but did not make it.