Gustav Elijah, also known as Lil Peep, a famous emo rapper, was born on November 15, 1996. He was a part of a family of four: his dad, Karl Johan Ahr, his mom, Liza Womack, and his brother, Karl Ahr, until Peep was 15 and his parents got a divorce. Lil Peep’s dad coached both Peep and Karl’s sports, but after the divorce, he was very distant and estranged. Eventually, when Peep was 16, his dad fully cut off contact with the whole family. On the other hand, Lil Peep and his mother stayed very close after the divorce. When Lil Peep turned 14, he even ended up getting his first tattoo, which was his mother’s initials and birthday. Once Peep turned 17, he got diagnosed with depression, which ended up causing him to drop out of high school and run away to live in LA, California, to focus on his music career.
Lil Peep’s music career began in 2013, when he was 13, by releasing music on SoundCloud under the name Trap Goose. He later changed his rapper name to Lil Peep because his mother had called him Peep growing up. Peep had stated many times that music saved his life, as it provided a way to process his struggles with depression and addiction. So when he started making music, he set one goal for himself. The goal was to save others through his lyrics. Lil Peep began to go viral in 2015 when he released “Star Shopping.” To this day, that is still his top song, shortly followed by “Falling Down,” “White Tee,” “Right Here,” and “Save That Sh*t.” Lil Peep had 2 main tours, with 39 concerts. 12 shows on “THE PEEP SHOW TOUR” and 27 shows on “Come Over When You’re Sober Tour.”
While Lil Peep was on his “Come Over When You’re Sober Tour,” on November 15, 2017, he was found dead due to an overdose of the powerful medications Fentanyl, Benzodiazepine Alprazolam. He was found on his tour bus by his manager, Chase Ortega, right before his show in Tucson, Arizona. Only a few hours before his death, he posted a picture of pills on his tongue with the caption “F*ck It.” Lil Peep’s death led to a significant growth in his fan base, with his music experiencing new chart success. When Peep passed his manager, and others claimed that that was the happiest Lil Peep had been, and he was completely in shock when finding out the news of Peep’s death. At the end of the day, Lil Peep fulfilled his one goal in life.
I love Lil Peep’s music because his lyrics are relatable to me. I started listening to Lil Peep in the 6th grade, and to this day, I still love all his music, and he has been my top artist on Spotify for the past two years. Lil Peep’s lyrics saved me in ways I didn’t know I needed saving.