Alley Boy has passed away after a battle with kidney disease.
On Monday (July 20), Alley Boy’s daughter shared a carousel of photos in remembrance of her late father on her Instagram account. In one touching throwback picture, Alley Boy is holding her in his arms when she was just a toddler. The pic features the caption, “My baby LayLay.” In the second photo, her hand is lying on top of her father’s hand. She captioned that photo, “07-20-2026 [broken heart emoji],” seemingly confirming his passing.
Hours before his death, Alley Boy’s daughter pushed back on earlier reports that her father had died.
It was on Sunday (July 19) that reports surfaced on social media of the Atlanta rapper’s passing. Rappers like 21 Savage and Duct Tape Entertainment cofounder Big Bank confirmed the news with their heartfelt tributes. According to AllHipHop, he was 42.
Alley, whose real name is Curt Freeman, had been open about his battle with kidney disease and attributed the issues to his prior excessive use of Codeine cough syrup (also known as lean) in recent interviews. He started dialysis in 2023 and was going up to three times a week by 2024, pushing for a kidney transplant that did not transpire.
“I was put on dialysis a month ago…changed my whole life,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “WHAT WAS MEANT TO DESTROY ME WOKE ME UP NOW I KNOW MY PURPOSE… TELL MY STORY #INEEDAKIDNEY #FOREVERSCARED.”
Founding the Atlanta-based label Duct Tape Entertainment alongside Big Bank Black and securing distribution through Asylum Records, Alley made his debut with his mixtape Da Don in 2009. Over the years, he’s collaborated with the likes of Childish Gambino, Freddie Gibbs, Juicy J, Waka Flocka, Gucci Mane, and more and become a fixture of the southern hip-hop scene.
As news of his passing spread, Alley Boy’s peers flooded social media with tributes.
“The blueprint east Atlanta legend 4L!!!!!” 21 Savage wrote on his Instagram Story.
“One of the BEST out the city ever. Hands down! Alley Boy bless up!” DJ Scream wrote.
Ralo said on his story, “We don’t wanna see nothing but Alley Boy on our timeline today. Show him one and although he gone let’s keep him alive…”
You can view the tributes below.
See Alley Boy’s Daughter’s Touching Photos In Honor of Her Late Father
See Tributes to Alley Boy From 21 Savage, Ralo and More
See the Hip-Hop Artists We Lost in 2026
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