Dad of NYC drill rapper Jayquan McKenley says songs about son ‘mock’ his grief

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The father of a murdered New York City drill rapper said it has been impossible to grieve his son while others in the genre make a “mockery” of his death in their lyrics.

Perry Williams, whose son Jayquan McKenley, aka Chii Wvttz, was gunned down outside a Brooklyn recording studio in February 2022, said numerous songs have since come out taunting the 18-year-old victim — and even the dad.

“These people take this situation and turn it into a spectacle and it becomes a mockery to your family,” Williams, 40, told The Post.

“It is a burden. Just let these kids rest.”

Drill rap, a controversial sub-genre linked to local gangs, drugs and violence, has also earned a reputation as one of the most disrespectful categories of rap, in which not even the dead — or their families — are safe from ridicule.

Williams pointed to recent lyrics from Sha Ek — the stage name for 19-year-old rapper Chalim Perry, who has amassed more than 385,000 followers on Instagram and topped Billboard’s Heatseekers chart in September for his album “Face of The What.”

Sha Ek took aim at Williams in a snippet of his song “Bluff,” released last week, in which he sings, “Tell Chii pops/go get back for his son/because his friends ain’t do s–t/half of them ran when he got hit.”

Williams, who grew up in Harlem and the Bronx in the ’90s and now manages a handful of up-and-coming drill rappers, won’t be baited into revenge.


perry williams
Perry Williams said he has been unable to grieve the loss of his son while continuously hearing about it in drill rap songs.
Instagram @chii_wvttz_pops

“I take it as a form of disrespect,” he said. “I take it that I should go put my foot in your ass.

“I take it a million different ways, but how I act on it, I leave it alone.” 

Perry also referenced McKenley’s death in a March 2022 song, “Too Oppy,” in which he raps “When we hop out n—–s better hide/ New opp died now we screaming Chii.”

The word “opp” is commonly used in drill rap to refer to an opponent, often times a member of a rival gang, and Perry has repeatedly referenced his own affiliation with the OGz, a homegrown Bronx gang.


McKenley
McKenley’s father said numerous songs have come out about the slain rapper after his death.
C-HII WVTTZ/Instagram

Others rapping about McKenley’s death include Sugarhill Keem, whose real name is Rakeem McMillan; Sugarhill DDot, a stage name for Sugarhill lyricist Darrian Jimenez; and DD Osama, who sang, “Rah rah/Got hit in his brains/Chii had died/They ain’t do a thing” in his song “On Hots,” featuring Kay Flock Jr, whose real name is Kevin Perez.

Perez, 19, was indicted on federal murder, assault and racketeering charges alongside seven others in the “Sev Side” and “Third Side” Bronx gangs on Feb. 23.

He now faces life in prison, prosecutors said.

McKenley had ties to the Grape Street Watts Crips, a police source told The Post.

Police have not identified a motive in McKenley’s death.


Chalim Perry aka Sha Ek and PJ Glizzy
Chalim Perry, aka drill rapper Shak Ek, has rapped about Jayquan McKenley’s death.
YouTube

Meanwhile, Williams, who keeps his son’s cremated remains in his living room, said the emotional toll of his son’s death and the continuous harassment that followed has left him exhausted.

“I’m all cried out,” Williams said. “I want my son back. Crying ain’t going to get my son back. I want justice for my son.”

Meanwhile, Michael Alcazar, an adjunct criminal justice professor at John Jay College and retired NYPD detective, said the city should be paying more attention to the drill rap scene.

“Law enforcement should not take these lyrics lightly,” Alcazar said. “In this day and age, criminals are not afraid to post their thoughts their motives on social media. This would require proactive investigation on the part of detectives to prevent any potential harm to this witness.”

Cops are currently searching for drill rapper Richard Sharp — a self-described member of the Chicago-based Black Disciples gang — who is wanted for trying to remove guns from NYPD cops’ holsters.

Sharp, 24, who goes by the name “Famous Richard,” has taunted cops on TikTok, daring them to come get him and saying he’d be armed when they do.

“I’m not ducking no smoke, shorty,” he said in one brazen clip.

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