PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Hundreds came out to a vigil in Germantown Friday night to remember and celebrate rapper and Philadelphia native PnB Rock, who was killed earlier this week.
The vigil was held less than a week after Rock, real name Rakim Allen, was shot and killed during a robbery in Los Angeles. People filed into the intersection of Pastorious and Baynton streets in Germantown as his music played at top volume, while cars honked their horns and motorcyclists revved their engines.
His fans, including 17-year-old Anay and her twin sister, remember him as family, not just a celebrity.
"It just feels like family," said Anay. "You feel so heartbroken, like you never expected this." Her sister said he felt like a cousin.
"His spirit, his music, I loved everything about him," said DJ Finesse, who was at the vigil. He recalled a recent phone call with Rock.
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"I talked to him on a conference call with Nerve DJs. His energy was crazy, man, he was real hype. He was excited to put out new music. He was doing the 'On the Way' remix," he said.
His loss hits Germantown hard, said Tanya, a neighbor and friend, who explained the rapper was a community guy and this is where he was from.
"He had a big heart. He loved family, he loved friends," she said. "We all come out because he would have done that for us. He had a thing for his music but his family was first."
Tanya said Rock openly spoke out against violence. His being killed in a shooting is what hurts her most.
"He was against all that and it's so sad to me it happen to someone like him," she said. "When it hits this close to home, to someone who [doesn't] get into that type of stuff, it just really hits hard."