Summary Rapper was in a car on Chicago's South Side when unidentified assailant shot him in the head
CHICAGO (AFP) - King Louie, the Chicago rapper credited with coining the term "Chiraq" to describe the city s sometimes violent streets, has been shot and wounded.
The rapper was in a car Wednesday on Chicago s South Side when an unidentified assailant approached and shot him in the head, police said.
It was unclear the extent of his injuries but the Chicago Sun-Times quoted a member of his management saying the rapper was "awake and talking."
Soon after the shooting, King Louie s Instagram account showed a picture of him with three children in front of a Christmas tree as he promised to care for them "as long as I m living."
King Louie, whose real name is Louis Johnson and also goes by the stage name King L, has been a prominent figure in the drill music scene that emerged several years ago in the Midwestern metropolis along with controversial rapper Chief Keef.
Drill music takes the hard-driving beats of trap -- a type of hip-hop originating in the Southern United States -- but brings in especially dark lyrical content about street life.
King Louie was tapped by Chicago-bred rap superstar Kanye West for his drill-influenced album "Yeezus," with their politically charged collaboration "New Slaves" nominated for the 2014 Grammy for Best Rap Song.
King Louie s 2012 album "Showtime" culminated in the track "Chiraq Playaz," the title a portmanteau of Chicago and Iraq.
Director Spike Lee recently released a film entitled "Chi-Raq" that satirizes gang violence in Chicago using elements of classic Greek comedy.
The film by New York-based Lee has upset some in Chicago, with politicians urging him to change the name and one of the city s leading hip-hop artists, Chance The Rapper, calling it exploitative.
Chance The Rapper voiced hope for King Louie s recovery, tweeting: "Send prayers to him in his battle."
