The Los Angeles artist’s death left fans grieving on social media.

‘Bodypartz’ rapper Luci4 dies at 23: ‘He was truly a leader’

The Los Angeles artist's death left fans grieving on social media.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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February 23, 2026 10:24 p.m. ET

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Rapper Luci4 has died. Credit:

Luci4/Instagram

Rapper Luci4 has died. He was 23.

The Los Angeles artist, whose real name was James Dear, died Sunday at a private residence, according to the the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. The cause is still under investigation.

Dear was best known for his single "Bodypartz," which has remained popular for years. As of Monday, the video had more than 4.3 million views on YouTube. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the track as gold in 2024.

Because of the song, Dear, who's also known as Axxturel, was signed by Atlantic Records, per *Billboard*. The influential artist had released multiple albums and singles over the past several years, including the album "VAMPMANIA 3" in 2025.**

Dear's manager made a statement Sunday:

"I am devastated to inform you that today James, Luci4, axxturel has passed away. He was truly a leader. A king. And musician. And a genius. There's nobody like him. And there will never be. We all loved him dearly. Rest easy. Please allow family and friends privacy and patience during this difficult time."

It was signed Kayla G, and she added an even more personal caption: "Thank you Luci for dedicating this beautiful song to me. Thank you for showing me what it’s like to relate to someone so deeply. I love you so so much and I’ll never forget you."

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Fans of the rapper left their tributes.

"Truly devastated rn," one wrote. "Been listening to him since I was like 10."

Another fan added, "Rest in peace, James Dear. Luci4 you were such a beautiful soul. We will miss you."

He "inspired a lot of people and made so much in time," another post read, "it's just sad how he's gone now. RIP Luci4 will always listen to your music king."

And another, "His music was truly amazing and his impact will live forever! I hope that his family can heal overtime, and I don't like saying RIP but I will say I'm grateful that things aligned for him to be here. He will live forever in art, people's minds, and future generations' music."**

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