Jamaican dancehall reggae artist and actor Louie Rankin, known for his 1992 hit “Typewriter,” died in a car crash involving a transport truck in Canada, police said Tuesday. He was 66.
Ontario Provincial Police Const. Shannon Gordanier confirmed that the person who died in the Monday morning collision was Leonard Ford, better known as Louie Rankin.
Rankin died at the scene of the accident on Highway 89 in Ontario and the driver of the transport truck suffered no physical injuries, police said. Police photos show a mangled vehicle and a truck along the side of a highway.
In 1992, he released his album Showdown that featured the hit “Typewriter.” He was nicknamed the “Original Don Dada.”
He starred in the 1998 movie “Belly” alongside rappers Nas and DMX, playing the character Ox.
Sidiki Morrison, who identified himself as Rankin’s manager and producer and is also known as Bizmo iBoss, said Rankin was a legend in his native Jamaica.
Rankin recently announced on Instagram that he was shooting a movie in Toronto with Morrison’s company, iHouse Records.
Rankin appeared in DJ Khaled’s 2016 music video for his song “Nas Album Done.”
DJ Khaled posted a series of photos of Rankin on Instagram overnight, saying he’d been friends with the artist for 20 years.
Nas also commemorated Rankin on the social media platform, calling him a “live wire.”
“Great working with this man,” Nas wrote. “A legend. In ‘Belly’ you stole the show.”
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