Mario Hess | Homicide Watch Chicago

Slain rapper Big Glo laid to rest; father vows better life for children

Stefano Esposito — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:48:06 -0500

Chief Keef serves as a pallbearer at the funeral for Mario Hess | Brian Jackson

As his son — the South Side rapper Big Glo — lay in an open casket inside Holy Temple Cathedral in Harvey, Richard Holmes stepped outside with a pack of cigarettes in his hand and guilt on his mind.

“You can say I blame myself some,” the 57-year-old father said. “When my kids was coming up, they seen their daddy. Whenever they seen me, they know I was a strong man back then, but I was in a gang. I was in the Stones. He ended up being a Disciple.”

Holmes pointed to the small, sickle-shaped scar on the back of his shaved head — a memento of his failed attempt years ago to get out of gang life, he said.

Rappers in gleaming cars with tinted windows were among the guests who showed up Friday to say farewell to Big Glo, whose real name was Mario Hess. He was gunned down earlier this month on the South Side streets where he grew up — the same streets he believed a big-time record contract would allow him to leave. There have been no arrests in the shooting.

Big Glo’s cousin — the rapper Chief Keef — pulled into the church parking lot in a white Cadillac Escalade Friday mid-service. A little boy stuck his head out of a nearby car window and said: “Is Chief Keef here? Is he in the building?”

Big Glo’s record label, Interscope Records, hired the private security, which swarmed over church grounds during the service — closed to reporters. Guests got the wand treatment at the church doors.

Standing outside the church, Hess’ father said he cares now only about the five children his son leaves behind. Holmes said he wants to set up a trust fund for them.

Mario Hess / Photo from Twitter

“It’s all going to be positive,” he said. “It ain’t gonna be about no rap, not gonna be about no record labels, no deals or none of that. It’s gonna be about my son’s legacy ... and making it mean something, other than just another black man gone.”

From the church, mourners moved on to Mount Hope Cemetery for the burial. Chicago Police stopped several private security vehicles after they left the cemetery at about 3 p.m. at 115th and Maplewood.

Police were checking whether the guards had proper certification for guns they were observed carrying in the cemetery. There were no guns in the vehicles, but the guards were cited for having improper emergency lights.

Police were at the cemetery under a policy in which the department monitors funeral processions with gang ties. The crackdown began in 2012 when a gunman fatally shot a reputed gang member on the steps of a South Side church after a funeral for another man.

Comment of the Day: "[T]he saddest part about this is that 5 more black children are left fatherless"

Michael Lansu — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 16:09:44 -0500

Mario Hess, who rapped under the names Blood Money and Big Glo, was fatally shot this month in West Englewood. Reader "muaaaah" posted this about the killing:

[T]he saddest part about this is that 5 more black children are left fatherless in Chicago and with the male influences that they have in their life they will probably end up the same way as their dad.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Seven shot dead throughout city

Michael Lansu — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 09:15:54 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Seven people were shot to death throughout the city last week.

Four of the seven murders happened since Friday afternoon during a bloody weekend that saw 33 other people wounded by gunfire.

The most recent murder happened in the Washington Park neighborhood when Corey Brownlee was fatally shot behind his home in the 6000 block of South Indiana Avenue about 2:40 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. A 27-year-old woman was also wounded in the shooting but survived.

Brownlee, 32, was shot in the chest and died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County less than an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

In the Gage Park neighborhood, 20-year-old Joshua Martinez was shot in the head and back in the 3000 block of West 53rd Place about 1 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Martinez, of the 4900 block of South Karlov Avenue, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder in Martinez' death and is expected to appear for a bond hearing later Monday.

On Friday, 34-year-old Shannon Mack was found shot to death in the 2700 block of East 76th Street about 9:30 p.m., authorities said.

Mack, of the 6800 block of South Crandon Avenue, was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In the Woodlawn neighborhood, 17-year-old Gakirah Barnes was fatally shot about 3:30 p.m. Friday in the 6400 block of South Eberhart Avenue, authorities said. Two other people were wounded in the shooting, police said.

Gakirah, 17, was shot in the upper body and died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, about two hours later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Residents of a home on the block were in shock over the murder. They said the girl was shot while walking on the street then collapsed onto the porch of the home, bleeding from the neck and chest.

On Wednesday, rapper Big Glo -- cousin to fellow musician Chief Keef -- was fatally shot about 9:30 p.m. in the 5600 block of South Elizabeth Street, authorities said.

Big Glo, whose real name was Mario Hess, 30, died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County about an hour later, according to the medical examiner's office.

Big Glo -- who also performed under the name Blood Money -- had just recently signed with Interscope Records, said his manager, Renaldo Reuben Hess, who was also his client’s cousin.

In the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, 17-year-old Adrian Soto was killed when a gunman approached from a gangway in the 6300 block of South Mozart Street and shot him in the head about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Soto, of the 6200 block of South Francisco Avenue, died at Mount Sinai Hospital at 1:59 a.m. Friday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The killings started about 7:20 p.m. Monday when Darnall Gordon was fatally shot in a convenience store in the 1600 block of West Howard Street, authorities said. Two other men were wounded in the shooting but survived.

Authorities said somebody opened fire from across the street and Gordon was shot in the chest. Gordon, 36, of the 6300 block of North Sacramento Avenue, died about an hour later at Presence Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, according to the medical examiner's office.

PHOTO GALLERY: Memorial for slain rapper Big Glo

Michael Lansu — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:37:23 -0500

PHOTOS BY BRIAN JACKSON

Interscope rapper Big Glo was fatally shot Wednesday night in the West Englewood neighborhood. A memorial was set up for the 30-year-old rapper, whose real name was Mario Hess, at the scene of the shooting in the 5600 block of South Elizabeth Street.

Rapper Big Glo shot dead in West Englewood

Michael Lansu — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 11:41:40 -0500

BY STEFANO ESPOSITO & JON SEIDEL
Chicago Sun-Times

South Side rapper Big Glo — cousin to fellow musician Chief Keef — finally had the big-time record deal he craved, along with a $50,000 advance.

But something had him on edge.

Big Glo — gunned down Wednesday night on the South Side streets he intended to leave behind — had, in recent days, been calling his manager to let him know he’d arrived home “safely.”

“When he would eventually make it home, he would just call me,” said the manager, Renaldo Reuben Hess, also his client’s cousin. And, “that wasn’t something he would normally do,” Hess said.

The manager never got to the bottom of what had Big Glo concerned. Hess learned Wednesday night that Big Glo, whose real name was Mario Hess, was shot multiple times in the 5600 block of South Elizabeth Street. He was taken to John H. Stroger Hospital Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he died at 10:29 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Mario "Blood Money" Hess / Photo from Twitter

“They were standing in front of Mario Hess’ truck and they were talking to some girls, and somebody came up and started shooting,” Hess said.

Big Glo — who’d also performed under the name Blood Money — had just recently signed with Interscope Records, Hess said.

“He was thrilled, so happy that he signed,” said his attorney, Leah Starkman.

Performing as Blood Money, he collaborated with Chief Keef on a number of tracks, including “F–-k Rehab,” a Chief Keef single released in March that has netted more than 13 million views on worldstarhiphop.com in less than a month. “Thought He Was,” a Blood Money track featuring Chief Keef, has nearly 2 million views on YouTube.

About two weeks ago, Big Glo was in Los Angeles and was given recording time with Interscope, his manager said. After recording 27 songs, Interscope decided to sign him to a record deal, Hess said.

The performer changed his stage name because another artist had the legal rights to the Blood Money name, his manager said.

Big Glo had a lengthy criminal history, including guilty pleas in drug cases in Cook County in both 2003 and 2013, but he was planning a fresh start in Los Angeles, his manager said.

Big Glo — who had five children in the Chicago area — would have celebrated his second wedding anniversary Thursday, Cook County court records show. But he filed in July to divorce the woman he married on April 10, 2012, citing irreconcilable differences and, in one document, “mental cruelty.”.

Since signing the record deal, Big Glo hadn’t been shy about showing off his newfound wealth — including displaying thousands in cash, as well as a big diamond bracelet and a gold chain, Hess said.

If Big Glo had concerns about his safety, so did his manager.

“I pretty much had a funny feeling a couple of days ago,” Hess said. “I called him and pulled his coattails and told him, ‘You need to stay off these streets. We need to try to get Interscope to get you the rest of your money so you can move.’”

As word of Blood Money's death spread, friends, family and fans took to social media to express their condolences:

R.I.P. Glo Gang Affiliate Rapper Blood Money, He Was Shot Multiple Times And Passed Away At A Nearby Hospital pic.twitter.com/ejwMcWTFbc

— DJ Faze (@DigitalDripped) April 10, 2014

Rip Blood Money ima miss you cuzo

— FREDO SANTANA SSR (@FREDOSANTANA300) April 10, 2014

A 33-year-old man also wounded in the shooting was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, police said.

Nobody has been charged in the murder.

Area South detectives are investigating.

-- Contributing: George Slefo and Mitchell Armentrout