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Gillie Da Kid is opening up about the passing of his eldest son, Devin Spady, also known as YNG Cheese. As The Shade Room previously reported, the 25-year-old was killed during a triple shooting in Philadelphia on July 20.
The 39-year-old sat down for an exclusive interview on The Pivot Podcast, published Tuesday. During the conversation, the father of five reflected on the “worst” moment following his son’s passing.
“The worst time had to be… well, it was kind of the worst and the best,” he explained. “The worst time had to be when I had to wash his body… That was the worst. But it was all the best — because I became a man that day…”
Gillie Da Kid shared that he “thought” he was a man before his son’s passing, but he “wasn’t.”
“That day, I became a man. I was a little a** boy up until that point,” he continued. “I thought I was a man because I did man s**t — I paid bills, I took care of my family… kids that’s not even my kids because they lost their dad. But that day, I became a man.”
The 39-year-old explained that when he washed his son’s body, “it was a gift and a curse.” He shared that it was “very painful” to “see your son lying there.” However, he knows he “sent him off” the right way.
“And in Islam, that’s a big thing,” the father of five explained. “Sending them off right.”
According to BBC, the Islamic ritual is called Ghusl Mayyit, which “involves cleansing a body from impurities.” The custom must be carried out by elders in the religious community who are the same gender as the member who passed.
At this point, Gillie gave a special thank you to fellow Philadelphia native, rapper Freeway. The podcaster explained that the rapper was “there” with him “every step of the way.”
As The Shade Room previously reported, the podcaster’s eldest son passed after a fatal triple shooting on the evening of July 20. The 25-year-old was reportedly shot in the back and transported by police to Einstein Medical Center.
However, around 8:39 p.m., officials reportedly pronounced YNG Cheese deceased.
Additionally, a 28-year-old and 31-year-old man were also shot during the incident. However, they were reportedly listed in stable condition on the following day.
A few days later, Gillie shared a special message to his late son via Instagram.
At the time, no weapon was recovered from the crime scene. Furthermore, TMZ reports that police are still working to identify the suspect or suspects involved in the fatal shooting.
According to the Philadelphia Police Department, anyone with information is urged to call 215-686-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online.
