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The underground hip-hop community lost one of its brightest sparks this past weekend after Derrick McElroy—better known as Aesop the Black Wolf of Living Legends—passed away.
Those familiar with the California native herald him as a force—charismatic, stubborn in the best way, hilarious, and brimming with heart. His Living Legends brother Sunspot Jonz put it best in his emotional tribute: “Your charisma, smile, the talent, the love you brought to our hearts will never be forgotten. Love you forever my brother Derrick.”
Fellow Legend Eligh remembered the Wolf as both a partner in rhyme and a partner in mischief. “No one made me laugh till I cried more times in my life than you,” he wrote. He recalled their earliest days—couch surfing, recording in Grouch’s basement, taking their music around the globe with nothing but hunger and creativity. “Almost 30 years since we recorded It Was a Mission in 1996… you said some of the most outlandish one liners that will forever echo in the crew’s memory of you.”
That spirit of grit, independence, and playfulness defined Living Legends. Emerging in the ’90s from San Leandro and East Oakland, the crew—Murs, Luckyiam, Eligh, The Grouch, Sunspot Jonz, Bicasso, Scarub, and Aesop—built their name outside the system, pressing CDs and cassettes by hand, selling them in the streets, and funding their own global tours. No label machine. No gatekeepers. Just hand-to-hand hustle, home-studio recordings, and a global vision that took their music from East Oakland streets to stages across the world.
Albums like Angelz Wit Dirty Faces, Almost Famous, and Creative Differences didn’t just earn acclaim—they embodied a movement. They proved underground rap could be expansive, funny, soulful, and deeply human. They proved community could power an empire.
With Aesop among its core, Living Legends released acclaimed projects like Angelz Wit Dirty Faces, Almost Famous, and Creative Differences, albums that showcased the group’s unfiltered lyricism, humor, and unshakable chemistry. Their music resonated far beyond California, becoming a lifeline for fans who sought something raw, thoughtful, and deeply human.
Aesop the Black Wolf carried that spirit until the end: a sharp wit, a huge heart, and a presence that lit up every room and stage he touched. His passing is a devastating loss for his family, friends, fans, and for the culture he helped build from the ground up.
While the details of his death have not been disclosed, what remains is the legacy of a man who gave everything to his art and his community
Rest in power, Aesop. A true Legend until the end.
