Just found out about the passing of UK rapper Cadet and it has truly shaken me. As a human being, a black man, a 28 year old, a UK rapper, a husband, a father and as someone also striving to fulfill their dreams, this news has hit me hard. I truly feel for his family and his close friends. He is one of the UK rappers that came across as genuine to me. He allowed himself to be vulnerable in his music and he seemed to have a really positive spirit. This has also happened at at time when he was starting to get his moment. Cadet called himself the underrated legend, and this year seemed like the time for his legend to really shine.
What has also hit me is the news of how he passed. It has been said that he was on his way to a gig in a taxi and passed away as a result of a car crash. It wasn’t due to any road beef, it was due to a casualty that can happen to any one of us regardless of our background.
I constantly try to remind myself that each day is not promised. Although, we are aware of our mortality, it can seem as if our death is so far away. It is in moments like this, when we hear of someone’s passing that connects with us or when we lose someone that is close to us, that our mortality raises itself to the forefront.
I am really saddened by this news. You could see and hear in his music how much he wanted to fulfill his dreams as a rapper. He openly talked about the struggles he faced when trying to climb the ranks as a rap star. He discussed his insecurities with women, talked about his awareness of fitting the young black stereotype and was innovative in his approach to rapping, providing us with great freestyles and stories.
I am so grateful to Cadet for sharing his music with us and also sharing his drive to be great.
While we are on the path trying to reach higher levels in this life, we cannot forget that our time can be cut short at any moment. We may never reach or live to see all of our dreams come true, but we have to cherish every moment along the way and give this life our all, serving and sharing our gifts before our time is done.
Gandhi’s quote says “Live as if you were to die tomorrow and learn as if you will learn forever”. I would adapt this by saying, we need to live as if we were to die today.
It’s upsetting that losing a life provides this reminder.
I hope that Cadet’s life will continue to provide inspiration for many. His life has surely impacted mine.
Rest in perfect peace Cadet