| A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the family of 9-month-old Xhalia White, 1-year-old Xyla White, and 4-year-old Jhacari White, who died after an apartment fire in Atlanta on Feb. 19. Rapper Yung Joc, who confirmed the children were his relatives, spoke emotionally about the tragedy on his radio show. (Photo via GoFundMe) |
Atlanta rapper and radio host Yung Joc is mourning the loss of three young relatives who died after a fire swept through an apartment in southwest Atlanta earlier this week. The musician, born Jasiel Amon Robinson, confirmed during his Streetz 94.5 morning radio show that the victims — 4-year-old Jhacari White, 1-year-old Xyla White, and 9-month-old Xhalia White — were his nieces and nephew.
The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at the Country Oaks Apartments on Fairburn Road. Firefighters arrived to find flames and smoke coming from a second-floor unit, but by the time the fire was extinguished, the children had already been rescued. They were rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment, but tragically succumbed to smoke inhalation, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue. Authorities are investigating the cause, though early reports suggest it may have been electrical.
Joc, who attended a candlelight vigil outside the charred apartment on Wednesday night, revealed on-air that the gathering was particularly emotional because February 20 would have been Xyla’s second birthday.
“I’m hurting. My family’s hurting. My brother’s hurting. His girlfriend’s hurting,” he said during “Yung Joc and The Streetz Morning Takeover.” “I don’t think it’s really hit just yet. I think they’re still in shock a little.”
Fighting back tears, the “It’s Goin’ Down” rapper played an audio clip of his niece speaking at the vigil, where she paid tribute to her late sister.
“I don’t know if people understand the level of trauma this brings to our community and the family that this affects directly or indirectly,” he continued. “I’m sad, I’m hurt, I’m human—and I’m trying to be professional.”
Since the tragedy, an online GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the children’s mother, Jahda White. The fundraiser has raised over $32,000, helping to cover funeral expenses and assist the grieving family.
For many, Yung Joc is best known for his 2006 breakout hit, “It’s Goin’ Down,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination. His platinum-selling album “New Joc City” made him one of the most recognizable names in mid-2000s hip-hop, and he later expanded into reality television on VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.” In recent years, he has become a fixture in Atlanta radio, hosting one of the city’s most popular morning shows on Streetz 94.5, where he regularly discusses both music and social issues.
