The hip-hop world woke up this morning to the news that rapper Shawty Lo has died.

Shawty Lo killed in a car crash in Atlanta

While famous for songs like “Dey Know” and the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Laffy Taffy” with D4L, Shawty Lo was a pivotal figure to the city of Atlanta. Having helped redefine the sound of the South as the progenitor of snap music, Lo saw his way to multi-platinum success as part of the group D4L. Together the group helped elevate the “ringtone era” of rap thanks to releases like 2005’s Down For Life, which spawned the hits “Laffy Taffy” and “Betcha Can’t Do It Like Me.”

As a solo artist, Lo made a name for himself through a flurry of street-approved classics like the hits “Dunn Dunn,” “Foolish,” and “I’m Da Man.” His run earned the rapper a Rookie of the Year award at the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards before releasing his solo debut, Units In The City, that same year. Within the past decade, he’s rapped along the likes of Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne, Killer Mike, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Rick Ross and many more.

As the sudden loss of Shawty Lo continues to draw emotions, many industry members weighed in with reactions.