Gucci Mane has been defended by his wife Keyshia Ka’Oir after facing scrutiny over the death of former 1017 rapper Enchanting.
The Texas native (real name Channing Nicole Larry) reportedly died of an accidental overdose on Tuesday (June 11), becaming the latest Gucci signee to encounter some sort of misfortune.
Following the news of Enchanting’s death, the 1017 boss was called out by online for seemingly not doing enough to help his one-time artist.
“All yo artists be pill poppers. Bro the least you can do is make sure they not getting no fake pills,” one critic said, while another wrote: “You might be a whole plague LaFlare.”
Keyshia, however, stood firmly by her man.
She wrote in an Instagram comment: “Leave my husband alone! He signs these artists to help them & give them a better life! I wish it wasn’t like this! Chant we love you baby girl!”
Guwop had earlier posted his own tribute to 26-year-old Enchanting, writing: “So sad to have to say R.I.P to such a great young lady a true star we gone all miss you Chant.”
A number of 1017 artists, past and present, have seen jail time in recent years including Pooh Shiesty, Foogiano, Hoodrich Paolo Juan and Mac Critter.
Gucci previously defended the artists he signs to his label during an appearance on his wife’s All Things Keyshia Ka’Oir podcast.
“Well, you know, I was one of those type of artists always going back and forth to jail, and I try help those artists I see a lot of myself in,” he said.
“With that being said, you have to ride out through their little bumps and I feel if I’m not helping them, who else gonna help them? They come from the trenches, they come from poverty so I wanna help. I feel I can relate to them and what they got going on.”
The amount of artists to be signed by Gucci to end up either dead or in prison has also led to criticism from the likes of Joe Budden.