Namibian music loses a star as Catty Catt dies

AFTER fighting a still unknown ailment for quite some time now, Curtis Popyeni Yearwood, also known as Catty Catt, has lost the battle and died. The Namibian reported earlier this month that the rapper was admitted to the Katutura hospital.

Fans, friends and admirers were evidently shocked by the news and this was evident by a huge outpouring of messages of condolences on various social media platforms.

A close friend, Azeal Matsoarelle, also known as Cheeze, yesterday posted the sad news to his Facebook page. “Imma (sic) miss you man! Rest easy. Till we meet again! Curtis Popyeni Yearwood.” Cheeze was not only friends with Catty Catt but had also worked on various musical projects with the rapper.

Catty Catt was no ordinary rapper, having trailblazed the genre with catchy, street style rhymes. Starting his career as a member of the infamous, somewhat controversial Black Market crew, he went on to become a founding member of the famous 061 music crew, releasing popular songs such as ‘Click Song’ and ‘City on My Chest’.

Jossy Joss, who has known the late Catty Catt since 2004, was evidently moved when asked about this tragic loss. “The loss of Catty Catt leaves a huge hole in the Namibian music industry, especially in the hip hop industry. He was one of the guys who pushed the genre to new heights while making sure that others also reach that level. He created excitement in the genre,” he said. On a personal note, Jossy Joss said that he was most saddened about this news because after knowing the rapper for so long, they had become more like family. “My relationship with him goes back since 2004 and since then, we’ve grown to be brothers so this is difficult for me,” he said.

There is still no official confirmation as to what the rapper was suffering from. Plans for a memorial and burial service will be communicated to the public by a family representative in due time.

Don’t forget to read The Weekender in Friday’s The Namibian as we will run a tribute for the late artist.

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