A family member spoke to reporters to share that Breedlove passed peacefully in his sleep at his New Jersey home. The family told TMZ that they are currently unsure of the cause of death. Breedlove had no known health conditions or illnesses that would make sense of his untimely death. Police are working to uncover the cause and give the family some peace.
Rapper Mickey Factz was the first to post to social media announcing the tragic news. Mickey Factz took to Instagram to share a clip of Breedlove rap battling Eminem from “8 Mile,” along with a heartfelt caption. Factz wrote: “RIP to one of the few emcee’s to beat Eminem… Lotto from 8 Mile. Who’s friends lovingly called him, OX. You will be missed for your tenacity and aggressiveness.”
Breedlove was an actor and rap artist who performed under the stage name OX, as mentioned by Mickey Factz in his Instagram post. OX even featured on the soundtrack for “The Wash” in 2001 with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. He was best known for his role as Lotto in the story of Eminem’s life in “8 Mile,” released in 2002, in which he famously told Eminem, “I feel bad I gotta murder that dude from ‘Leave it to Beaver’” to make the crowd go wild.
Although his time was inexplicably cut short, the world will remember Nashawn Breedlove fondly as a hardworking and talented musician, actor, son and friend.