Joshua Ribera (10 August 1995 – 21 September 2013), performing as Depzman, was a British rapper." Ribera featured on some of the largest music channels on YouTube that showcase grime music all across the UK, from JDZMedia, P110 and, the largest out of them all, SB.TV.[1] He was stabbed in the heart outside of a Birmingham nightclub by Armani Mitchell. He was 18 years old.[2]

Depzman
Background information
Birth nameJoshua Ribera
Also known as
  • Depz
  • Depzman
Born10 August 1995
Billesley, England, Birmingham
Died21 September 2013(2013-09-21) (aged 18)
Birmingham, England
Genres
Occupations
Years active2010–2013

Life

edit

Ribera was born in Solihull on 10 August 1995, to Alison Cope and Anselm Ribera, who was convicted of murder in 2009.[3] Ribera was of Spanish and Irish descent through his father.[4] He became serious about music after being sentenced to a young offender institution for theft, gaining a name for himself in the grime genre.[3] In 2012 he took part in the "Lord of the Mics" battle-rap competition in London.[5] His only album, 2 Real, was released in July 2013, and reached number 1 on the iTunes hip hop chart.[3]

Death

edit

On 20 September 2013, Ribera attended a memorial tribute at a Selly Oak nightclub held for a friend, Kyle Sheehan “Shamz”, who had died exactly one year earlier after being stabbed in the leg. Ribera was stabbed in the heart at the event and died the next day. In March 2014, his killer, Armani Mitchell, was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 18 years.[6]

Discography

edit
  • 2 Real (2013)

References

edit
  1. ^ "Selly Oak murder: Depzman album tops iTunes hip hop chart after death". Birmingham Mail. 22 September 2013.
  2. ^ "Rapper Depzman stabbed to death after Kyle Sheehan tribute". BBC. 21 September 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "'He said I love you. The next time I saw him, he was dead'". The Guardian. 12 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Post office killer was a convicted robber". Worcester News. 17 December 2009.
  5. ^ Depzman vs Kdot (full clash), Levi Mills YouTube Channel, posted 22 March 2015, accessed 13 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Armani Mitchell found guilty of murdering Joshua Ribera". Birmingham Mail. 27 March 2014.
edit