Family, friends and supporters gathered at a church in Dallas’ Red Bird neighborhood Sunday evening for a vigil to honor and pay tribute to Zeethewizard, the local rapper who was killed in a shooting on New Year’s Day.
The crowd of about 100 people — most of whom wore several shades of blue at the family’s request — arrived at Inspiring Body of Christ Church to celebrate the life of the 25-year-old music artist.
“He is my only son,” said his mother LaShannon Grant, as she stood among the crowd of well-wishers wearing shirts bearing the rapper’s face while holding blue-hued balloons. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, the wisdom and knowledge to know the difference.”
She said it has been an “extremely difficult time,” in the 10 days since the shooting.
Zec’Qurie Cannon Grant Fields, known musically as Zeethewizard, was pronounced dead on Jan. 5, days after he was shot while ringing in the New Year at a Dallas strip club near Empire Central and North Stemmons Freeway.
Four other people were also shot during the shooting at Pink House Dallas, which was celebrating its grand opening.
Police have not disclosed any arrests as of Sunday in connection with the shooting and a motive for the gunfire has still not been publicly shared.
“May his legacy live on forever in each and every one of you that he has touched,” Grant said.
Pastor Rickie Rush, founder of IBOC, led the rest of the somber ceremony.
“We refuse to let this young life be reduced to a headline or a statistic at 25 years old. There were still some dreams unfolding at 25 years old,” Rush said. “We acknowledge tonight the grief. We acknowledge the anger. We acknowledge the confusion that gun violence leaves behind.”
Rush said Fields’ killing should be used to help call attention to deadly gun violence in North Texas.
“We’re tired of candles replacing birthdays. We’re tired of vigils replacing weddings,” Rush added before asking the crowd to lift electric candles that had been distributed or turn on their camera’s flashlight. “Let this ignite something inside of you. Let this moment shape how we protect one another.”
After the speakers concluded, the crowd lingered, hugging and clasping hands before police announced the parking lot would be closed. More balloons were released into the sky and Fields’ sister, ZeBoria Cannon, posed with a blown-up sketch of her brother’s face.
Fields’ funeral is scheduled to be held at the same church on Jan. 21.
Fields is originally from Dallas, and most recently lived in west Oak Cliff. He began his music career after an injury shattered his sports ambitions.
“The first six, seven months I wasn’t feeling it,” Fields told a YouTube blog, “On the floor with chore,” in 2024.
“What I’m putting down, people weren’t picking up.” He credited his inner circle with motivating him to continue. “Ain’t nobody finna steer me in the wrong direction, not the people I got around me.”
Fields was part of New Dallas, a loose collective of friends who advocate for peace and unity in the local rap scene, which emerged around 2023.
He released a song in August that has become his most-streamed track with over 87,000 listens on Spotify.
After the song’s music video reached 100,000 views, Fields wrote of the milestone in an August post to Instagram: “What a blessing to be in this position … ain’t no looking back now, let’s keep going.” The video has since amassed close to 640,000 views.
This story is shared via Arts Access, an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, The University of Texas at Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.
