City and surrounding areas go up for rap legend

Legendary Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan‘s funeral occurred at World Changers Church International in South Fulton, Georgia, on Sept. 17, one day after the release of his first posthumous track, “Song Cry.” Fans lined up to view the rapper’s body before the funeral, which was open to the public. It was a beautiful send-off for the 34-year-old artist held just two and a half weeks before his 35th birthday.

Quan’s service was star-studded with appearances from Killer Mike, Rocko, Stephen Jackson, DC Youngfly, Young Dro, Boosie, ThatBoyFunny, YouLoveRichard, Ralo, DJ Fresh and DJ Pretty Boy Tank.

Rolling out was in the building, and here are the seven top moments from the service.

Family prayer

All five of Quan’s children spoke, and his daughter Alayna led the prayer with the congregation. She told everyone to repeat after her, and the essence of the prayer was that there is no better moment than the present. She advised that everyone should thank God for the present and speak into existence that today is a great day.

Killer Mike

Killer Mike was one of the day’s speakers. Killer Mike explained that he was surprised that he was asked to speak because he wasn’t close to Quan as a fellow Atlanta rapper. Mike shared that he did, however, always hear about Quan’s parents around the city. Mike said Quan had nothing but good to say about his family and challenged audience members to honor their parents and always speak positively about others in public. If there is conflict, then resolve the conflict privately. Mike also joked about Quan’s multiple alleged romantic partners.

D.C. Youngfly

D.C. Youngfly’s speech was so good, presiding pastor Gregory Pollard called him “the Rev. D.C. Youngfly” after his speech. He used his wisdom and comedic skills to deliver words worth remembering.

D.C. said he’s known Quan’s family since 2003. After losing several family members, including his cousin, the mother of his children and sister within a matter of months, D.C. told Quan’s family he understood their pain, and encouraged them to keep moving forward in life like Quan would want them to.

‘Walk Thru’

In the opening minutes of the Rev. Lee C. Franklin’s eulogy, he read Psalm 23, and went back to verse four: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death …”

Franklin continued repeating the verse until he referenced it to Quan’s 2014 hit, “Walk Thru.” The band began playing the instrumental as Franklin compared the song to Psalm 23.

They Don’t Know

Stephen Jackson’s story was similar to D.C. Youngfly’s story. When he spoke, he shared that he’s known Quan’s family members since playing for the Atlanta Hawks in 2003. To begin his remarks, Jackson recited lyrics from Quan’s 2014 hit “They Don’t Know”:

They don’t know

What I’ve been through

They don’t know the half

They only know what I tell them.

With rumors floating online that Quan died from lethal drug use, the former NBA player said no one should judge Quan for his decision if they’ve never been in his shoes as the family’s breadwinner.

My hero

Quan’s father and manager, Corey Lamar, spoke near the end of the service. He thanked all the fans for attending and sending loving messages to the family.

Quan often told his father he was his hero, but Lamar said he never told Quan he was his hero.

Random acts of kindness

The City of Atlanta, the City of South Fulton and the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office honored Quan for his contributions to the community. One South Fulton representative told a story about how four students lost their lives in a tragic car accident. When Quan drove past the service, he decided to stop by and say a few words at the ceremony. Quan decided to pay for all four funerals.