Nicki Minaj Urges End to Posting Locations Online After PnB Rock's Death

Rapper PnB Rock's fatal shooting during a robbery at a Los Angeles restaurant has prompted Nicki Minaj to speak out about the perils of posting locations on social media.

The 30-year-old musician, real name Rakim Hasheem Allen, passed away on Monday afternoon after being shot "multiple times" while visiting the Manchester Boulevard branch of Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Equifax, the credit-reference agency, says there is a growing danger now some geolocation tags may list the exact address of your location, and anyone who can view your social media posts may find you in person. Several famous rappers have been slain in public recently.

The police said PnB Rock was shot at around 1:15 p.m. local time before being rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:59 p.m.

"The victim was eating at a table when he was approached by one suspect," said LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman. The armed "suspect demanded items" from PnB Rock before firing multiple shots.

The suspect "removed some items from the victim, entered a waiting vehicle and fled the scene." Quoting eyewitnesses, Rolling Stone magazine has reported that the rapper appeared to have been targeted for his jewelry.

Newsweek has contacted the Los Angeles Police Department for comment.

As news of PnB Rock's death circulated, a number of social media posts shared screenshots of a since-deleted Instagram image that had been posted by the "Selfish" hitmaker's girlfriend, who had geotagged their location at the eatery.

Minaj, who collaborated with the late rapper on the track "Fendi," touched on the 2020 murder of Pop Smoke as she spoke about the dangers of addresses and locations being shared online. Pop Smoke was fatally shot at a Los Angeles residence, after the address was seen on Instagram as he showed his gift bags.

"After Pop Smoke there's no way we as rappers or our loved ones are still posting locations to our whereabouts," Minaj wrote on Twitter. "To show waffles & some fried chicken????! He was such a pleasure to work with. Condolences to his mom & family. This makes me feel so sick. Jesus."

Another Twitter user Hip Hop All Day wrote: "Nipsey [Hussle] outside his own shop, [XXXTentacion] a car dealership, Lil Tjay outside a chipotle, Pop Smoke in the Hollywood Hills, [Young] Dolph at a cookie shop, PnB Rock inside a Waffle House.

"Rappers are not safe from jealousy wherever they go. The situation is out of control and heartbreaking to see."

Responding to the post, Minaj said: "The ppl around these rappers gain so much. It's time to start really reminding them over & over!!! At least TRY to put your foot down if you CARE! Tell them!!! You're not loved like you think you are!!! You're prey!!!! In a world full of predators!!!! What's not clicking???!!!"

When a fan thanked Minaj for using her platform to speak out, she wrote: "Yup. Ima say what I want. As a RAPPER & as a MOTHER. I know 1st hand how these guys feel coming from the streets then being able to provide for their moms.

"My heart is hurting for the MOTHERS OF THESE KIDS that tried to make something better of their lives!!! LETS EDUCATE ASAP!!!"

Minaj also addressed the timing of her comments, writing: "It's never the wrong time! If it saves ONE YOUNG RAPPER!!!! JUST ONE!!!!! THEN WE'VE DONE OUR JOBS!!!!! I spoke on losing our own @ the VMAS!!!! Enough is enough!!!! MY GOD. IDGAF about no fkng hate tweets!!!! Go f*** y'all dumb fkng selves!!!!!"

Rival rapper Cardi B had an opposing take, as she shared on Twitter: "I highly doubt nikkas was looking at PMB's babymom IG. He was in a bad location and people stay outside plotting. It's very irresponsible and inconsiderate to blame her for something so tragic. We should be sending nothing but love to her and his family at this time."

A debate soon ensued on the dangers of people sharing locations online, particularly while still at the location in question. It was also revealed that PnB Rock had spoken about another attempted robbery several days before his life was taken.

Media personality DJ Akademiks tweeted: "Wow.. this PNB Rock situation crazy.. [I] just did a interview with him a week ago where he detailed how someone tried to rob him in LA recently while he was out with his girlfriend and daughter. Now.. this.. smh. Pray for PNB Rock."

During the interview, a snippet of which has been viewed more than 1 million times on Twitter, PnB Rock said he was out in Los Angeles with his partner and daughter when he overhead men loudly speaking like "gangsters."

Sensing that trouble was potentially afoot, he said that he left the location, while his girlfriend reluctantly followed. After they drove away, PnB Rock said that the girlfriend then wanted to stop at a store to go shopping.

"She thinking this s*** a game," said PnB Rock, as he said that as soon as they parked and left their car, another vehicle with heavily tinted windows pulled up right behind theirs.

Men he believed to be from the car then joined him in in the store and tried to start a confrontation. PnB Rock said that he calmly left the store as he didn't want to give rise to a violent altercation.

The interview clip and the series of events surrounding PnB Rock's death sparked a furious debate on Twitter, where people discussed who was, and wasn't, to blame.

Rapper Young Scrap wrote: "So pnb Rock told a previous story on how he almost got robbed in LA and his gf thought it was a joke and tried to stop again to shop. Now his girl dropped his location and he dies and y'all saying don't blame her?... explain."

Musician Jaime Brooks had a different theory over who should be to blame, tweeting: "an artist is out having dinner with his girlfriend and she posts a photo on IG tagged with the location. the artist is then robbed and shot by people who used the post to locate him. the aftermath itself becomes an IG post. instagram itself deserves scrutiny here."

Others noted that PnB Rock's partner had this week shared a post on her Instagram grid for the first time since March, because the rapper had deleted her account and "wouldn't give [her] the password."

In a comment shared hours before he died, PnB Rock commented on the post that he "had to do what I had to do[.] SHE ALL MINES YALL."

However, others disagreed that PnB Rock's partner was to blame, with one Twitter user writing: "The backlash on PNB Rock's girlfriend is so wild. This is probably already the worst day of her life and on top of that millions of people are saying it's her fault. I hope she's ok mentally."

Another pointed out that the tone of the discussion online had a strong element of victim blaming, while the bigger issue wasn't being addressed.

Hot Sauce and Ketchup wrote: "Y'all keep blaming his girlfriend for posting her location instead of addressing the real issue!! People should be able [to] post their food and location without fear of being killed or robbed. The culture is so trash."

Philadelphia native PnB Rock rose to fame following the success of his 2014 mixtape Real N***a Bangaz mixtape. The following year, he signed a deal with Atlantic Records.

He scored a hits with the singles "Fleek" and "Selfish," with the latter reaching No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2019, PnB Rock teamed up with Ed Sheeran and Chance the Rapper on "Cross Me," from Sheeran's fourth studio album, No.6 Collaborations Project.

Also in 2019, he collaborated with Minaj on the Murda Beatz-produced track "Fendi," released to help promote Minaj's Fendi Prints On fashion collection.