15 January 15 - 21, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Memorial for a Rising Rapper The death of Dallas hip-hop artist ZeeTheWizard leaves a void in the local music scene. BY BRYSON “BOOM” PAUL D allas mourned the loss of rising rap star ZeeTheWizard last week after he died in a hospital from critical injuries sustained in a New Year’s Day shooting. Social media was quickly flooded with trib- utes to the Oak Cliff rapper, whose real name was Zec’Qurie Cannon Grant Fields. No arrests have been announced in connec- tion with the shooting. His family was among those who eulo- gized him on social media, with a statement from his sister reading, in part: “Zee was more than an artist. He was a light. He consistently encouraged people to stay positive, keep going, and choose hope even when life gets heavy. While we are dev- astated by this loss, we ask everyone who loved him to help carry that message for- ward, not only through his music, but through the way you treat each other, the way you show up for your people, and the way you choose love.” Best known for songs such as “Chevy” and “Anticap Music,” the 25-year-old artist was one of several people wounded in the shooting at the grand opening of adult en- tertainment club Pink House Dallas in the early morning hours on Jan 1. The condi- tions of the other victims were not disclosed. ZeeTheWizard was the brightest new rapper on the local scene, with 2026 antici- pated to be a breakout year for his career. The Observer recognized his emerging pop- ularity as one of the hottest artists to watch in 2025. In August, he signed a record deal with Future’s Freebandz Gang label and later received cosigns from rap stars Meek Mill and fellow Dallasite BigXThaPlug. By December, he landed on our list of the top 25 rappers of 2025 in Dallas-Fort Worth. When news of the shooting first broke, Chicago rapper G Herbo revealed that a col- laboration with Zee was set to be released soon. “Shit krazy I was with you and gone sup- port you 100% bro,” G Herbo wrote in an In- stagram story accompanying a photo of him and Zee. “I wanted to see you shine for real. Long live you bro! Real good dude man. Genuine dude. I hate this had to be yo story. We just shot our video a week ago man, smh.” “So so sad about his passing,” wrote Har- riet Hunt of Dallas on Facebook. “We prayed hard. Seemed like a really nice young man with a promising music career. My condo- lences to his family and friends.” He grew up in Oak Cliff and DeSoto, raised by his mother, LaShannon Grant, who referred to him as her “third heartbeat” on social media. Before he began his career as a musician, ZeeTheWizard was an athlete from a young age. When an injury sidelined his sports as- pirations, he turned to music. Upon his death, several of his former coaches and teachers reflected on watching his journey as a young man. Corey Borner of Dallas, who coached Zee in football, shared a throwback photo to honor the rapper, writing, “This hurts... I knew you before you started rapping. You called me your hero. May god continue to be with you and your family. Lord, this hit so so hard. When will these shootings stop. @ zeethewizard with faith and trust in god, I will leave it all in your hands.” “When I tell you he was super smart, re- spectful, and athletic, you better believe me,” wrote Lori Yvette Pecos, his former educator, on Instagram. “He was the most genuine per- son, who just wanted to help his family!” ZeeTheWizard began pursuing hip-hop professionally in 2023 with early tracks “Where To Start” and “Your Body.” He matched a distinct vocal tone with raps about hustling and dressed it with an au- thentic candor. His star power increased as he linked up with a collective of childhood friends across North Texas who also rap, known as New Dallas. The collective em- phasizes peace and unity within the DFW music scene. His catalog includes four albums, begin- ning with W.I.Z.: Who Is Zee in July 2024 and Words of Wizdom in April 2025. For many, he was an inspiration to others with his message of making dreams come true through hustling. He was next up in the New Dallas movement to become a Dallas breakout alongside artists like Zillionaire Doe, Montana 700, Headhuncho Amir and Hustleman Quise, who all signed major re- cord deals in 2025. His New Dallas movement contempo- raries paid their respects. Zillionaire Doe wrote to his late friend, “Damn baby boy, I thought you had it, man. Until we meet again, I know one thang, fasho we balled hard and enjoyed this shit every chance we could. Love ya, man. See ya on da other side. Since Saints vs Comet days.” Headhuncho Amir remembered his childhood friend with a collage of photos and videos on Instagram. Amir captioned the post: “I’m talm ‘bout since kids to grown men, we been locked. I’m lost for words, it hurt even deeper when 20 min- utes after I got done praying that you pull through, I get the text you ain’t make it. I’ll never let them forget about you. To know Zee is to know bro was a cool, genuine, lov- ing, respectful person. Ms. Shannon raised you well. You ain’t deserve that shit kid. I’m glad I gave you your flowers every time I seen you.” Amir continued: “You’re one of them ones, I meant that. Damn, you just signed to Fu- ture… You were doing yo roll out. I can’t stop crying. I wish this shit was all a dream. I love you 4E, New D. We just lost an important piece to the puzzle. We gone hold it down.” ZeeTheWizard is survived by his two children. ▼ CONCERTS SOUND OF SILENCE WE’VE TOLD YOU WHO IS STOPPING BY NORTH TEXAS THIS YEAR, AND NOW WE’RE TELLING YOU WHO IS NOT. LIFE IS ALL ABOUT BALANCE, RIGHT? BY ALYSSA FIELDS W e’ve got big things coming: Lady Gaga, Nine Inch Nails (again), Mac DeMarco and Doja Cat are just some of the biggest shows we’re looking forward to this year. Not to mention all of the local shows we’ve got penciled in for nearly every weekend on our calendars. However, just days into 2026, we’ve already had to cancel a few concerts, and we still have tickets from last year that are awaiting an official rescheduling date. There are many reasons why a band or artist may cancel their shows, or at least, lots of reasons they say they’re canceling shows. Sometimes it’s an injury, other times it’s economic and travel issues, but more often than not, it’s low ticket sales. No matter the reason, it’s a major bummer for the rest of us. We’re not here to speculate; we’re just here to inform you of who’s no longer com- ing and who has yet to reschedule their re- turn after a canceled show last year. We have no crystal ball, so cross your fingers and hope the list doesn’t get any longer this year. Concerts Canceled or Postponed in 2026 PlayStation: The Concert In celebration of its 30-year history, PlaySta- tion announced a live orchestral performance of some of its most well-known soundtracks, accompanied by a companion immersive vi- sual experience. The show, which was sched- uled for March 5 at the Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth, was canceled. JUNTOS, Jorge Medina and Josi Cuen Several Latin American artists have been forced to cancel legs of their tours in the United States for visa issues. In the summer of 2025, most of the JUNTOS collaboration tour between Jorge Medina and Josi Cuen was postponed, including a show at Dos Eq- uis Pavilion. Some shows have been resched- uled for this year, including concerts in Laredo and Edinburg, but Dallas, Houston and San Antonio have not received rescheduled dates. Mello Vision ZeeTheWizard was among four people shot at a Dallas Nightclub on New Year’s Day. | B-SIDES | ▼ Music >> p16
