Birmingham rapper stabbed to death while attending memorial event for knife attack victim

Tributes for the promising grime artist have included tweets from Wretch 32 and a video message from SBTV

The rapper Depzman, 18, has been stabbed to death while attending a fundraising event for knife attack victim Kyle Sheehan, killed exactly a year ago (YOUTUBE/SBTV)

An 18-year-old rapper has been stabbed to death while he was attending a fundraising event in memory of a knife attack victim who died exactly a year earlier.

Named locally as Joshua Ribera but performing under the stage name Depzman, the young man died in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police were called after an incident at approximately 11pm on Friday night at TC’s nightclub in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham.

No one has been charged in relation to the incident, which saw Depzman taken away in an ambulance, but an 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after he attended a police station in Dudley at around 11.45pm the same night, a police spokesman said.

West Midlands Police said they believe the victim had been attending a fundraiser at the club for Kyle Sheehan, who died after he was stabbed in the leg on September 21 in Bartley Green last year.

Police are appealing for anyone who was at TCs last night or who witnessed the stabbing to contact them.

Detective Inspector Gary Plant said: “We are in the very early stages of this investigation and are appealing to anyone with any information to call us.”

Tributes to the promising grime artist have been posted online, with rapper Wretch 32 tweeting: “R.I.P. depzman. A young talented mc.”

The youth broadcaster SBTV has uploaded a recently recorded and unpublished interview with Depzman, in which he raps about looking after his family and making his father proud, along with the message: “R.I.P. Depzman. Such a shame to see a talented artist like you pass away. Our thoughts are with your family.”

An official Facebook page, R.I.P. Depzman, has been set up to pay tribute to the artist and it has already attracted nearly 30,000 likes.

One friend wrote on the page: “Resting up there with shamz, bet he's looking down at each of his fans and looking back at the amazing life he had, he was about to make it to the top of the tops.”

Another wrote: “R.I.P. Depzman. Forever gone and never forgotten! There will always be a place in my heart for you and my music, stay strong fans and make him proud. You’re in a better place now man I'm looking up at you.”