Houston Rapper BeatKing, Aka Club Godzilla, Passes Away at 39
The Houston club community is mourning the loss of a beloved star.
Justin Riley, a Houston-based rapper who performed and produced music under the names BeatKing and Club Godzilla, died on Aug. 15, his manager confirmed. He was 39.
“Today, August 15, 2024, we have lost @clubgodzilla,” Riley’s manager, Tasha Felder, wrote on Instagram. “BeatKing has been the best part of the club for over a decade. He has produced and worked with so many artists, that his sound will forever live.”
Felder continued to note how Riley—who was father to daughters Jayla, 13, and Kayla, 12—touched lives beyond his music.
“He loved his daughters @clubgodparenting, his music and his fans,” she added. “We will love him forever.”
Riley’s manager later confirmed that he had died from a pulmonary embolism.
“He was at an Urban One (Radio One) station doing a morning takeover when he suddenly fainted,” Felder said in a statement to USA Today. “He was taken to a near by (sic) hospital where he later passed away. His daughters were with him the entire time. It is truly sad, we loved him so much.”