Mario Hess, also known as Blood Money or Big Glo, was fatally shot on April 9, 2014, in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. Hess, aged 30 at the time of his death, was shot multiple times, with police recovering more than 24 shell casings at the scene. He was found near the 5600 block of South Elizabeth Street, close to a red Cadillac Escalade, and was pronounced dead at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County later that evening. The shooting also left another unidentified 28-year-old man wounded in serious condition.
Hess, a cousin of well-known rapper Chief Keef, had just recently signed a deal with Interscope Records. His signing was seen as a major opportunity for him to escape the cycle of violence that affected so many young artists in Chicago. According to his manager and cousin, Renaldo Reuben Hess, Mario was striving to leverage his music career as a way to get out of his neighborhood. Unfortunately, his life was cut short just as he began to realize some of his dreams.
The attack, which involved two shooters, highlighted the broader issue of violence affecting Chicago's South Side, especially among young men involved in the local rap scene. Hess had a long record of legal troubles, including drug and weapons charges, which reflected the challenges many Chicago artists face when trying to leave behind difficult pasts. Despite the progress he was making with his music career, his ties to the neighborhood made it difficult for him to fully escape its dangers. His death underscores the pervasive violence in Chicago at that time, particularly targeting young artists attempting to transition to more legitimate careers.
