Pat Stay, acclaimed Canadian battle rapper, fatally stabbed

Rapper Pat Stay has died following a stabbing incident in Nova Scotia, Canada, according to regional police. He was 36.

The incident happened in downtown Halifax early Sunday morning. Police discovered Stay with stab wounds and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he later died, Halifax Regional Police said in a statement, reports CNN.

They are investigating the case as a homicide. No arrests have been made yet.

Several hip-hop stars took to social media to pay their respects to Stay.

Eminem wrote, "hiphop lost one of the best battlers of all time ... RIP

@patstay .. KINGS NEVER DIE!"

Fellow Canadian artist Drake commented on a recent song Stay released, writing, "Pat Stay's definitely one of, if not, the best."

Stay was a father of two young children. A GoFundMe campaign, verified by the platform, has been established for his family to help with funeral expenses.

"He has been taken from the world far to soon and many will be devastated forever," a message from the campaign organizer reads. "Pat Stay was a very honourable man who was on his way to a bright future. Our heart hurts for his family and friends at this time so we hope to help ease some of the pain by ensuring his family has help through this process."

In a 2020 interview with the Canadian publication the Signal, Stay talked about his work ethic and offered his advice for aspiring artists.

"If you're making a beat, release it and then make 5,000 more. If you have like 10 songs out and you think they are good, well, make a lot more," Stay said. "The best people in this industry are working hard, every day. It's a grind."