{{Short description|American rapper (1998–2020)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Lexii Alijai | image = Lexii Alijai recent.jpg | caption = | birth_name = Alexis Alijai Lynch | birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1998|2|19}} | birth_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2020|01|01|1998|2|19}} | death_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | genre = {{hlist|Hip-hop|R&B}} | occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|singer|songwriter}} | website = | instrument = Vocals | years_active = 2013–2020 | label = }} '''Alexis Alijai Lynch''' (February 19, 1998 – January 1, 2020), better known by her stage name '''Lexii Alijai''', was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Alijai was part of the Twin Cities hip-hop scene. She released ''Growing Pains''{{Em dash}}her only full-length, studio album{{Em dash}}in 2017. Alijai was a rising star in the local music scene when she died in Minneapolis in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 28, 2020 |title=Autopsy: St. Paul rapper Lexii Alijai died of accidental overdose |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/01/28/autopsy-st-paul-rapper-lexii-alijai-died-of-accidental-overdose |access-date=January 28, 2020 |work=Minnesota Public Radio}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Lexii Alijai was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota.<ref name="PioneerPress">{{cite news |last1=Melo |first1=Frederick |title=Lexii Alijai, a rapper from St. Paul, reportedly dies at age 21 |url=https://www.twincities.com/2020/01/02/lexii-alijai-a-rapper-from-st-paul-dies-at-the-age-of-22/ |accessdate=January 6, 2020 |work=St. Paul Pioneer Press |date=January 2, 2020}}</ref> She was the granddaughter of musician Roger Troutman, founder of funk band Zapp.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Carl |first1=Lamarre |title=Rapper Lexii Alijai Dead at 21 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/lexii-alijai-dead-8547222/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 6, 2020 |date=January 3, 2020}}</ref> Her father, Roger Lynch, the son of Roger Troutman, was also a musician.<ref name="Buzzfeed"/> She attended Como Park Senior High School<ref name="PioneerPress"/> in Saint Paul, following an interest in basketball,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://everythingwithyin.blogspot.com/2014/10/exclusive-interview-get-to-know.html|title=EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Get to know Minnesota's very own Female Rapper "Lexii Alijai"|work=Everything With Yin|accessdate=May 31, 2017|date=2014-10-24}}</ref> but then focused on music instead and transferred to Creative Arts Secondary School,<ref name="PioneerPress"/> before then enrolling in an online school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lvrocksradio.com/2016/04/09/powerhouse-youth-division-4916/|title=Interview With Lexii Alijai|work=Powerhouse Youth Division|accessdate=May 31, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Alijai ultimately dropped out to pursue a full-time music career and began rapping over the beats of popular songs by artists such as Dej Loaf, 2Pac and Drake.<ref name="Buzzfeed">{{cite news |last1=Sacks |first1=Brianna |title=The Hip-Hop Community Is Stunned After A Young Rapper Died Suddenly On New Year's Day |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/briannasacks/hip-hop-artists-mourn-lexii-alijai |accessdate=January 6, 2020 |work=BuzzFeed News |date=January 2, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
==Career== Alijai released her first mixtape, ''Super Sweet 16s'', in 2014 on her sixteenth birthday.<ref name="Buzzfeed"/> She then collaborated with Rocky Diamonds on an extended play, titled ''3 Days''. A second mixtape, ''In the Meantime'', was released a few months later, then her third, ''Feel∙Less'', in October that same year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://youheardthatnew.com/2014/10/ep-lexii-alijai-feel-less/|title=EP: LEXII ALIJAI – FEEL-LESS|work=You Heard That New|accessdate=May 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109082201/http://youheardthatnew.com/2014/10/ep-lexii-alijai-feel-less/|archive-date=November 9, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2015, she and rapper Shaun Sloan collaborated on a mixtape titled ''Same Struggle. Different Story''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zachymorris.blogspot.com/2015/03/new-mixtape-lexiialijai-and.html|title=(New Mixtape) @LexiiAlijai and @RealShaunSloan "S.S.D.S."|work=Zacy Morris|accessdate=May 31, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://beknownposts.com/mixtape-same-struggle-different-story-by-shaun-sloan-and-lexii-alijai/|title=Mixtape: Same Struggle. Different Story By Shaun Sloan And Lexii Alijai|work=Beknown Posts|accessdate=May 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813134938/http://beknownposts.com/mixtape-same-struggle-different-story-by-shaun-sloan-and-lexii-alijai/|archive-date=August 13, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Alijai became close friends with Kehlani the summer before the release of Kehlani's debut commercial mixtape, ''You Should Be Here'' (2015), which peaked at No. 36 on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/6311648/kehlani/chart?f=305|title=Kehlani chart history|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=May 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228092922/http://www.billboard.com/artist/6311648/Kehlani/chart?f=305|archive-date=February 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Her featured appearance on the track "Jealous" granted Alijai media attention due to her lyricism and flow presented on the track.<ref>{{cite web|first=Lauren|last=Nostro|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2015/04/kehlani-new-song-premiere-jealous-feat-lexii-alijai|title=Premiere: Kehlani Teams Up With Lexii Alijai for "Jealous" (Prod. by Jahaan Sweet)|work=Complex|date=April 9, 2015|accessdate=May 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413073950/http://www.complex.com/music/2015/04/kehlani-new-song-premiere-jealous-feat-lexii-alijai|archive-date=April 13, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Her next full-length project, ''Joseph's Coat'', was released late 2015 and features 11 songs and contributions from Elle Varner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hypefreshmag.com/music/lexii-alijai-josephs-coat|title=LEXII ALIJAI DROPS JOSEPH'S COAT EP|work=Hype Fresh Mag|accessdate=May 31, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In 2016, she performed at Soundset Music Festival<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/5-fresh-spins-on-soundset-as-hip-hop-fest-heads-to-minnesota-fairgrounds/380983891/|title=5 fresh spins on Soundset as hip-hop fest heads to Minnesota Fairgrounds|work=Star Tribune|date=28 May 2016 |accessdate=May 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927014755/http://www.startribune.com/5-fresh-spins-on-soundset-as-hip-hop-fest-heads-to-minnesota-fairgrounds/380983891/|archive-date=September 27, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/soundset-2016-s-get-to-know-guide-anderson-paak-post-malone-alexii-lijai-more/380984081/|title=Soundset 2016's get-to-know guide: Anderson .Paak, Post Malone, Lexii Alijai, more|work=Star Tribune|date=26 May 2016 |accessdate=May 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002153955/http://www.startribune.com/soundset-2016-s-get-to-know-guide-anderson-paak-post-malone-alexii-lijai-more/380984081/|archive-date=October 2, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> and had opened up for Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, and Rich the Kid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://minneapolis.eventful.com/events/c4-m-rch-lexii-alijai-allan-kingdom-lil-uzi-/E0-001-093101422-1|title=C4- M R$CH- Lexii Alijai- Allan Kingdom- LIL UZI VERT in Minneapolis|work=Eventful|accessdate=May 31, 2017|archive-date=January 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130015737/https://minneapolis.eventful.com/events/c4-m-rch-lexii-alijai-allan-kingdom-lil-uzi-/E0-001-093101422-1|url-status=dead}}</ref> She released a remix of "Exchange" by Bryson Tiller and "Cold Hearted" by Meek Mill along with a music video for her remix of "Cold Hearted".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inforum.com/entertainment/music/4848379-St.-Paul-rapper-Lexii-Alijaire-21-reportedly-dies|title=St. Paul rapper Lexii Alijai, 21, reportedly dies|last=Melo|first=Frederick|date=2020-01-02|website=INFORUM|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128225450/https://www.inforum.com/entertainment/music/4848379-St.-Paul-rapper-Lexii-Alijaire-21-reportedly-dies|archive-date=2020-01-28|access-date=2020-01-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, she released a remix of "Redbone" by Childish Gambino and "Me, Myself and I" by Beyoncé.<ref name=":1" />
On September 8, 2017, Alijai released her first full-length debut studio album, ''Growing Pains'', in which she covered topics such as dropping out of school and maintaining a relationship with her ex-boyfriend's mother.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://lexiialijai.bandcamp.com/album/growing-pains|title=Growing Pains|website=Bandcamp|accessdate=December 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212031618/https://lexiialijai.bandcamp.com/album/growing-pains|archive-date=December 12, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Death== thumb|Alijai shortly before her death. Alijai died at the Loews Minneapolis Hotel on January 1, 2020, at the age of 21. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled that the manner of death was an accidental drug overdose.<ref name=variety>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/lexii-alijai-dead-kehlani-jealous-1203454960/|title=Kehlani 'Heartbroken' Over Death of Young Rapper Lexii Alijai|first=Alex|last=Stedman|work=Variety|date=January 1, 2020|accessdate=January 1, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/01/28/lexii-alijai-minnesota-rapper-death-attributed-fentanyl-alcohol/4596695002/|title=Death of 21-year-old Minnesota rapper attributed to fentanyl, alcohol|last=|first=|date=2020-01-28|website=USA Today|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-28}}</ref> A toxicology report revealed the cause as mixed toxicity from fentanyl and ethanol.<ref name=":0" />
==Discography== '''Studio albums''' * ''Growing Pains'' (2017)
'''Mixtapes''' * ''Super Sweet 16s'' (2014)<ref name=nbcnews/> * ''In the Meantime'' (2014)<ref name=nbcnews/> * ''Feel∙Less'' (2014)<ref name=nbcnews>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/rising-rapper-lexii-alijai-who-died-21-remembered-artists-n1110066|title=Rising rapper Lexii Alijai, who died at 21, remembered by artists|website=NBC News|first=Gwen|last=Aviles|date=January 3, 2020|accessdate=January 8, 2020}}</ref> * ''Joseph's Coat'' (2015)<ref name=variety/>
'''Guest appearances''' * Kehlani – "Jealous" from ''You Should Be Here'' (2015)<ref name=variety/> by Kehlani * Kehlani – "Lexii’s Outro" from '' It Was Good Until It Wasn't'' (2020) by Kehlani
'''EP's''' * ''Come Back Soon'' (2021)
==References== {{Reflist}} == External links == {{commons category}} * {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0003390254}} * {{discogs artist}} * {{IMDb name|id=13226683}} * {{SoundCloud|lexiialijai|Lexii Alijai}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alijai, Lexii}} Category:1998 births Category:2020 deaths Category:21st-century American rappers Category:21st-century African-American women rappers Category:21st-century African-American rappers Category:21st-century American women singers Category:Alcohol-related deaths in Minnesota Category:Rappers from Saint Paul, Minnesota Category:Drug-related deaths in Minnesota Category:21st-century American women rappers