Ahmad Jordan
Audio By Carbonatix
Nov. 11, 2020, was the most devastating day in Dallas hip-hop history. Mo3 was murdered in broad daylight on I-35 in an ambush-style chase. Kewon White, the hitman, shot at him and chased him down before fleeing the scene. Prosecutors showed a video of the incident during a court hearing for Yella Beezy earlier this year, who is accused of hiring White in an alleged murder-for-hire plot. Mo3 was 28 years old.
The loss of Mo3 came after emerging Chicago rapper King Von was shot and killed in Atlanta on Nov. 6, 2020. Three days later, Boosie Badazz was shot in the leg near Big T Plaza in Dallas, as he was in town to attend a vigil for Mo3. Griselda rapper Benny the Butcher, who was in Houston at the time, was also shot in the leg after an attempted robbery at a Walmart on the same day. The string of gun violence put a dark cloud over hip-hop, as two promising rappers on the rise were killed in succession, injuring a Southern rap legend and hospitalizing Buffalo’s sharpest storyteller.
Mo3 Comes Straight Outta North Dallas
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Born Melvin Noble, he grew up in a North Dallas neighborhood that he nicknamed “Nawfghanistan.” He was raised by his mom, whom he referred to as the “neighborhood moms” in a VladTV interview, because she always had his friends stay over as long as they needed and gave them a meal. The rapper was first arrested at 14 years old for aggravated robbery, a pattern that continued until he was 17, when he was caught on four charges for aggravated robbery. It was during this time that his father was encouraging him to rap.
He told VladTV about his dad visiting him while he was in prison. “He was just like, ‘What are you going to do when you get out of here?” Mo3 recalled. “I don’t know what else to do. I wasn’t smart in school. I don’t know nothing else. He was like, ‘Rap.’”
Mo3 was skeptical of his father’s advice, telling him that nobody from around here was going to make it in rap. “Just tell your story,” Mo3 remembered. “Everything you ever did, just rap about it and you ain’t gotta do it anymore. Just rap about that. I did that shit.”
2014 was when Mo3 saw his breakout hit with “Hold Ya Tongue,” a remake of Mr. Lucci’s “Half Steppin’.” It was one of the first songs that showcased his cold demeanor, putting his versatility on display as he seamlessly transitioned between rapping and singing melodies. The video was shot in the “Stoney Crook” apartments, a nickname for the Stoney Brook apartment complex on Audelia Road. It had cameos by Mr. Lucci and Big Chief, a major co-sign from local legends who saw the potential early.
Mo3’s first project, Shottaz, laid the foundation and had people checking for his music. It was in 2016 that Shottaz Reloaded set everything off for him, introducing his style of brooding, sing-rap vocals over ominous production to the world. A song like “I’m Pac” channels Tupac Shakur so well that you thought he was reincarnated in Mo3, rapping with such intensity that you wouldn’t dare to test him. “Letter to Mama” is dedicated to the person who cared for him when she didn’t have much. He’s been trying to get his family out of the struggle and finally made it big.
“I started living off rap this year and I love it. I’m shining,” Mo3 told the Observer in 2016.
As Mo3 dropped more mixtapes, he adopted the flood the streets strategy of building his name. 2017’s Gangsta Love, Pt. 1 showcased a different side of himself, featuring R&B love songs fit for a gangsta and proving he had range. He was gaining a buzz around Dallas and getting the attention of his favorite rapper, Boosie Badazz. On his YouTube page, there’s a clip of Mo3 meeting Boosie for the first time, excited to meet the local rapper who has been selling out shows.
“I gotta check you out, man,” Boosie said. “I need an artist from Dallas.” The co-sign led to the duo recording songs together, and Mo3 was almost signed to his label.
Ask Him How He Came Up
From old SayCheeseTV interviews, Mo3 was one of the last real artists who would hustle CDs on the street and sell them after his shows. His manager, Rainwater, helped promote his CDs at nightclubs, events and parties. “I used to start rapping and singing with the CD in my hand,” Mo3 said. Sometimes he would speak in the third person to persuade people to buy his music. “You ever heard of Mo3?”
The demand was strong. Not only was he selling CDs in his neighborhood, he was pushing CDs from his Grand Marquis on 26s all over Dallas. He then moved CDs at mom and pop stores in Fort Worth, Arlington, West Texas and East Texas. When folks in Oklahoma and Louisiana were calling him for CDs, he had to figure out how to ship them through FedEx.
Mo3 estimates he made $80,000 off Shottaz Reloaded, charging $5,000 for a show. In 2018, Shottaz 3.0 featured his viral hit “Everybody” and took his popularity to a new level with 2019’s Osama. Without a doubt, Mo3 was becoming one of the most-listened rising artists out of Dallas.
2020 was Mo3’s year before it was cut short. He was proud that his music provided him with an honest living, even landing him bookings for house parties during the pandemic. He collaborated on the album Badazz MO3 with Boosie, which was built on the popularity of “Everybody (Remix).” It featured Zaytoven-inspired beats and vivid storytelling, offering a level of direct reflection on the artist’s life that can’t be replicated.
Mo3’s timing was right there. He had a collection of songs that were lessons learned from his rough upbringing, relatable to people who had faced the same real-life struggles that he had. Every time he posted a new car or chain after leveling up, it served as motivation for the young hustlers, showing them that they, too, could make it.
After Mo3’s death, he released two posthumous albums that each honored his name in full. 2021’s Shottaz 4Eva featured “In My Blood” with Morray and one of his biggest songs to date, “Outside (Better Days),” which is often played when a DJ at a major rap show wants to pay tribute to Mo3. 2024’s Legend has Tye Harris, That Mexican OT, BigXThaPlug and others featured on there, showing fans who were inspired by him and the artists he knew personally. It’s a bond that lasts forever.
Harris, who appeared on “Came Up,” produced the song with his brother and did the piano intro.
“I always thought Mo3 was in that lane of talented artists,” Harris tells the Observer. “He was one of the most talented artists that the city has ever seen. If you’re a talented artist in the city, he’s one of those guys that you root for when it comes to making music because then if you are talented, you look at that and say, ‘Okay, it’s possible.’”
Mo3, who saw rap as a launching pad for other avenues in entertainment, made his posthumous acting debut in Triple D Revenge, directed by Mista E, in 2021. Mo3 starred alongside actors Roderick Watson and Brandon Christle, debuting in local Dallas theaters. Later, it streamed on Tubi and Amazon Prime.
Mo3 Is Gone, But Not Forgotten
Mo3 was going to be our next rap star if it wasn’t for the hate and jealousy of his peers, who didn’t want to see him win. Mo3 had a history of beefing with rappers, which many rap outlets have tried to dissect and find the answers to. The most public feud is with Beezy, although they sometimes denied that there were any issues. Still, Beezy is set to stand trial in connection with his murder on Feb. 2, 2026, a chance for Mo3’s family to get full justice for his untimely death.
There isn’t a day in Dallas when Mo3 is not missed. His absence is felt every day. His legacy is carried on through balloon releases on his birthday every year, inviting the community to places like Big Mama’s Chicken and Waffles that he personally frequented. There’s potentially more music from the vault, following a copyright lawsuit victory that allows them to officially maintain control over his recordings.
Dallas continues to fill the void by reminding people outside the state lines of his peak. A documentary on a legendary night when Mo3 performed at the House of Blues in 2019 is just another piece of his history. Some of his fans might still have the ticket stub from that night, reliving the experience as we collectively reminisce on when Mo3 had the city behind him, our favorite songs and how he was about to blow.
No amount of music, films, or documentaries will bring Mo3 back. Five years since his passing, Dallas hip-hop has used his tragedy to unify and develop a sound that allows everyone to get this rap money together. It’s what Mo3 would’ve wanted, not one rapper carrying the torch but several of them pushing New Dallas forward.
Long Live 3. A true gift for the streets.
Courtesy of The Estate of Melvin Noble, Jr.
