Remembering LaFrank5: The New Orleans Young Rapper Whose Potential Was Cut Short at 17

#NOLAZINE - New Orleans has always produced young artists capable of turning their surroundings, emotions and ambitions into music. Some receive enough time to reach a national audience, while others leave behind only a glimpse of the greatness they might have achieved.

The rising New Orleans rapper was only 17 years old when his life came to an end in September 2020. Although his recording career was brief, songs such as “Hottest on My Side,” “This Struggle” and “Don’t Even Know My Pain” demonstrated that LaFrank5 possessed talent beyond his years.

His life ended before the rest of the world could fully discover him, but his music continues to preserve the voice of a young artist who appeared destined for greater things.

A Young New Orleans Talent

LaFrank5 was born Frank A. Bedell IV on July 25, 2003.

Like many young people growing up in and around New Orleans, music gave him a way to communicate his experiences. Hip-hop allowed him to express his emotions, represent his surroundings and imagine a future beyond the obstacles placed in front of him.

LaFrank5 began pursuing music while he was still a teenager. Despite his age, he displayed an increasingly developed sound and a natural comfort behind the microphone.

He did not come across as a child experimenting with rap. He sounded like a young artist who was already beginning to understand how to turn his life into records.

“Hottest on My Side” Displayed His Potential

In May 2020, Nolazine featured LaFrank5 following the release of the video for “Hottest on My Side,” featuring Paw1Up.

The performance introduced listeners to a confident 16-year-old rapper who already possessed an identifiable voice. LaFrank5 brought energy to the record while demonstrating an ability to create memorable lyrics over strong production.

“Hottest on My Side” showed that he understood how to make music capable of connecting with his generation. The record carried the hunger of a young performer determined to make people take notice.

At the time, we at Nolazine recognized that LaFrank5 possessed the “it” factor. He had the charisma, confidence and raw talent needed to separate himself from many other developing artists.

The question was not whether he had potential. The question was how far he could go if he continued growing.

Music Built From Real Emotion

LaFrank5’s catalog reflected more than youthful confidence. Songs such as “This Struggle” and “Don’t Even Know My Pain” suggested that he was also willing to reveal the difficult emotions behind his life.

That vulnerability is important in music.

Listeners often develop the strongest connection with artists who are willing to speak honestly about experiences that are hard to discuss. Pain, frustration, fear and ambition can become powerful creative tools when an artist knows how to place them inside a song.

LaFrank5 appeared to understand that lesson at a remarkably young age.

“This Struggle” allowed listeners to hear the emotional side of his artistry. It presented a young man attempting to process his reality through music rather than pretending everything surrounding him was perfect.

His ability to combine street-oriented subject matter with personal emotion gave him the foundation to develop into a complete artist.

Developing His Own Sound

One of the biggest challenges facing young rappers is learning how to stand apart from everyone else. The music industry is filled with talented people, but only a small number develop a voice that audiences can immediately recognize.

LaFrank5 was still growing, but his music suggested that he was moving toward an identity of his own.

His delivery carried the urgency of someone who understood that life could change quickly. He possessed natural rhythm, emotional conviction and the ability to make his verses feel connected to his personal experiences.

Those qualities cannot always be taught.

With additional time, experience and guidance, LaFrank5 could have continued improving his songwriting, experimenting with production and expanding the stories he told through his music.

Unfortunately, he never received that opportunity.

Collaborating With Other Rising Artists

LaFrank5 also worked with other performers from the New Orleans area, showing his connection to the local scene.

His collaboration with Paw1Up on “Hottest on My Side” helped both artists combine their energy on one record. LaFrank5 was also featured on Coblackk’s song “From the Hood,” which appeared on the 2020 project Pure.

His music later appeared alongside artists such as Rida Zilla. The 2021 mixtape GreatWhite Rida Shark Sht No F**k Shtincluded a feature from the late LaFrank5, allowing listeners to hear his voice after his passing.

These collaborations became more meaningful with time. They preserved moments from an era when LaFrank5 and his peers were still developing, recording and hoping to create opportunities for themselves.

A Life That Ended Far Too Soon

LaFrank5 died in New Orleans on September 10, 2020. He was only 17 years old.

His passing devastated his family, friends and the people who believed in his music. According to his published obituary, he left behind his parents, siblings and a large extended family who continue to cherish his memory. The Times-Picayune obituary for Frank A. “La Frank 5” Bedell IV confirms his age and the date of his passing.

Losing anyone at 17 is tragic. Losing a young person who was actively pursuing a dream makes the unanswered questions even more painful.

LaFrank5 never had the opportunity to release the full catalog he might have created. He did not get to experience national tours, major collaborations or the moment when his music reached a wider audience.

All that remains is the potential captured in the recordings he completed.

His Music Continues to Surface

Years after LaFrank5’s passing, people connected to his journey have continued sharing his work.

The video for “This Struggle” remained available online, allowing listeners to experience the emotional quality of his music. A video for the posthumously shared song “Stepped On” also helped keep his name circulating within the New Orleans rap community.

LaFrank5’s recordings can be found across music platforms, including his appearance on “From the Hood.” Every stream, repost and tribute gives another listener an opportunity to discover him.

Posthumous music cannot replace the artist who created it, but it can protect that artist’s memory from being forgotten.

For LaFrank5’s family and supporters, the recordings are more than entertainment. They preserve his voice, personality and dreams.

Another Reminder to Support Artists While They Are Here

LaFrank5’s story should remind New Orleans to support young artists while they are still alive and actively creating.

Too often, talented performers receive their greatest attention after tragedy. Their videos gain views, old songs are reposted and people begin discussing the potential they possessed.

Support should come earlier.

Young artists need mentorship, professional guidance, studio access, positive relationships and people who can help them navigate both the music business and the pressures surrounding them.

A teenager with talent may understand how to record a song, but that does not mean he knows how to build a sustainable career. The community surrounding that artist can play an important role in providing direction.

LaFrank5 deserved the opportunity to grow into the person and performer he was becoming.

More Than a Statistic

It is important to remember LaFrank5 as more than another young rapper who died.

He was Frank Bedell IV. He was a son, brother, grandson, relative and friend. He was a teenager with ideas, relationships, goals and a future he was working to create.

Music was one part of his identity, but it gave the public a lasting connection to him.

When listeners play “Hottest on My Side,” “This Struggle” or one of his collaborations, they are hearing a young man documenting a chapter of his life. Those recordings capture his confidence, pain and determination at a moment when everything still seemed possible.

Remembering LaFrank5

LaFrank5 did not have decades to build his legacy. He had only a few years and a small collection of recordings.

However, impact is not always measured by the size of an artist’s catalog. Sometimes it is measured by the people who continue saying that artist’s name.

Those who knew LaFrank5 have kept his memory alive. Videographers, collaborators, fans and family members continue to share his music and remind people that a talented young voice once emerged from New Orleans.

We at Nolazine remember featuring LaFrank5 when he was only 16 years old. We saw an artist with a developing sound, strong presence and undeniable potential.

His story did not receive the ending it deserved, but the music he left behind ensures that his voice has not completely disappeared.

Long live LaFrank5—the young New Orleans rapper whose talent, struggle and ambition will always be remembered.