DC nightclub Bliss issued an apology Monday after a video of slain Maryland rapper Markelle Morrow went viral on social media. The footage shows the embalmed body of the up-and-coming rapper propped up onstage inside the night spot while mourners sang and danced around him.
Morrow, who rapped under the stage name Goonew, was killed during a suspected robbery in Prince George’s County last month, according to NBC Washington. The home-going celebration, titled “The Final Show,” had a $40 cover charge to enter the club.
The videos received backlash from appalled and disturbed social media users, who thought the party was unusual and “disrespectful.”
no way goonew mama approved that shit that’s so sad & disrespectful
— T. (@_AllHailTiffany) April 3, 2022
The owner of bliss needs to hire a pastor and an imam to cleanse that hoe . Because that shit is insane . I get that the family could’ve wants that . But I wouldn’t have any that kind of energy at my establishment #Goonew
— 🦋🦋🦋 (@Sweetlekwataaa) April 4, 2022
Bliss released a statement in response to the negative comments apologizing to “those who may be upset or offended” about the party and claiming that management “wasn’t made aware of how what would transpire.”
— Bliss Club (@blissclubdc) April 4, 2022
But the family told Fox 5 that they participated in the celebration and it was how they wanted to honor the rapper’s life. “For all the negatives, people probably don’t even know nothing about us,” his mother, Patrice Morrow, said in an interview with the TV station. “They have no idea. People just saying what they want to say, and that’s fine. That’s perfectly fine. I’m pleased with how I sent my son away. I wish people would just let me grieve in peace.”
The Prince George’s County Police Department is still investigating the shooting that led to Morrow’s death. The department has offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information that would lead to an arrest of a suspect.
Before becoming Research Editor, Damare Baker was an Editorial Fellow and Assistant Editor for Washingtonian. She has previously written for Voice of America and The Hill. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied international relations, Korean, and journalism.
