If his social media accounts are to be believed, Malaysian rapper Namewee has died.
According to posts on his official profiles, the 40-year-old star, known for his controversial songs and videos, passed away due to unknown causes on Monday (1 April).
Source: Namewee 黃明志 on Facebook
However, netizens have suspected that it’s an April Fool’s joke as there has so far been no official confirmation of his death.
Exactly two minutes past midnight on 1 April, a black-and-white photo with the caption “1983-2024” surfaced on Namewee’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, seemingly signalling his untimely demise.
Source: Namewee 黃明志 on Facebook
This was followed up by another post about five hours later of an apparent “obituary”. Referring to him as “The Ghosician”, it said members of the public could attend a “visitation” and “farewell ceremony” on 1 April at Nirvana Center Kuala Lumpur.
Source: Namewee 黃明志 on Facebook
The venue is a memorial centre under the funeral services company Nirvana Asia Group.
Attendees were asked to wear all-white, though media coverage was not permitted.
Condolence wreaths, flower stands, money, obituaries, and memorial advertisements were declined.
In response to queries, Namewee’s artiste management company told Malaysia’s Sin Chew Daily his farewell ceremony would indeed be held at the stated date and time at Nirvana Center Kuala Lumpur.
However, it didn’t confirm his death.
Malaysia media also quoted Nirvana Asia Group as saying that the venue had been reserved for the evening of 1 April.
Intriguingly, another post on Namewee’s social media accounts that afternoon showed that this was indeed true.
A memorial had indeed been set up at the venue, complete with flowers atop what resembled a coffin and photographs of the star.
Source: Namewee 黃明志 on Facebook
A netizen who turned up shared a video of the event, held at a luxurious-looking hall.
Source: Ooi Sunnie on Facebook
She even received a goodie bag containing a bottle of mineral water, among other things.
Source: Ooi Sunnie on Facebook
That afternoon, a Nirvana employee shared a selfie taken with a plaque that had Namewee’s photo and the words “The Late Mr. Namewee” on it.
She said she didn’t expect their first photo together to be like this, and she would “love him forever” as his music had touched her deeply.
The plot thickened when Malaysia’s Oriental Daily News reportedly caught sight of Namewee’s parents arriving at the hall at 7.43pm.
Source: Oriental Daily News
Wearing face masks, they entered quietly under the guidance of staff.
Though the event was open to the public, photography wasn’t allowed at the venue, the news outlet said. About 20 people were there.
Speculation intensified when Namewee’s death was listed on the Chinese version of Wikipedia.
The Wikipedia profile for Namewee, whose Chinese name is Huang Zhiming (黄明志), was briefly edited to indicate that he had died on 1 April 2024.
Source: 文婷婷 on Facebook
This edit was later removed.
More bizarrely, a photo started circulating over the Internet of a man taking a “selfie” with a man who looked like Namewee — lying in what appeared to be a coffin.
Source: Facebook
Many netizens responded to the macabre news by dismissing it as an April Fool’s joke, considering the date that Namewee seemingly died.
Source: Facebook
They also believed that he would “resurrect” the next day.
Source: Facebook
However, many thought the rapper had gone too far with the joke, pointing out that it was inauspicious.
Source: Facebook
Some also compared it to the death of Hong Kong star Leslie Cheung, who died on 1 April 2003.
Additionally, fans familiar with Namewee’s work suggested that Namewee was promoting a new song or album.
They pointed to the fact that in his “obituary”, he was referred to as “The Ghosician” — the name of his 2021 album.
Source: Namewee 黃明志 on Facebook
In his most recent album ‘Weenomenon’, released last November, there’s also a track titled ‘When I’m Gone’ (当我离开以后), written from the perspective of a deceased person.
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Featured image adapted from Namewee 黃明志 on Facebook and Facebook,
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