Slain Battle Rapper Pat Stay Honored With Hometown Mural

A year after Pat Stay’s tragic murder, the esteemed battle rapper is still being remembered and honored by those who loved and respected the Canadian artist. Earlier this week, a mural in Stay’s honor was unveiled in his hometown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a (hopefully) permanent memorial to his legacy.

“The Hip-Hop scene in Halifax, with graffiti and murals kind of going with that, he was the king of it,” Mike Burt, an artist with Trackside Studios, explained. “He was world-renowned. Put our city on the map because he’s a legend.”

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The team of artists from Trackside Studios, a nearby studio renowned for their expertise in graffiti and murals, was commissioned to contribute to the tribute project.

The mural, located in Dartmouth Cove, was officially revealed during the Labor Day weekend, with attendance from both family members and devoted fans. A powerful black-and-white portrait of Stay featuring his gaze directed upward now watches over Halifax Harbour.

Stay—who made his name battling on stages like King of the Dot, Rare Breed Entertainment and the Ultimate Rap League (where he did his final performance on Drake’s “Til Death Do Us Part” card)—was killed during a stabbing incident in downtown Halifax on September 4, 2022. He was only 36 years old.

The person who allegedly stabbed him is 32-year-old Adam Joseph Drake. He’s currently facing charges of first-degree murder in connection with this case, and his trial is scheduled to commence later this month.