The Dallas Hip-Hop community woke up to devastating news on New Year’s Day as rising artist ZeeTheWizard was critically injured in a shooting at a local strip club.
ZeeTheWizard was celebrating the arrival of 2026 alongside fellow Dallas rapper BigXThaPlug at the Pink House strip club’s grand opening when violence erupted around 3:50 A.M. The shooting left four people hospitalized, with ZeeTheWizard suffering a head wound.
As of press time, there are conflicting reports – sources say he has died, while WFAA reports that his family surrounds him in critical condition.
The 27-year-old artist had recently signed to Future’s Freebandz Entertainment. Video footage circulating on social media captured the heartbreaking moment when BigXThaPlug learned about his friend’s condition.
In the clip, the visibly shaken rapper can be heard saying, “F###, they shot Zee in the head, what the f###,” highlighting the close bond between the two artists and the shock of the sudden violence.
The tragedy hits particularly hard for those who knew ZeeTheWizard personally. ZeeTheWizard had been building momentum in the Dallas rap scene with tracks like “Boss N*gga” and through collaborations with local artists, including Zillionaire Doe, Yung Donn, and Timothy Chung.
The artist’s last Instagram post, shared just hours before his death, showed him wishing everyone a happy New Year. The post has since been flooded with tributes from fans and fellow artists.
The Dallas Police Department continues investigating the shooting, though no arrests have been announced. The motive remains unclear, and authorities have not indicated whether the shooting was targeted or random violence.