SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 11: Rapper J. Cole performs onstage during day 2 of Rolling Loud Los Angeles at NOS Events Center on December 11, 2021 in San Bernardino, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

The killing of Carlos Brown, a Fayetteville rapper who performed as Filthe Rich, left a lingering sense of grief in North Carolina’s music circles when he died in May 2023. This month, a Cumberland County jury found Joshua Tashun Joyce guilty of murder in the case. Joyce, a 42-year-old Army veteran, was sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison. Prosecutors said the shooting followed a dispute that began on social media. It ended on a porch along Lynn Avenue; Rich later died at a hospital. Meanwhile, many fans felt Rich deserved more recognition during his life.

During the trial, jurors were shown a series of Instagram exchanges between the two men. Joyce allegedly wrote, “I’ll be up there in a few minutes,” beneath a video Rich had posted shortly before the confrontation. Testimony also described tension that escalated after Joyce reacted with a laughing emoji to a post in which Rich shared personal struggles. According to witnesses, the disagreement was tied in part to a burglary that had left Rich without his belongings. This burglary had strained their relationship as well. Above all, the community mourned Rich and the contributions he made.

Rich was half of the Fayetteville duo Bomm Sheltuh, alongside Brion Unger, who performs as Nervous Reck and testified during the proceedings. Unger described his collaborator as “definitely not a violent person at all,” adding, “Given the environment he grew up in, he probably had every reason to be that type of person. But he never was.” In court, the focus often returned to Rich’s character. The aspirations he continued to pursue were noted as well. In fact, Rich’s legacy was highlighted in many testimonies.

Legal Closure, But a Career Cut Short

At the time of his death, Rich was facing financial hardship and living in his car after the burglary displaced him. Unger said they had plans to meet in Durham the following week to record new music. However, that work, like much of what Rich intended to create, was left unfinished. As a result, Rich’s musical impact continues to resonate with those who remember him.

Bomm Sheltuh’s influence extended beyond Fayetteville. J. Cole has credited the group with inviting him to perform at open mic nights as a teenager. The group also gave him one of his earliest recorded appearances on their Fayettenam Bommuhs compilation. For those who followed Rich’s career, the verdict brings legal resolution. However, it cannot restore the momentum that was abruptly cut short.