LOS ANGELES, CA — Songstress and writer Jewell Caples passed away on Friday according to sources from an apparent heart attack. The angelic voice that was heard on many of the Death Row Records classics such Dr. Dre‘s The Chronic, Snoop Dogg‘s Doggystyle, Tha Dogg Pound’s What Would You Do (Murder Was The Case Soundtrack), 2Pac‘s Thug Passion and countless other songs passed away at age 54.
She told fans that she was hospitalized on March 2 after doctors found 8 pounds of fluid around her heart, lungs and legs. Caples was re-admitted to the hospital on March 16 and released a few days later.
The Compton native participated on NWA’s Efil4Zaggin album that featured a song with her and Eazy-E titled I’d Rather F**k You, before leaving with Dr. Dre for Death Row Records. She was also known for contributing to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s For The Love Of $ on their debut album. The “First Lady Of Death Row” also covered a Shirley Brown song Woman To Woman, OFTB’s Check Yo Hood, and eventually reunited with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg after the demise of the infamous record label that started her career on a classic g-funk sounding track Just Dippin.
Daz Dillinger of Tha Dogg Pound released the news of Jewell’s passing via his Instagram page with a heartfelt message. Once the news spread, many of her friends and music colleagues began to shared their messages via social media including DJ Battlecat, Bishop Lamont, Warren G, Snoop Dogg, KDubb, John Payne, Kurupt, DJ Quik, and a host of others.
Whether you knew Jewell personally or admired her music from afar, her sound touched millions and impact a generation of music fans.
