U.S. rap and hip-hop pioneer Justo Faison has been killed in a car accident in Richmond, Va. Faison, 36, of New York, died Friday night when his sport utility vehicle flipped and slammed into a tree in Richmond, Va., the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Faison was the founder of the annual Mixtape Awards, which acknowledged innovative underground hip-hop, R&B and reggae deejays, MTV.com reported Monday. He was also a rap producer and record promoter, who held positions at many major record labels over the years. This year’s star-studded New York Mixtape Awards ceremony in March honored Bad Boy Records boss Sean “P. Diddy” Combs for his notable achievements as a hip-hop producer, as well as his contributions to the genre. © Copyright 2005 by United Press International

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