Community leaders and family members of Tyriece Watson, known as Lor Scoota, announced on Wednesday events to commemorate the young rapper's life over several "days of healing."
"We need to recognize him for the artistry," Minister Marvin McKenstry Jr. said. "So far his legacy has been overshadowed by the circumstances surrounding his death."
"Scoota was not just a local rapper, he was a son of Baltimore," McKenstry said.
Scoota, 23, was shot fatally Saturday night in Northeast Baltimore in what police called a targeted killing. Police said they don't know of suspects or a motive but are fielding a flood of tips. On Wednesday evening, Baltimore police released surveillance video of a green Nissan Quest they say held the suspects.
Watson's brother, John Mosley, said on Wednesday outside their mother's West Baltimore home that he believes "jealousy" and "hate" were behind his brother's death.
"In this city, when you're doing stuff and you're making a name for yourself … the next person always wants in," said Mosley, 28. "And if they can't get it the way you're gettin' it, they gotta take what you got."
At a news conference, Derrick Chase of the Stand Up Baltimore coalition announced events on Thursday and Friday to remember the life of the popular musician.
A public wake will be held at Wylie Funeral Home on N. Mount Street on Thursday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., with performances by hip-hop artists at an outdoor event hosted by 92Q's Lil Black from 4 to 6 p.m.
On Friday, a viewing will be held at the Empowerment Temple on Primrose Avenue at 10 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m.
Also on Friday, a block party that organizers are calling a "Heal the City transformation repass" will be held in the 1500 block of Pennsylvania Ave. from 4 to 7:30 p.m.
Baltimore Police Lt. Col. Melvin Russell said the Police Department hopes to be "part of the healing process." To do so, he said, police officers "have to be part of the community" as well.
"The city is hurt. Most importantly, the children are hurt," said Watson's personal assistant, Alexis Savage.
She and others spoke across the street from the site of the former Royal Theatre, a prominent venue for African-American entertainers until it was demolished in 1971.
Chase said the setting was appropriate, given Scoota's creativity, and pointed to a statue of Billie Holiday behind him.
"Lor Scoota was this generation's Billie Holiday," he said, adding that the rapper was "a mirror of the conditions of Baltimore."
Watson was known for his popular single "Bird Flu." His recent songs include "Snapchat" and a remix of "Panda" by the rapper Desiigner.
He had a criminal record including charges of robbery, theft and assault but had become a visible community advocate recently, speaking last year to high school assemblies about overcoming challenges and achieving goals.
Police said Watson was driving on Moravia Road in Lauraville at 7 p.m. Saturday when he was shot by a man wearing a white bandanna.
His death prompted a number of public gatherings in the city, including a vigil in West Baltimore on Monday that several hundred people attended. A heavy police presence led to a tense standoff with the crowd, and three men are charged with disobeying police commands.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake commented on Scoota's death Wednesday, calling the shooting "horrible."
She urged residents to come forward if they have information about the crime. "The people who are pulling the triggers are known to the people in the community," she said.
Rawlings-Blake called Watson "an advocate against the violence in our streets."
"He was beloved in the city," she said. "I was hearing about it both from law enforcement officers here, but at the same time hearing about it from my daughter, because it was someone that she followed. This was something that certainly hits home."
Mosley, Watson's brother, said: "I just can't believe he's gone."
"My son was good," said their mother, Leta Person, 59. "He was out there in the community, and he was trying to make a difference with the youth."
Baltimore Sun Reporters Jean Marbella and Yvonne Wenger contributed to this article.
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