Originally published in The Patriot-News on May 19, 2012.
Many people called Terrance Manning “Skillz,” and his growing success in different fields show that he deserved the nickname.
Known as Skillz Hurachi, the Steelton rapper had opened for nationally known superstars Drake, Lil’ Wayne and Soulja Boy as a member of the rap trio VSOP/XO. He was slated to perform his first solo concert Friday at the Seabash restaurant in Harrisburg.
A tattoo artist, his work was about to be featured on UrbanInk.com, one of the top African American tattoo sites in the country. He also produced custom T-shirts.
Today, he planned to celebrate his 26th birthday at a bash filled with friends.
But Manning died Friday, leaving stunned friends and family mourning. Scores of friends and loved ones posted condolences on Facebook.
The Dauphin County coroner’s office confirmed Manning’s death Friday, but did not give details about his death. He was found in his home Friday morning, according to Brown.
“He did everything to the best of his ability,” said Jamar Brown, his best friend. “That’s why his name was Skillz.”
“His talent is unmeasurable, it really is,” Brown said, with his voice breaking. “It’s like he had no ceiling to his talent.”
Brown, a rapper known as Nino Marron, gave Manning the second part of his nickname — Hurachi. “It’s a pair of sneakers that are just sly and flashy,” he said, which was fitting for a man described as the life of the party.
Together with Zach Klaus, they became the VSOP/XO rap trio, performing at Kipona and opening for nationally acclaimed acts. No matter how successful they were, Manning never let them rest on their laurels, Brown said.
“Everything that we did, he pushed us to go further,” he said. “We did so much together and had so much to accomplish in life.”
Julia Hatmaker 