Shooting claims life of rapper Tega

ST. LOUIS, May 31 (UPI) -- Rapper Ortega Devon Henderson, who performed under the name Tega, has died of wounds suffered in a Missouri shooting, a friend says.

Kyjuan Cleveland said his rapper friend was shot May 16 in Wellston, Mo., marking a tragic end to a life filled with musical promise but dangerous social allure, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Sunday.

"He got mixed up in the streets, but he was so talented, we thought we could pull him out of it," Cleveland said of Henderson, who died Wednesday.

"He was on the right path for a minute, but times are hard and he started getting around the wrong people."

Cleveland said Henderson performed as Tega in Da Camp, adding the rap group had been working on an album when the shooting occurred. Details of the incident were not reported.

Blu Bolden of Derrty Entertainment, which was founded by St. Louis rapper Nelly, agreed Henderson had been attempting to flee the street life by embracing music.

"He was an aspiring rapper, a really talented guy," she told the Post-Dispatch. "He was trying to do his artistry and get out of the streets."