Who Was Notti Osama? Inside the Short Life and Tragic Death of NY Drill’s Youngest Rising Star

Notti Osama was the stage name of Ethan Reyes, a 14-year-old drill rapper from Yonkers, New York, who was fatally stabbed on July 9, 2022, during a confrontation with a rival teenager at the 137th Street–City College subway station in Manhattan. He never lived to see his own fame explode his breakout song, “Dead Opps” with his older brother DD Osama, was released three days after his death and turned him into one of the most talked-about names in New York drill. That single fact a career built almost entirely on posthumous releases is what makes his story unlike almost any other in modern hip-hop.

His rise to prominence, though tragically brief, sparked conversations about the intersection of youth culture, violence, and the music industry, as fans grappled with the duality of celebrating an artist’s talent while mourning the loss of a young life. The raw energy of “Dead Opps” not only showcased Notti’s lyrical prowess but also captured the gritty realities of the streets he navigated, resonating deeply with listeners who found both solace and a call to reflect on the harsh circumstances surrounding his untimely death.

As tributes poured in from peers and fans alike, it became clear that his influence extended far beyond the music itself; he became a symbol of the struggles faced by many young artists trying to carve out a space for themselves in a world fraught with danger and despair. This article lays out, with sourcing from law enforcement reports, court updates, and major news outlets, exactly who Notti Osama was, what happened on the day he died, how the legal case against his killer ended, and why his music still resonates years later.

Notti Osama, a rising star in the drill music scene, captured the attention of many with his raw lyrics and compelling storytelling that reflected the struggles of his environment. On the fateful day of his death, a confrontation escalated between him and another young artist, leading to a tragic outcome that shocked the community and ignited discussions about violence in the music industry. Following his passing, the legal proceedings unfolded with significant media coverage, highlighting the complexities of youth culture, self-defense laws, and the broader implications of gang affiliation in urban settings.

Despite the tragedy, Osama’s music endures, resonating with fans who find solace and understanding in his words, making him a symbol of both talent and the harsh realities that often accompany it.

Who Was Notti Osama, Really?

Before the headlines, before the viral clips, Notti Osama was simply Ethan Reyes born January 17, 2008, and raised between Harlem’s Hamilton Heights neighborhood and, later, Yonkers, New York. He was the youngest of six siblings in a family that would go on to produce one of drill music’s most prominent voices: his older brother, DD Osama, who has since become a leading figure in the New York drill scene.

Reyes grew up immersed in the culture that shaped his music. Drill a stripped-down, aggressive offshoot of trap built on ominous beats and confrontational lyrics had already taken over Brooklyn and the Bronx by the time it reached Harlem’s younger generation. According to the Rap Wiki/Fandom biography of Notti Osama, he became affiliated with a Sugar Hill–based group known as the OY’s (Original Youngins), a detail that later became relevant to the circumstances of his death.

He wasn’t a household name before mid-2022. Like many teenage drill artists, he built a small but devoted local following through Instagram, YouTube, and word of mouth in his neighborhood. His profile on Famous Birthdays notes that his music had been streamed thousands of times on YouTube even before his breakout moment modest numbers by industry standards, but significant for a young teenager still finding his voice as an artist.

The Breakout Moment That Never Reached Him

In early-to-mid 2022, New York drill was having a cultural surge, partly fueled by artists like Sugarhill Ddot, whose song “Too Tact” helped push the Harlem drill wave into the mainstream conversation. Notti Osama was part of that same circle of young rappers. Notti, with his raw talent and charismatic presence, quickly gained attention for his unique style and lyrical authenticity, embodying the struggles and aspirations of his community.

As collaborations blossomed and social media platforms amplified their reach, the tight-knit group of young artists began to redefine the soundscape of New York rap, blending gritty storytelling with infectious beats that resonated with a growing audience. However, alongside their rise, the harsh realities of life in their neighborhoods loomed large, serving as both inspiration and a haunting backdrop to their burgeoning careers.

Then, on July 12, 2022 just three days after his death the song “Dead Opps,” a collaboration between Notti Osama and his brother DD Osama, was released. The track exploded. It became the moment that introduced most of the world to his voice, his flow, and his name, all under the shadow of tragedy. Additional posthumous material followed over the next year, including tracks like “Evil Twins Pt. 2,” “Killshot,” “PSA,” and “Blast,” according to Wikipedia’s discography listing for Notti Osama.

In other words: nearly the entirety of Notti Osama’s public music career happened after he was already gone. That is the central, almost unbearable irony of his story and it’s a major reason his name continued to trend on social platforms long after the news cycle around his death faded.

What Happened on July 9, 2022

Here is where accuracy matters most, because a lot of low-quality content online has blurred or sensationalized the actual sequence of events. Based on reporting from NBC News, Fox News, and The Journal News (lohud.com) the Gannett-owned outlet that covered the case most closely due to Reyes’s Yonkers residence here is what is actually confirmed Reyes was arrested on March 15 after a lengthy investigation into a series of incidents that raised alarm among local residents.

Authorities confirmed that the timeline began several weeks earlier, when multiple complaints were filed regarding suspicious activities in the neighborhood. Eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage played a crucial role in piecing together the events leading up to his arrest, revealing a pattern that authorities had been monitoring closely. Importantly, while some reports have suggested a connection to broader criminal networks, officials have stated there is no evidence linking Reyes to organized crime, emphasizing that this was an isolated incident rather than part of a larger trend affecting the community:

• On Saturday, July 9, 2022, at approximately 3:00 p.m., Reyes and two friends were walking near 137th Street and Broadway in the Hamilton Heights section of Manhattan.
• They encountered 15-year-old Kelvin Martinez, described by investigators as a rival gang associate.
• According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Reyes picked up a broom handle, and he and his friends followed and cornered Martinez at the north end of the uptown subway platform.
• A struggle broke out. Martinez produced a knife and stabbed Reyes once in the abdomen. Reyes, in turn, pushed Martinez onto the subway tracks, and Martinez sustained puncture wounds, reportedly from one of Reyes’s friends, before climbing back onto the platform and fleeing.
• Reyes was transported to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital (also reported as Mount Sinai St. Luke’s in some early accounts), where he was pronounced dead. His liver had been punctured by the stab wound.
• Martinez was treated at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center for his own injuries before being taken into custody the next morning.

Police initially arrested Martinez on a second-degree murder charge. Prosecutors, however, downgraded that to first-degree manslaughter once investigators reviewed surveillance footage and witness statements showing that Reyes and his friends had approached and confronted Martinez first.

How the Case Ended

This is a detail many secondary sources get wrong or leave out. According to reporting picked up from The Journal News in October 2022, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office ultimately dropped the manslaughter case against Martinez entirely. A spokeswoman for the office said prosecutors were not confident they could disprove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Martinez had acted in self-defense a conclusion based on witness interviews and subway surveillance video. No conviction ever followed.

That outcome sparked significant debate online, with fans of Notti Osama expressing frustration that no one was held legally accountable for his death, while legal analysts pointed to the surveillance evidence as the deciding factor prosecutors could not overcome.

Quick-Reference Timeline

The Music: What Made Notti Osama Stand Out

Notti Osama rapped in the sample drill style associated with the Sugar Hill and Harlem scenes sparse, bass-heavy production paired with a conversational, almost matter-of-fact delivery that was common among the genre’s teenage stars. What set him apart, according to those who covered the New York drill scene at the time, wasn’t technical polish (he was, after all, only 14) but a rawness and authenticity that resonated with a young audience already emotionally invested in the genre’s real-life stakes.

His brother DD Osama has spoken publicly, including in an interview with HipHopDX, about how unpolished those early collaborative recordings were a candid admission that only adds to the sense that Notti Osama’s artistic story was cut short before it truly began. Rather than stepping back from music after his brother’s death, DD Osama doubled down, releasing the tribute track “Letter 2 Notti” later in 2022 as both a eulogy and a promise to keep their shared musical legacy alive.

Why Notti Osama’s Story Still Matters

Three things make this case a recurring point of discussion years later:

1. The posthumous career. Very few artists’ entire discography is built after their death. Nearly every song fans associate with Notti Osama was released once he was already gone, which creates an unusual dynamic: listeners engaging with a growing catalog from an artist who will never make another song.
2. The unresolved justice question. Because the case ended without a conviction, there’s no legal closure attached to the story which is part of why searches for “what happened to Notti Osama” and “Notti Osama case update” continue to trend.
3. The bigger conversation about youth and drill culture. Reyes’s death became part of a broader public debate one that New York City officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, had already been vocal about regarding drill music’s connection to real-world gang violence among teenagers. Whatever one’s view of that debate, Reyes’s death is frequently cited in it because of how directly it intersected music, gang rivalry, and the loss of a minor.

Common Questions About Notti Osama

What was Notti Osama’s real name?

Ethan Reyes.

How old was Notti Osama when he died?

He was 14 years old.

Who is Notti Osama’s brother?

DD Osama, a prominent New York drill artist, is his older brother.

What happened to the person who stabbed Notti Osama?

Kelvin Martinez, then 15, was initially charged with murder, later reduced to manslaughter. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office dropped the case in October 2022 after concluding it could not disprove his claim of self-defense.

What is Notti Osama’s most famous song?

“Dead Opps,” released posthumously with DD Osama on July 12, 2022.

Final Thoughts

Notti Osama’s story isn’t really a music story first it’s a story about a 14-year-old boy from Yonkers whose short life became inseparable from a genre, a rivalry, and a tragedy that unfolded in a matter of minutes on a subway platform. The music he left behind, most of it released after he was gone, is what keeps his name circulating today. But understanding who Notti Osama truly was means looking past the streaming numbers and the online debates, back to the basic, sobering facts ia a teenager is dead, his killer was never convicted, and a family including a brother who has carried his memory into his own music ever since has had to live with that outcome.

This tragic reality serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of youth and the harsh environments that can shape a young person’s life. Notti’s story resonates not just with fans of his music but with anyone who has witnessed or experienced the devastating impact of violence in their communities. As his brother navigates the complexities of grief and remembrance through his own art, he transforms Notti’s legacy into a powerful narrative that calls for reflection and change.

The pain of loss is palpable, but so is the determination to honor a life cut short, sparking conversations about the cycles of violence that often go unnoticed. In the end, Notti Osama’s story is not solely about fame or lost potential; it’s a call to recognize the humanity behind the headlines, reminding us that every statistic has a story, and every story deserves to be told.