It was in the gritty, blue-collar city of Flint that Eric Breed grew up amid the dimming opportunities of a declining auto industry.
That starkness was vivid in the lyrics of what would be the rapper's biggest hit, 1991's "Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'."
Breed, known professionally as MC Breed, died Saturday at a friend's home in Ypsilanti, about 30 miles southwest of Detroit, a Washtenaw County medical examiner's spokesman said Monday.
Toxicology reports were pending, but no foul play was suspected in the 37-year-old's death.
Breed had suffered from kidney failure, according to The Detroit News and The Flint Journal.