‘We Ready’ Rapper Archie Eversole Killed by Brother, Say Police

Gil Kaufman
·2 min read

One week after “We Ready” rapper Archie Eversole (born Arthur Eversole) died of gunshot wounds from a March 25 shooting in the Atlanta area, the MC’s brother has been charged with his murder. According to WSBT TV, Eversole, 37, was shot last month and taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries on April 3.

Investigators say that Eversole’s brother, Alexander Kraus, was the one who shot him; Kraus was reportedly arrested following the shooting and charged with aggravated assault, with the charges upgraded following Eversole’s death. At press time a spokesperson for the Dekalb County Police Department had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the case.

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Eversole’s standout hit “We Ready,” which features Bubba Sparxxx and samples Steam’s 1969 No. 1 Hot 100 hit “Na Na Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,” reached No. 64 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in July 2002 and became the anthem for the Atlanta United soccer club and its fans, the Five Stripes nation.

In a statement on Thursday (April 14), Atlanta United honored the rapper, writing, “We are heartbroken to hear of the tragic passing of Archie Eversole. A staple in the Atlanta hip-hop scene, Archie adopted Atlanta United before our first season and continued to be one of our club’s most fervent supporters. In addition to his decorated musical career, his voice will long live in our supporters’ minds as ‘We Ready’ billows through the speakers for kick-off at Atlanta United matches. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.”

His music was also embraced by other sports, including the NFL using it as the soundtrack of a 2019 season kick-off campaign. Eversole also charted two albums on Billboard’s charts: Ride Wit Me reached No. 85 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and Ride Wit Me Dirty South Style reached No. 16 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 83 on the Billboard 200.

Watch “We Ready” and see Atlanta United’s tribute below.

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