Gene “Groove” Allen, 1962 – 2025

Rapper and actor Gene “Groove” Allen, 62, died on Feb. 12, of a "sudden medical emergency" (well, that tells us nothing). In the 1980s, the New Yorker, along with Daryl “Chill” Mitchell and Belal “DJ Belal” Miller, formed the rap trio Groove B. Chill. Though they only released one album (1990’s Starting from Zero), their appearance in the film House Party (and its sequel) raised them to fame (and sales). Allen went on to act in the early ’90s films Boomerang and What’s Love Got To Do With It. He left the show business and, according to TMZ, “Gene had taken to perform for good causes ... raising money for military personnel and a women's shelter.”