Remembering Local Hip Hop Star Josh ‘Rowdy’ Rowsey

Story via David Menconi, Down on Copperline, Orange County Arts Commission

The local music community suffered a grievous blow on April 17 with the sudden death of Rowdy, performing name of hip hop emcee Kevin Joshua Rowsey II. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Just 32 years old, he left behind a legacy that went well beyond just performing.

Rowdy’s death came as a shock to everyone who knew him because of his youth, and the fact that he did not appear to be ailing physically. His mother, Dr. Pamela Johnson Rowsey, says he visited the family home for several hours on the day he died. The cardiac arrest happened shortly after he’d left for his own home.

Among the most inspirational figures in local music, Rowdy was charismatic both onstage and off. A local activist, organizer and educator in Orange County and beyond, he turned every forum into a performance venue. Hip hop poet Dasan Ahanu (Chris Massenburg), the 2023 Piedmont Laureate, met Rowdy when they were both working at UNC-Chapel Hill and knew him well.

“He was very bright and energetic all the time, just frenetic energy onstage,” says Ahanu. “It was infectious, the way he integrated his art into scholarship. He was talented, able to freestyle and a brilliant writer. Just a dynamic kid.”

Rowsey earned a business degree from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business and went to New York City after graduation. But after about a year, he followed his heart and opted to return home.

“He moved back home because he had a goal and a mission to put North Carolina on the map for hip hop,” says Dr. Rowsey. “That always was his passion, and he decided he didn’t want to work that 9-to-5.”

Yet he DID keep working that 9-to-5, earning a Master’s degree in teaching from UNC-Greensboro and teaching ESL (English as a second language) courses in Guilford County Schools. He wore numerous hats in the Triangle, co-founding a record label and production company called Only Us Media. He also served as executive director of Blackspace, the teen-support arts organization founded by Grammy-nominated rapper Pierce Freelon.

“Rowdy was a really important member of the North Carolina hip hop community, a cornerstone and international ambassador for our scene,” says Freelon. “He was such a bright light. Loving, generous, really creative. It’s shocking because he accomplished so much in 32 years. You never know when you’re gonna go, as AZ would say. So give this short, brief, precious life you have everything you can offer. Rowdy certainly did that.”

Rowdy was also an energetic participant in Tracks, the music program of the Chapel Hill Public Library. He served as artist, curator and host of the accompanying “Tracks in the Stacks” performance series, even composing and recording a theme song for it.

“It’s a tremendous loss,” says Molly Luby, the library’s community history coordinator. “He was completely devoted to building community through hip hop and education, and he really brought people together. The way he championed younger artists was great to see.”

Indeed, one of Rowdy’s greatest legacies was his mentorship of so many younger people. A born teacher in whatever he did, he led by example in whatever he was doing.

“He loved working with kids,” says his mother. “Called himself a hip hop educator and incorporated that into his work. He did so much and had so much impact on the lives of people he knew and worked with. He really changed the lives of people he touched. ‘Extraordinary’ is a good word for what he did.”

(story + images via Orange County Arts Commission)

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Chapelboro.com has partnered with the Orange County Arts Commission to bring more arts-focused content to our readers through columns written by local people about some of the fantastic things happening in our local arts scene! Since 1985, the OCAC has worked to to promote and strengthen the artistic and cultural development of Orange County, North Carolina.