Rolling Ray’s Death at 28 Was Due to Natural Causes

The death of Raymond Harper, a.k.a. Rolling Ray, has been revealed to be due to natural causes.

As previously reported, Ray, a wildly popular internet personality lovingly referred to among fans as “the most famous boy inna wheelchair,” died in September at the age of 28. While initial details were scarce, Ray’s death led to numerous tributes on social media and beyond, including from Cardi B.

Over the weekend, The Washington Post shared a piece from Samantha Chery featuring insight into Ray’s life from those closest to him, including his mother, Ms. Shanay. In the piece, available in full here, it’s noted that Ray’s family said he died of “natural causes.”

When reached for comment by Complex on Monday, a rep for Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said that “the manner is natural” when asked about the death.

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Noted in the Post’s piece is that Ray received a spinal muscular atrophy diagnosis when he was around 15 months old. From about age 10 onward, he used a wheelchair. The diagnosis was paired with the expectation that he may not live beyond the age of 12, though he ultimately far exceeded that prediction, despite several health scares in recent years.

In his obituary, available here, Ray’s undeniable success at cultivating a following for “his unapologetic humor” and his shrewd ability to turn “a viral moment into a sustained creative career” is highlighted. In doing so, Ray crossed digital paths with more than a few music stars, Cardi Bamong them.

“Rolling Ray was a menace lmaoo,” Cardi told fans when news of Ray’s death first broke in September. “But he changed soo much and became so positive. I know that soul made it to heaven. You will truly be missed BIG PURRRR!”