Autopsy: St. Paul rapper Lexii Alijai died of accidental overdose

Updated: 10:06 a.m.

Lexii Alijai, a 21-year-old rising star in the Twin Cities music scene, died Jan. 1 from a mix of alcohol together with the powerful painkiller fentanyl, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner said Tuesday.

Lexii Alijai
Lexii Alijai
Gregg DeGuire | Getty Images 2018

The department ruled her death an accident. A police investigation continues.

Alijai, whose given name was Alexis Alija Lynch, began releasing music in her teens and quickly developed a devoted fan base. Her death at the Loews Minneapolis Hotel on New Year’s Day stunned those who knew her and her music.

Kehlani, the music star who most prominently collaborated with Alijai, has announced a First Avenue show in the rapper’s memory, reports The Current. Kehlani’s Feb. 19 performance at First Avenue will benefit a recording arts scholarship fund established in Alijai’s honor.

Your support matters.

You make MPR News possible. Individual donations are behind the clarity in coverage from our reporters across the state, stories that connect us, and conversations that provide perspectives. Help ensure MPR remains a resource that brings Minnesotans together.