Pat Stay was known not only for his rap skills, but his strong connection to Dartmouth, N.S.
Now, the hometown he loved so much has a permanent mural bearing his image and name.
“The hip hop scene in Halifax, with graffiti and murals kind of going with that, he was the king of it,” said Mike Burt, an artist with Trackside Studios.
“He was world renowned. Put our city on the map because he’s a legend.”
Stay, 36, was killed in the early hours of Sept. 4, 2022, after a stabbing in downtown Halifax. The man charged with first-degree murder in his death, 32-year-old Adam Joseph Drake, will have his trial begin later this month.
Tributes poured in after Stay’s death — both from across Nova Scotia and from the wider music community, with rappers Eminem and Drake among those offering their condolences.
“It’s kind of a beautiful thing,” his partner Malyssa Burns told Global News in December 2022. “I never felt so much love from this city.”
A temporary mural was also created in Dartmouth, as loved ones moved to create something more permanent and official in his hometown.
The artists with Trackside Studios, a local studio that specializes in graffiti and murals, were brought in to work on the tribute.
The mural in Dartmouth Cove was officially unveiled Labour Day weekend among family, friends and fans.
A black-and-white portrait of Stay — with his gaze above — now looks over Halifax Harbour.
“It’s easy to digest, there’s not a lot going on. We just wanted to highlight Pat,” Burt said of the design.
“We just wanted to do something for everyone in the city, for friends and family. I hope we accomplished it.”
— with a file from Global News’ Alex Cooke