Walkie | |
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.png) Walkie in 2019 | |
| Born | Ivan Vitalyevich Petunin (1995-05-24)24 May 1995 Belorechensk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia |
| Died | 30 September 2022(2022-09-30) (aged 27) Krasnodar, Russia |
| Cause of death | Suicide by jumping |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Years active | 2012–2022 |
Ivan Vitalyevich Petunin (Russian: Иван Витальевич Петунин; 24 May 1995 – 30 September 2022), better known as Walkie, was a Russian hip-hop artist and battle rapper.[1]
Petunin died by suicide following the 2022 Russian mobilization for the Russo-Ukrainian war, saying, in a video posted to Telegram, that he refuses to kill another man.[2][3][4] He released an album before jumping from the 11th floor of a high-rise building in his hometown of Krasnodar.[5][6]
Petunin was born on 24 May 1995 in Belorechensk. He became interested in rap at the age of 14 after listening to Eminem and 2Pac. He began his first steps in his career back in 2012 at the Slovo battle site, where he battled until 2015. He then joined the army.
After returning from the army in 2016, he moved to St. Petersburg and began to participate in rap battle at the site #SLOVOSPB.[7] Vanya first got discussed after a fight with rapper Abbalbisk during a battle at the SLOVO: Moscow site. Later it turned out that the fight was staged.[8] 2017 turned out to be the most productive year in Vanya's career. He released several albums and took part in dozens of battles, including some on Versus.[9][10][11][12]
Against the backdrop of great fatigue, Walkie channel subscribers began to notice his strange behavior, after which several more broadcasts were launched, where Petunin spoke incoherent phrases, jumping from topic to topic.[13][14] After that, the rapper's wife and mother placed him in a psychiatric hospital for a month and a half, where he was diagnosed with mania and schizophrenia.[15] After being discharged from the hospital, Petunin was taken home by his wife. He later jumped from the third floor of his flat, breaking his spine. He was then taken to hospital. His wife ultimately left him, which further affected his condition.[13] Later, Walkie released an album about this period of his life, Wolves in a Psychiatric Hospital.
On 30 September 2022, in his Telegram channel, Ivan released a suicide video where he said that because of the mobilization and the Russian invasion of Ukraine from which it stemmed, he had decided to commit suicide by jumping.[16] He was 27.[17] On the day of his death, he also released an album saying his goodbyes.[18][19]
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