He was allegedly a member of the Chicago gang Gangster Disciple and was killed by the Black Disciples, a rival gang, in retaliation for the murder of Eddrick “TY” Walker, a fellow gang member.
Strong marijuana is now referred to as “tooka,” and some hip-hop singers have utilized the term in their lyrics. After he was killed, the late American teen’s nickname came to symbolize that. Initially, the phrase “Tooka got smoked” was used to refer to a terrible murder, but soon enough, the term “smoking Tooka” came to indicate smoking highly potent weed.
Tooka’s Bio
- AGE at Death: 15 years old
- BIRTHDAY: August 10, 1995
- Died: January 12, 2011 (age 15)
- BIRTHPLACE: Chicago Heights, Cook County, Illinois, USA
- BIRTH SIGN: Leo
- ETHNICITY: African American
- MOTHER: Dominique Boyd
What was Tooka’s Real Name?
Tooka’s real name was Shondale Gregory, and he was an American teenager from Chicago Heights, which is located in Cook County, Illinois. He is one of the many American teens who have lost their lives to gang-related violence in the country. Tooka was a regular bloke, but his name has been popularized since he died. It is hard to tell what his nickname meant to him, but in the streets, Tooka now refers to potent marijuana.
From what we gathered, people began making fun of Tooka after he was murdered, saying he was “smoked”. Then “smoked like Tooka” became a common phrase that meant being gruesomely murdered. With time, the word morphed to mean smoking potent weed, and that’s that.
From our findings, Chief Keef was the first hip-hop artist to use “Tooka” in his song. Shondale Gregory’s nickname was used in his songs like “John Madden” and “3Hunna”. Later, other artists like King Von and Lil Durk used it as well in their songs. While some of these artists know the word’s origin, others, especially those not from Chicago, are unaware of its origin. For them, it is only the street slang for marijuana.
Dominique Boyd, Tooka’s mother, recently criticized hip-hop musicians for treating her son disrespectfully in death. Boyd wants to know why these musicians continue to disrespect her son even though he has been dead since 2011, according to Say Cheese in a 2022 interview. She said that individuals who name-dropped her son in their songs didn’t know anything about him and that he had nothing to do with hip-hop.
How Old Was Tooka When He Died?
The late Chicago teenager was 15 years old when he was killed. According to records, he was born on the 10th of August 1995. Tooka was a citizen of the United States of America and belongs to the African American ethnic group. Apart from these facts, it is hard to tell anything else about his family background and early life.
However, we know he was born to an African American woman named Dominique Boyd. It is hard to tell if Tooka had siblings, and the identity of his father is yet to be confirmed. As claimed in some quarters, his father was murdered as well eight years after Tooka’s death. This report has not been meaningfully confirmed.
When Did Tooka Die?
Tooka died on the 12th of January 2011. As stated earlier, he died at the age of 15. The Chicago native, whose name has been popularized in death by hip-hop artists, died from the wounds he sustained after he was shot multiple times.
On that fateful day, the late teenager was waiting at a Chicago bus stop where he met his untimely death. While waiting at the bus stop, a car pulled over and stopped in front of Tooka, who probably didn’t realize that was the last moment of his life.
Someone dropped from the passenger seat of the car and exchanged a few words with Tooka. Whoever the passenger was, shot Tooka multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting.
What Did Tooka Do To Get Killed?
According to reports, Tooka’s death was a result of gang-related violence. It has been widely reported that he was one of the many deaths recorded as a result of the rivalry between the Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples. These gangs have troubled Chicago Heights for decades, and it is said that it was Chief Keef’s faction of the Black Disciples gang that gunned Tooka down.
According to popular belief, Tooka was killed in retaliation for the murder of Eddrick “TY” Walker, another gang member. TY allegedly belonged to the Black Disciples and was killed on May 21st, 2009. The Gangster Disciples were accused of murdering him by the Black Disciples.
Having said that, it is important to note that investigators are still trying to determine the precise reason for Tooka’s murder. But given that he passed away in 2011, it stands to reason that they have accepted the theory that Tooka’s death was punishment for the killing of a Black Disciples gang member.
