Michigan State Community Mourns Passing of Spartan Icon Rich Homie Quan

Rapper Rich Homie Quan passed away on Thursday.

Oct 25, 2014; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view Rose bowl flag flying over stadium prior to a game between the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-Imagn Images / Mike Carter-Imagn Images

Just a day after it was announced that former Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio would be inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, the Spartan community lost a Michigan State icon who had played a large role in that Dantonio's 2013 team that won the Rose Bowl.

Rapper, singer and songwriter Rich Homie Quan passed away at the age of 34 on Wednesday; the cause of death is unknown.

Quan, who was an up-and-coming musician during the time of Michigan State's historic Rose Bowl season, had a large effect on that Spartan team, as his song, "Type of Way," served as the squad's anthem for that season.

Quan would join the team to celebrate in the locker room after its win over Stanford in the 2013 Rose Bowl.

"I appreciate Michigan State, not just the football team, the whole alumni, man," Quan told Al Martin of WKAR Current Sports during that postgame celebration. "It feels like a family here, man. I've never been around nothing like this. I didn't go to college. So, I feel ecstatic, man. I'm almost at tears because I've never witnessed nothing like this in my life. Never."

Members of that 2013 Rose Bowl team, along with many others in the Spartan community, took to social media to express their condolences:

RIP ⁦@RichHomieQuan⁩ Special Time, Special Place with Special People 🙏 pic.twitter.com/xJy9zSItSN

— Mark Dantonio (@DantonioMark) September 5, 2024

We lost a legend today 🙏🙏🙏😭😭 pic.twitter.com/4MNlS2Riup

— Barstool Spartans (@BarstoolMSU) September 5, 2024

Former Spartan All-American defensive back and future Michigan State Athletics Hall of Famer, Darqueze Dennard, whose post is shown above, was the one Quan credited for starting the movement.

That 2013 team went 13-1, its only loss having come against Notre Dame in Week 4. The Spartans defeated No. 2-ranked Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship that season. They would go on to play in the 2013 Rose Bowl Game, the 100th edition in the game's history.

Quan was just as much a part of that historic Spartan team as anyone. Music does so much more for a team than just being blasted in the locker room. It brings a team together, it brings joy during what can be a grueling, long season and it allows a team to celebrate its successes. Quan helped do that for that Michigan State team.

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