Gillie Da Kid is known for his youthful spirit and ability to crack a joke in any situation. But the Philadelphia-bred entertainer appeared on The Pivot Podcast this week to discuss one of the most difficult moments of his life: the death of his son.
Gillie, who co-hosts the podcast "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" with Wallo 267, opened up about the experience of washing the body of his son, Devin Spady, prior to burial – a tradition of the Muslim faith. Spady, 25, an aspiring rapper known as YNG Cheese, was fatally shot in a triple shooting in Olney in July.
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He shared the memory after the hosts of "The Pivot Podcast" – Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder – asked Gillie about the worst moment following his son's death.
"The worst time had to be when I had to wash his body, you know what I mean," Gillie said with tears in his eyes. "That was the worst. But it was also the best, because I became a man that day. I thought I was a f****** man, but I wasn't. That day, I became a man. I was a little boy up to that point.
"I thought I was a man, because I did man s***. I pay bills. I took care of my family. I take care of my sisters. I take care of my dad. I take care of my mom, kids (that aren't) even my kids because they lost their dad. But that day I became a man. When I washed my son's body, it was a gift and a curse. It was a good thing and a bad thing. Because it was very painful to see your son lying there, cold and stiff, but I know I sent him off right. In Islam, that's a big thing, sending them off right."
In Muslim culture, family members cleanse the body of impurities before burial, a ritual known as Ghusl Mayyit.
Gillie thanked Philly rapper Freeway for being with him as he washed his son, saying he would love him for life. Freeway understood how it felt to lose a child – his son Jihad, 20, died in 2020, and his daughter Harmony, 21, died in 2021.
Gillie also opened up about his grief, noting that he wakes up thinking about his son every day. He said the worst feelings are when he looks at his wife and she starts to cry out of nowhere, or when he thinks about how his other children will never see their brother again.
The podcaster also said he is thankful for his growth and maturity, adding that he would have resorted to retaliation in the past.
"I'm going to be all the way honest with you, man, the devil was on my shoulders," Gillie said. "If I ain't have strong people around me, man, I would have resorted back to the old Gillie, man. I would have wiped the whole f****** city out."
The full podcast can be watched on YouTube or streamed on podcasting platforms.