CAPE Town rapper and hip hop activist Mario van Rooy - who performed under the stage name "Mister Devious" - died violently and tragically in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town on Friday evening, 23 January 2004.

Devious died of stab wounds, suffered after intervening when his father had been attacked in the street by gangsters. He is survived by his parents, his pregnant wife and his two children. All live in Beacon Valley, Mitchell's Plain.

Known for his socially conscious lyrics and activism, Devious collaborated with an array of South African hip hop artists -from Prophets of da City, to Esmile, Brasse vannie Kaap and Skeem. He contributed to projects including HIVHOP, Cred, and was active in social upliftment projects and work with youth in prison.

We had the oppurtunity to collaborate with this fine MC several times and we are all blown away by these tragic news. This is definately a great loss for the Hip-Hop nation world wide as well as for those who got the chance to know Devious as a human being. Our thoughts goes out to his family and friends in these hard times.

Tee Productions, ZuluNavia/ScandalNavia 2004.

Biography at www.music.org.za/devious