Rapper Lil Lonnie believed in 'shining a light on Mississippi.' Then he was killed.

People used to ask Mississippi rapper Lonnie "Lil Lonnie" Taylor why he didn't leave Jackson for Atlanta or California, where the music industry is booming, said his sister Crystal Capler.

It's because Taylor believed in Mississippi, she said.

"One of the things he always talked about was shining a light on Mississippi," Capler told the Clarion Ledger. ".... (He said), "I want to be here to put Mississippi on the map with music entertainment. So many times Mississippi has gotten looked over.'"

Taylor supported other Mississippi creatives, she said. He worked with beat makers, producers, photographers and artists from his home state.

He lived in Jackson, where he was the primary caretaker for his aging father.

It's also where he drew his last breath in April 2018. He was 22 years old.

Taylor was driving his SUV along a road in north Jackson when he was shot multiple times. The vehicle crashed into a home on Montebello Drive and the rapper was declared dead at the scene. A passenger who was with him was not injured.

At the time, police said they had no information about potential suspects or a motive.

Nearly a year passed. Members of the community provided tips. Investigators followed leads. Taylor's family kept in regular contact with the detectives assigned to his case.

Then, in March, the family heard some good news, Capler said. Police had arrested a man in Austin, Texas. Weeks later, a second arrest was made in Fort Worth.

On Monday, the Jackson Police Department released the names of the two suspects with news that a third person is expected to be taken into custody soon.

Antoine Carr and Monya Davis, both 21, have been charged with murder, police said.

The news gave Taylor's family a sense of relief, his sister said.

"It's still an everyday struggle to deal with the death of Lil Lonnie," she said.

Knowing that JPD was working the case "as diligently as they can" gave her family hope through the difficult months following her brother's death, she said.

She called the killing "senseless and tragic." She doesn't believe that Taylor knew the suspects and she can't think of any reason why they would shoot her brother.

Everyone liked her brother, she said.

"He was always joking," she said. "He loved to have fun and just have family around —friends and close ones that he cared about. He was a people person (and) loved giving back to the kids and he loved helping people overall."

Taylor was dedicated to his family, especially his father, Capler said.

They grew up in the "poverty stricken" Virden Addition neighborhood in Jackson, she said. Taylor's mother died when he was 5 years old, leaving their father was left with three sons and two daughters. He raised them by himself.

"My daddy did the best he could with providing us the things we wanted," Capler said.

Taylor, the youngest child, "just wanted to make our dad proud," she said.

Taylor made sure their father had food on his table for "breakfast, lunch and dinner," the sister said. He helped him get ready for dialysis appointments. The rapper consulted with his father on business decisions and shared all of his music.

"He let my dad hear all his songs before he put them out," Capler said. 

The song Colors propelled Taylor to nationwide recognition. Four months before he was killed, he sat down for an interview with artists Jack Thriller and 50 Cent.

In the interview, Taylor said that he was planning to buy a house for his family with his first major check.

Taylor's musical career wasn't an overnight success, his sister said.

He started making beats at the age of five. One of his brothers encouraged him, buying him equipment and introducing him to the world of rap, she said.

Taylor worked hard to become recognized, and he never strayed from his roots, she said.

"Even though Colors had over 15 million views and his songs was doing good and he was getting national recognition, he always remained humble," Capler said. "....He was never about conflict. He just wanted everyone to get along and build something together."

To honor Taylor's memory and his vision for Mississippi, his family is organizing "Lil Lonnie Day" on May 5.

From 1 to 6 p.m. at the Medgar Evers Community Center, there will be food trucks, a live DJ, kids activities and Lil Lonnie merchandise for sale, Capler said. The event is open to the public and "kid friendly," she said.

On May 5, Lil Lonnie's new album will also be dropping, Capler said. It's called True Color and will feature music he was working on the year he died.

For more information, about Lil Lonnie Day or the new album visit the Instagram page run by his siblings @officialtkwgo_lillonnie or the website tkwgo.com.

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Contact Alissa Zhu at azhu@gannett.com. Follow @AlissaZhu on Twitter.