The passing of John Forté was a reminder to me that were more important rap figures I had yet to give their flowers. We should of course be giving them out while they’re still here in the physical, but I’d still rather do it late than not at all. This one was a bit shocking for me given Junclassic passed on November 3rd last year and Kong a/k/a Kongcrete passed in 2024, so I was not expecting any more deaths from the Monsta Island Czars so soon. That’s not the way life works though.

Whether you called him Megalon or Tommy Gunn, the M.I.C. rap stalwart was born Thomas N. Rollins Jr. He was a nimble vocal spitter, arguably a little too quick of tongue for anything but underground rap, and I’m just trying to be real about that. Rollins did not have a style that was ever going to succeed on commercial radio, nor was he ever going to be heard doing a guest verse on a R&B song, but that’s what made him a beloved emcee. He was also an inspirational figure for the obstacles he overcame in life. A shooting left him paralyzed back in the early 1990’s, with doctors giving him the diagnosis that he’d never walk again, but through physical therapy and sheer willpower he proved them all wrong.

Described by Discogs as “a founding member” of the Czars, Megalon was tight enough with the late Daniel Dumile to make several appearances on the landmark “Operation: Doomsday” album, which undoubtedly laid the foundation for his success in the decades to come. He slowed down a little bit for the bars he spit on “Operation: Greenbacks” but was no less memorable with his promise to “rip tracks for all players that pack guns.” He kept that promise throughout 25 plus years of rap appearances. You could count on Megalon slash Tommy Gunn to keep it real every time he blessed a mic.

Neither Discogs nor the GoFundMe established in the wake of his passing give an exact date Mr. Rollins left us, only saying it happened “during the Christmas holiday” in December 2025. There’s nothing worse than losing a loved one at what’s supposed to be a time of joyous celebration, so I offer my deepest condolences to his friends and loved ones on his passing. Perhaps now would be a good time for you to brush up on his catalogue if you’re not familiar, including his solo album “A Penny For Your Thoughts,” and to get to know this Czar a little better than you did before. One love.