Capital STEEZ

Capital STEEZ, born Courtney Everald Dewar Jr., was a Brooklyn-born rapper and one of the founding members of the Pro Era collective. Alongside fellow Edward R. Murrow High School students including Joey Bada$$, he helped shape a New York hip-hop revival grounded in boom-bap production and lyrically dense, socially conscious writing. His verses combined street-level observation with references to metaphysics, spirituality and Black political history, delivered in a rapid, intricate flow.

His debut mixtape, «AmeriKKKan Korruption», released in 2012, is widely regarded as a landmark of the early-2010s New York underground revival, pairing raw production with ambitious, philosophically charged writing. He was also a driving creative force behind Pro Era's early releases, and his recurring fascination with the number 47 became an informal symbol for the crew.

STEEZ died in December 2012 at age 19. In the years since, his work has continued to be referenced and celebrated within Pro Era's music and by the broader New York rap scene as a foundational influence on the collective's sound and ethos.