Toronto, Aug 10 (IANS): The online Canadian teen rap sensation Lil Tay who had become popular on social media has died at the age of 14 along with her elder brother Jason Tian aged 21. The cause of the teen rapper is currently a mystery and has become a controversy.

Lil Tay, who was born Claire Hope, boasted over 3.3 million followers on Instagram and quickly became a big persona for rap fans. Claire's family took to her account to announce her tragic demise.

The family captioned: "It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire's sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock. Her brother's passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief."

"During this time of immense sorrow, we kindly ask for privacy as we grieve this overwhelming loss, as the circumstances surrounding Claire and her brother's passing are still under investigation. Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her."

However, the death news has emerged as a controversy as some people are not buying it and even calling it a 'fabricated statement'. According to Daily Mail, this has particularly come under fire from the manager of the teen rapper Harry Tsang who questioned the legitimacy of the post.

Tsang said that neither a cause of death nor any kind of prior health concerns had come out before, along with the fact that the message came out from an unknown member of the family.

Another thing that causes doubt over Tay and her brother's deaths are that the police authorities in Vancouver and Los Angeles, where Lil Tay and Jason had been staying had any records of a reported death.

Lil Tay who had emerged as a social media persona back in 2017 at the age of nine, though by the time of her 10th birthday in 2018, she had became involved in a massive controversy regarding custody issues.

This was due to the allegations that she was being physically and mentally abused by her father as well as being exploited by her brother. This also led to her mother losing her job as a real estate agent over the youngster's content. Since 2018, Lil Tay went into obscurity. As such their ‘deaths’ are still being investigated.