American singer and rapper Aaron Carter died at the age of 34.
He was the younger brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys.
The website TMZ said Carter was found dead in the bathroom of his Lancaster, California home on Saturday morning.
Representatives of his team confirmed the death.
"Right now it's a really bad time, we're trying to figure out what happened and what the cause was," they said.
TMZ also reported that Los Angeles County police arrived at the scene around 11:00 a.m. local time (6:00 p.m. GMT) after receiving a report of a drowning.
Carter began his career with the boy band Backstreet Boys. They held a number of tours and concerts, and also had a successful solo career.
During the late 90s and early 90s he sold millions of copies of his four albums, the first of which was when he was just nine years old.
His second album, Aaron's Party (Come Get It), was released in 2000.
It featured the singles I Want Candy, Aaron's Party (Come Get It) and That's How I Beat Shaq.
After the album he again supported the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears tour on Oops!… I Did It Again.
As she got older, Carter moved into rap, and also appeared in Broadway musicals and the American television show Dancing With The Stars.
He faced a series of difficulties, being admitted to a rehabilitation center several times, writes the BBC.
He also had several run-ins with authorities for drug possession and reckless driving.
Following the announcement of Carter's death, Prince's mother Melanie Martin released a statement saying she was "still in the process of coming to terms with this unfortunate reality".
"Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated," she added.
Fellow '90s pop stars New Kids on the Block paid tribute to Carter, saying they were "shocked and saddened" by his death.