The German-born former rapper Deso Dogg, who abandoned his music career in 2010 and became a recruiter in Syria for the Islamic State, was killed in an airstrike this month, the Pentagon confirmed Friday.

The musician, born Denis Cuspert, toured with the American performer DMX in 2006 but later abandoned rap music and became a well-known singer of nasheeds, or Islamic devotional music, in German. The State Department designated him a terrorist in February after determining he had become a “willing pitchman” for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

“I can confirm that an Oct. 16 airstrike near Raqqah killed Denis Cuspert,” Elissa Smith, a Defense Department spokeswoman, said in an email on Friday. “Cuspert was a foreign terrorist fighter and operative for ISIL who used social media to take advantage of disaffected youth and potential Western recruits.”

Ms. Smith said Mr. Cuspert had “threatened the president of the United States and German citizens” and had encouraged other Western Muslims to carry out attacks on behalf of the Islamic State. “His death contributes to our efforts to stop foreign fighter recruitment,” she said.