Saafir dead at 54: Rapper and actor passes away as fellow MC Xzibit leads tributes
- Saafir (born Reggie Gibson) reportedly died at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday
- He was part of the rap group Golden State Project with Xzibit
- Saafir also worked as an actor, most notably in 1993's Menace II Society
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The West Coast rapper Saafir has died at 54, according to his former collaborator Xzibit.
Saafir, who was also a producer and actor, died at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, according to Xzibit's post.
The rapper (born Reggie Gibson) made his debut on record in 1993 and became an influential figure in West Coast rap, although larger commercial success mostly evaded him.
He expanded into acting 1993 with a role in the modern crime classic Menace II Society, which marked the feature debut of Jada Pinkett Smith.
He had reportedly been suffering from numerous health problems in recent years and had been forced to use a wheelchair.
'I'm can't believe I'm writing this right now, but don't know what else to do at the moment,' wrote a stunned Xzibit as he announced his friend's death.
The West Coast rapper Saafir has died at 54, according to his former collaborator Xzibit; pictured in 1994 in Chicago
'Approximately at 8:45am this morning, my brother Reggie known to the world as Saafir passed away,' he announced.
'We have so much history I can’t even explain what I’m feeling right now. We surrounded him and let him know how much we loved him. He can rest now,' Xzibit (born Alvin Nathaniel Joiner) wrote.
'Friends, Family, everyone that rocked with us from the Hip Hop community, if you could be so solid and reach out for @chopblack his younger brother, and @lilsaafir his son, the family really needs to be supported during this time,' he continued.
'That’s all I have right now,' the Pimp My Ride host shared. 'My soul is crushed.'
He concluded by declaring 'We love you Bro,' and he hoped that his fallen friend — whom he referred to be his nickname 'The Saucee Nomad' would 'REST IN POWER.'
Saafir and Xzibit's collaboration goes back to their time in the rap group Golden State Project, which was previously went by Golden State Warriors and also featured Ras Kass as a member.
Sources who spoke to TMZ said that the late MC had died in his hometown of Oakland.
Although Xzibit didn't share Saafir's cause of death, his health had reportedly suffered in recent years, and he had even had to have a tumor removed from his spine.
Xzibit wrote that Saafir had died at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, and he said said he and others had 'surrounded him and let him know how much we loved him'
Saafir was in the rap group Golden State Project (formerly Golden State Warriors) with Xzibit (pictured in2017 in Pasadena, Calif.)
Early in his career, Saafir worked as a dancer for the hip-hop crew Digital Underground.
At one point he lived with rap legend Tupac Shakur, who set him on a path to dabbling in acting when he introduced him to the filmmaker duo Albert and Allen Hughes, who cast him in their debut Menace II Society.
In the early 1990s, Saafir was part of the hip-hop group Hobo Junction, and he achieved renown in the genre after participating in a widely publicized rap battle between his group and the East Bay group Hieroglyphics.
His triumphant performance earned him a recording contract from Quincy Jones, according to KQED.
Befitting the connection to Jones — who was a jazz composer and band leader before achieving wider popularity as a popular record producer and Michael Jackson collaborator — Saafir's record under the deal, The Boxcar Sessions, merged the sounds of jazz with West Coast hip-hop.
But the rapper was far from prolific, and several back injuries over the years may have conspired to rob him of his productivity.
Saafir was one of the passengers on TWA Flight 843, which crash landed after an aborted takeoff on July 30, 1992.
Although all the passengers survived, he injured his back when he jumped out of the burning jet to the ground before an emergency slide had been erected.
In 1994, a triumphant rap battle between Saafir's group Hobo Junction and Hieroglyphics earned him a recording contract from Quincy Jones. The subsequent LP, The Boxcar Sessions, merged the sounds of jazz with West Coast hip-hop; seen in 1994 in Chicago
Despite the acclaim Saafir received, he produced few subsequent LPs due to multiple back injuries and spinal surgery in 2005 that left him requiring a wheelchair; seen in 1994 with (L–R) Craig Mack, The D.O.C. and the Notorious B.I.G. in Chicago
But Saafir attributed many of his later issues to a cancerous tumor that was removed from his spine in 2005.
In an interview with 48 Hills from 2013, he said the surgery was intended to save his life and prevent him from being paralyzed from the rest of his life.
However, although he avoided becoming a paraplegic, he still lost significant functioning in his legs, and he blamed health insurance that failed to adequately pay for treatments to help him walk again for confining him to a wheel chair.
Saafir is survived by his son, the rapper Lil Saafir, and a brother.
