Legendary American rapper Saafir - born Reggie Gibson - passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 54, according to his close friend and fellow musician.
Saafir was born on the 23rd August 1970, and the Californian emerged in the 90s as a heavyweight in the famous San Francisco Bay Area rap battles, which were broadcast live and shone a light on hip hop.
The rapper worked with some of the greats as a member of the Golden State Project, and even lived with Tupac Shakur. Fellow Californian rapper Xzibit - who was part of the Golden State Project with Saafir - broke the news of his death on Instagram, sharing a photo of Saafir along with an emotional tribute.
Image:
@lilsaafir/Instagram)"I can't believe I'm writing this right now, but don't know what else to do at the moment. Approximately at 8:45am this morning, my brother Reggie known to the world as Saafir passed away,” he wrote.
"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 added, before urging, “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.”
Xzibit closed his touching statement: “That’s all I have right now. My soul is crushed. We love you bro. REST IN POWER. Saafir The Saucee Nomad.”
Image:
Getty Images)Prior to his death, Saafir faced ongoing health troubles, partly caused by a plane crash on the 30th July 1992. The talented musician suffered a spine injury on TWA Flight 843, which went down after an aborted takeoff, leading to a hard landing and fire.
Later, in 2005, he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his spine, but started feeling numbness in his legs in 2008. His condition worsened and left him unable to stand, alongside struggling with medical expenses.
Saafir was interviewed while in a wheelchair in 2013. “I have a new respect for people with disabilities. I was aware of their plight, but I never imagined how much strength it took mentally to deal with every day, day to day. It’s a cold strength,” he told San Francisco publication 48hills.
The outlet added that Saafir was trying to work with the doctor from his original spinal surgery to figure out what caused him to lose his mobility, and to figure out whether it could be fixed. If the use of his legs could be restored, Saafir was looking at an $80,000 medical bill, and if nothing could be done, his other option was an assisted living facility.
Despite his struggles, Saafir remained strong. “I’m a boss but I’m an injured player in the game. I’m a very strong injured player in the game and I can still make plays from my position,” he said.
Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
English (US) ·