Rapper Saafir dies at 54 as hip hop icon Xzibit shares devastated tribute

Rapper and actor Saafir has died, aged 54.

The news was announced publicly on his Instagram page by his friend and fellow group member of the Golden State Project, Xzibit.

Saafir, whose real name was Reggie Gibson, had been suffering from health problems in recent years and had been using a wheelchair.

‘I can’t believe I’m writing this right now, but don’t know what else to do at the moment,’ Xzibit began alongside a photo of Saafir.

‘Approximately at 8:45am this morning, my brother Reggie known to the world as Saafir passed away. 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.’

He continued: ‘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.

‘That’s all I have right now. My soul is crushed.’

Saafir rose to fame in the early nineties when he joined rap group, Golden State Project, with Xzibit and Ras Kass.

He lived with Tupac Shakur, who introduced him to acting, and in 1993 he starred in Menace II Society, alongside Jada Pinkett Smith.

In 2005 he had a cancerous tumour removed from his spine.

Although the surgery was designed to save his life and prevent him from being paralysed, he lost major function in his legs and often had to use a wheelchair.

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