Saafir, the actor and rapper who rose to fame with his group Hobo Junction, in the early ‘90s, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, Nov. 19. He was 54 years old.
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His Golden State Project groupmate, Xzibit, confirmed the news in a eulogy he posted on Instagram. The fellow rapper stated that Saafir died in his hometown of Oakland, Calif.
“I can’t believe I’m writing this right now,” Xzibit shared. “But don’t know what else to do at the moment.”
Referring to Saafir as his brother, Xzibit detailed his friendship with the late rapper. “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 then asked those who “rocked with” him and Saafir to reach out to the rapper’s younger brother and his son. “The family really needs to be supported during this time,” Xzibit continued. “ That’s all I have right now. My soul is crushed.
We love you Bro. REST IN POWER.”
Saafir, whose real name is Reggie Gibson, made headlines after taking part in one of the Bay Area rap battles in 1994. He and the Hobo Junction went up against Hieroglyphics. Following his performance, he was offered a record deal with Quincy Jones. That same year, he released his first album Boxcar Session.
Prior to his success, Saafir was part of the Digital Underground, a rap group formed in the late 1980s that included Tupac Shakur and Shock G.
Saafir joined forces with Xzibit and Ras Kass to create the Golden State Project. He also appeared in the film Menace II Society with Samuel L. Jackson and Jada Pinkett Smith.
He ended up releasing four more albums throughout his hip-hop career.
Saafir Suffered Health Complications Years Before His Death
Although the cause of his death was not revealed, Saafir had suffered some health complications over the past decade.
In 2013, the rapper began using a wheelchair due to complications from a spine surgery. TMZ reported that the surgery was done to remove a cancerous tumor from his spine.
During a 2013 interview with 48Hills, the rapper spoke about his health struggles.
“I didn’t really go into telling people I was in a wheelchair or disabled because a lot of people don’t want to be bothered with it,” Saafir said at the time. “They pretend like they do but in reality they don’t really want to deal with that s—t. And I understand that. I don’t take it personally.”
He continued by stating, “So to avoid any harsh feelings or bitterness towards either party, I just keep it to myself and just deal with it. I don’t have a problem with asking anybody for help or allowing people to help me or whatnot but people have their own agenda, people have their own lives.”