Rapper and “Menace II Society” actor Saafir dies at the age of 54: “He can rest now”

He was remembered by his friend and colleague Xzibit.

West Coast rapper Saafir, known for the music he has created solo and collaborated with Xzibit and Ras Cass as part of the Golden State Project and for his role in the 1993 film The Threat Society IIdied at the age of 54.

Xzibit said post The artist’s son, Lil Saafir, announced that his death occurred on Tuesday.

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“I can’t believe I’m writing this now, but I don’t know what else to do at this point,” Xzibit wrote. “At approximately 8:45 this morning my brother Reggie, known to the world as Saafir, died. We have such a long history that I can’t even explain how I feel right now. We surrounded him and let him know how much we loved him. Now he can rest.”

“Friends, family, everyone who has rocked with us in the hip-hop community,” he continued, “if he could be so solid and reach out to @chopblack, his little brother and @lilsaafir, his son, the family really needs support at this time that’s all , what I have at the moment. My soul is devastated. We love you, brother.”

EW was unable to reach a representative for Saafir.

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The Oakland-born rapper, whose real name was Reggie Gibson, rose to fame in the 1990s with the hip-hop crew Hobo Junction. He appeared in the movie The Threat Society II after my roommate Tupac Shakur According to a Northern California public radio station, he introduced him to executives KQED.

Saafir signed a big record deal Quincy Jonesafter the famous on-air rap battle with Hieroglyphs. Several albums, including the debut from 1994 Wagon sessionsresulted.

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Saafir experienced a spiritual awakening in 1992 San Francisco Chronicle he turned himself in after he was a passenger on TWA Flight 843, which crashed during takeoff. According to the newspaper, he was imprisoned in 2003 for violating his parole when he converted to Islam.

For the past 15 years, Saafir has struggled with complications from both spine surgery and spine cancer.

He left behind a son and a brother.